Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-11-25
The Arkansas Feud.

gross last spring to investigate the politl
cal condition Of Arkansas, arrived in 81
Louis to-day from Little Rock. from whicl
place he departed last night for Washing
ton 10 respOese to telegram from the At
,oruey.Genera' requesting his immediate
presence at the capitol. Mr.. Ward, tn
only other member of The Committee WHIT
ascompa MED tho Chairman 10 Little Rock
still remains there. The Investigations o
the Committee are about concluded, judge
Poland says, and their inquiries have dc
veloped strange apamalies and ridiculous
complications. as we'll us legal problems
OF abstruseness and importance. Thi'
Committee, as is known, wag appointed
for the purpose of ascer'a:ning, if posi-
bic, the time. history Of aud facts in re-
Is,iou to the Brooks. Baxter imoroglio,
and the greater part of the evidences col
lscted bears upon that point, althoug b it
NAV seem strange. since Baxter and
Brooks have both disappeared from the
political arena, Yet the question now at
issue and to be determined is, which OF
the two gubernatorlal candidates voted
for in 1872 was elected aud should have
exercised the functions of Chief Excsu-
tive.
Before this matter is reached, however,
comes in logical order for settlement the
una fashionable validity Of tho new Con.
stitution. This instrument, Judge To-
land explains. was conceived and adopted
in q very irregular manner. The old
Constitution provided for amendments OH
ly, and prescribed method for their adop-
too which directed that amendments must
be submitted and voted upon by the Leg
islaturc al two successive terms, and ap.
proved each time by the proper majority
before said amendments should become a
par, Of the Constitution. No power WIS
delegated to the General Assembly of the
State to submit the question to the people.
whether or not they would hold Constl.
tu,ional Convention. Thus it appears
that tho action Of the Arkansas Legisla.
turc in the premises was without anthori.
~ aud wholly irregular. A parallel case
to this is found, Mr.. Poland remarks, in
the occurrence which gave rise to the
Dorr rebellion in Rhadc Island, over q
quarter Of century ago. AT that time
Rhode Island still based her legislative
,suactments on the original colonial char.
ter, granted by the King Of En gland
which of course, made DIVISIONS for the
calling Of Constitutional Conventions. A
faction of the people, however, determin
cd TO submit the question to the popular
vote. as to whether Constitutional Con-
yention should be hold. The majority
voted affirmativcly, and the asscmblage
convened and prepared an instrument uli'
der which all election was held, and the
Dorr administration elected The right
Of Dorr to tho Governship was hotly dis
puted by the lncumben. under the colon
ial charter, the matter was taken to the
United States Supreme Court, and the
pcw Constitution declared invalid Dorr
was tried for tres sou, convicted and pun
isdsd by term Of Imprisonment. Then
it appears that tho present State admins
tration Of Arkapsas rests on foundation
sot as solid as might be desired.
The hopes aud ambition Of ex-Liou'.'
Gov. Smith and his aiherents are based
dpon the supposed irregulari'y ofths adop
lion Of this new Constitution, its Illegally
snd invalidity, and tho consequent illega
exercise Of governmental functions by thu
present State officials. Baxter, viii
Lieut.. Gov. Smith and tho whole rad,ca
ticket Of 1872, were elected for four years
lens than one.half Of which time the,
served, when the new election, held unde
Constitution this Fall, provided their pres
snt successors. Baxter, according t,
Smiths theory, is quietly acquiesciug il
these proceedings, and tancly yielding U
his ofSas 10 Garland, tho newly-clecte
Governor-virtually resignod-this leav
ing Smith the legal occupant Of the Exc
eutive chair.
In case the now Constitution should
declared invalid, OF course the prcsen
State Government would no longer coudr
uo to exercise the duties at present iucun
bsnt upon it, and the question would re
cur to the election Of 1872, as betwee
the Brooks and Baxter candidates. Touch
ing this natter, Judge Poland freely e1
presses tho conviction that Brooks receive
. largo majority Of the votes cast. II
testimony taken before the Congression'
Committee plainly indicates this, and it
rendered still more probable in Mr.. ?
lands opinion BY the fact that the Demo
- H.. o.. d.