Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-11-20
ARKANSAS.
Judge Poland ButtOnhOled En-
Route for Washington.
Various Views Attributed to Him.
Each Reader Can rake His ChoIce.


Each Reader Can Take His Choice.
ST. LOUIS, Nov. 19.-Judge Poland,
Chairman of the Congressional Committee
70 investigate Arkansas affairs, Judge Will
shire, member Of Congress elect from Little
Rock District, and Col. Hynes, the present
member from that district, arrived here
Yesterday, and several interviews have been
published, but they differ in some material
respects.
In one account Judge Poland is asserted
to have said that the Garland Government
recently elected is trying TO act fairly, Gar
land, although not possessed Of very great
moral force himself, and being surrounded
by strong element Of perhaps a vicious
sort, is trying to do well. The Baxter fac
ti1n sustains the Garland Government,
while the Brooks Men sustain Lieut.. Gov.
Smith. The programme Of the Brooks
party is evidently in the event Of the
Federal Government favOring Smith
and seating him in the gubernatOrial chair
TO press the BrOOks-Baxter suit, which is
still pending in court, in the hope Of re-
seating Brooks as the legally elected Gov
ernOr. IT. however, Smith is seated as
Governor by Federal force, he will have
10 be maintained by the same power, but
Judge Poland does not think such action
will be taken. Smith, he says, is no more
Governor than Baxter was, and he thinks
the authority OF the latter WIS gained by
fraud. Smith is a fire-brand, AMI for his
sake, and the sake of the State, it is a good
thing he has fled. His claims to the Gov
ernOrship are worthless, and there is little
likelihood Of their being made to appear Of
any value to the President.
Another Version OF POland's Views.
Another account says Judge Poland as
serts that although both Baxter and Brooks
have disappeared from the political arena,
vet the question now at issue is which Of
them was elected Governor in 1872. The
new Constitution, Judge Poland says, was
conceived and adopted in very irregular
manner. The old Constitution provided
for amendments only, ard prescribed the
method for their adoption. No power was
delegated to the General Assembly Of the
State to submit the question to the people
whether or not they would hold COnstItII-
tional Convention. Thus it appears that
the action of the Arkansas Legislature in
the premises was without authority and
wholly irregular. A parallel case TO this
Mr.. Poland finds in the celebrated DOrr
rebellion in Rhode Island, a quarter Of a
century ago. The hopes and ambitions of
Smith rest upon the illegality Of this con-
stitutiOn. Baxter, with Lieut.. Gov. Smith
and the whole Radical ticket of 1872, were
elected for four years, less than One-half of
which time they served when the new
election held under the new constitution,
this fall, provided their present SUCCESSORS.
In case the new constitution should be de-
sr,,-.If1 Of f1aa Afafa
Government would no longer exercise the
duties at present incumbent upon il, and
the question would recur to the election OF
1872, as between the Brooks and Baxter
candidates. Touching this matter, Judge
Poland fIeely expresses the conviction that
Brooks received a large majority of The
votes cast. The testimony taken before
the Congressional Committee plainly indi-
Gates this, and it is rendered still more
probable, in Mr.. POlandis view, by the fact
that Dewey voted almost unanimously
for Brooks rs against Baxter. OF the PROF.
poets for an early settlement Of the queS
tion Judge Poland does not speak in
ye-y hopeful manner. He regards the
issue affecting the validity Of the new Con-
stitution as one Of very grave importance,
and inasmuch as il is a strictly legal ques-
tlOil, ne SlseS 10 OfihAoi "haSSNot ieSpVSE
ing it. The Judge also said the testi-
mony before his committee was about con-
cluded, but the people seemed to have a
greater feeling Of security with such
body in their midst, and asked earnestly
for It's retention He therefore appointed
Hon. j. d. Ward a subcommittee and
left him at Little Rock, with a sergeant
alarms and a reporter. He will doubtless
find something to occupy his time and at
tend TO. Judge Poland has gone to Wash
ingtOn at the call of Attorney General
Williams
Senator Dorsey 90 be Investigated.
LITTLE Rock, Nov. ia joint resolu-
tion was Introduces in the Senate
to-day, and psssed TO a second
reading, raising a committee Of three