The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-05-13
The War In the State Of Arkansas
BOTH PARTIES RESTING ON THEIR ARMS.

40 tlVuultS upon winch nlDR0 I'll
present threatened bloolshed in Al
; kansas are Of the most complcate
character, and they present a record q
corruption. a confonndiDg Of parties
and a blending of diverse political ele
ments the like of which has rarely bee
seen in our history. Of the two indi
: viiua's-Rev. Joseph Brooks and Jndg
Elisha Baxter VIII" figure as the riva
claimants for the Governorsl,ip
Brooks was formerly the candidate fo
Governor of the party among whicl
are the supporters Of Baxter, while
Baxter was at the same time candidat,
of thel pal y that supports Brooks
When the carpet bag regime was or
ganized in Arkansas after the wa,
Powell Clayton, Judge Mcclure, Chic
Justice OF the Supreme Court of the
State, and Brooks were the most ac
tive in the work of putting it in opera
ton. Previous to the guhernatoria
election of lS72-the election on which
the existing quarrel in Arkapsas il
based-Brooks had quarreled with his
partners, Clayton, Mcclure, and the
Others, over tile division Of the spoils
E"f office and because of his failure to
succeed Clayton, who had been elected
to the United States Senate, as Cover
nor. He made cause with the Liberal
| Republicans as the candidate for Gov
ernor against the Grant Republicans
led by Clayton and Mcclure. Brooks
following was SO strong one and there
seemed 50 good chance of his cleo
tlon-and he was elected in tile end
that they resolved to bring out strong
and popular man-popular because he
was believed to be honest--in the per-
son of Judge Elisha Baxter as tho Re-
publican candidate for Governor
Baxter is by birth a Southern man and
was STAKEHOLDER. While the war was
in progress lie was employed in the
civil service of the Confederate States,
but later, adopting Union principles he
took service in the Union army. He
has this decided advantage over Brooks
that he had nothing to do, like that
Radical and fanatic, with framing the
present constitution of Arkansas, which
piece of political mechanism is due to
Clayton, Mcclure. and Brooks and
their associates. The election came
with the parties distributed, as has
been described. Brooks, the Liberal
Republican candidate, was undoubted-
~ elected by legal majority Of over
1000, hut Baxter. the Grant Clayton
Mcclure candidate, was put into the
chair by a process we'll understood. A
provision of the constitution of Arkan-
sas declares that the election returns
for State officers shall he sent to the
Secretary Of State in sealed envelopes,
which shall be opered and the votes
counted by the President of the Senate
in the presence Of both houses of the
General Assembly. This duty was
duly performed and the election Of
Baxter was declared, Notwithstanding
the majority given for Brooks. ana this
is how Baxter became Governor, with.
out any action of his own and simply
by the processes fhis friends. Brooks
therenpon brought suit in the United
States District Court against Baxter.
bnt Judge Caldwell declined to take
Jurisdiction. He made no effort to get
I hearing before the Legislature, for
the reason that Radical majority had
also. b en- obtained in that body by the
counting inn method. In the lower
house of the Legislature were thirty
tour Democrats and in the Senate six.
The Secretary of State "counted 10"
seventeen Senators, making eighteen
Radicals in all in tile Senate. Brooks
could have begun a suit before the
Legislature according to a clause of
the constitution which says that "any
one claiming to be elected Governor
may contest before the Generel AS
sembly;" but he took no steps at this
time. Circumstances, however, soon
changed. A breach occurred b-tween
Baxter and his former political friends.
Baxter, although illegally holding his
seat, affronted his party, their leaders
and their members of the General AS
by vetoing bad aud corrupt
measures that the last named had pass
ed. He was thus gradually drawing
around him many Of Brooks' former
Democrats and Lib rial
Republicans, partly by sympathy with
the honest administration of affairs
and partly ~ a judicious use of pat
ronage. Then it was that Brooks,
seeing his opportunity, drifted back to
communion with his old associates.
who, disguised and amazed at Bax-
ter's recalcitrant course, arrayed them
selves against their own Governor and
took up Brooks cause. Baxter was
then, as he is now, in full sympathy
with the opposition to Radicalism of
the State, giving Arkansas q be ter
than ho6 h.on hoood e.,