The Van Buren press., 1874-06-16
THAT COMMITTEE.
Mcclure Cross Examined by Gen. Pike
Evidence Of Gen. Gage and Gen. R.
A. Howard.
The President Expresses His Qualification
at the Quiet and Order Which
Prevails.

examined Benton Turner, and TO-DAY
cross examined Poker Jack. The latter
was greatly discounted and embarrassed
by Pixies searching inquiries. On tn.
. cross examination of these two witnesses
the true position of the espective'parties
was clearly shown. it was shown thai
neither You nor any of your present ad
herents had any completely in the elec
ton frauds, and that they were perpetra
, ted by the very men now endeavoring to
oust you, who stand before the commit.
tee in the attitude of conspirators claim
ing the benefit of their own crimes and
iniquities.
When pressed by Pike and Judge Po
land to state when and how he ascertain
ed that Brooks was elected, and the cir
cumstances connected with his admins
tering the oath Of office to Brooks Poker
Jack squirmed and betrayed considerable
nervous excitement, and in reference to
administering the oath, said: 1t was
no business of mine; it was a matter of
no consequence If YOU" addressing
Pike, had applied to me to be sworn in
| would have sworn you in. Here he
was severely rebuked by Judge Poland.
We have, 50 say our friends in con
gress, as good a committee as could pos
siby be selected. The examination OF
witnesses will be resumed Monday.
AT one time we all felt blue. The cur
rent Of public opinion had set in against
Us. All the Arkansas folks, except the
contestants, have been active all the time
in endeavorng to disabuse the minds of
congressman Of the impressions made by
the Chronicle and other republican pa
pers.
Pixies argument before the committee
was able and in good taste. He was
calm, temperate and deierential, and was
listened to by every member with atten-
ton. AT the close of his remarks, the
committee retired to consult, and after
an absence of half m hour returned
Judge Poland said that they had no right
to question the authority of the house to
inquire into alleged frauds in the election
of state officers that they had been re
quired to ascertain and report facts to the
house, and that the question as to the
power of the house over the subject
would properly come up when PROPOSE
lion to act upon the reported facts came
up. l think, and so does every body
else, that we are safe.
GEN. GAGE on THE STAND.
! The committee resumed the examna-
ton of witnesses on Monday. The first
witness examined was Gen. Gage, Of
Fort Smith. The st. Louis Republican S
Washington special says Of his testi-
mony:
The special committee Of the house ap,
| pointed to investigate Arkansas affairs,
! held a meeting this morning, and took
the testimony Of Gen. Gage, a prominent
lawyer of Fort Smith, in that state, and
an avowed republican. Gen. Gage said
among other things, that the people of
Arkansas were well satisfied with the re-
cent settlement Of their difficulties, and
ali they desired now was constitutional
convention, for the purpose of so reor-
ganizing as to prevent, if poss bic, re-
currence Of their late troubles that there
was no doubt in his mind that nine tenths
Of the people, including some who had
been IN the foremost ranks of the radical
republicans, would be in favor of the
government passing into the hands of the
democratic patty as Il means Of escape
J from the misrule and robbery that have
characterized the administration under
the lead of Clayton, Dorsey, Rice and
others. His own opinion was that such
a change would prove blessing to the
state, aud he asserted this as u republi
can He had been told that it would be
dangerous for Clayton to go back to Ar
kansas.
| TESTIMONY OF GEN. II. A. HOWARD.
Col. r. A. Howard, lawyer Of promi-
nence from Arkansas, was next examined
He was in Little Rock during all the re-
cent difficulties. Peace and good order
prevailed there when he left . few days
since Brooks was living in the city un-
disturbed, and was daily seen on the
streets Gen Pagan, Brooks command.
er in chief. was likewise there and had
not been molested. Gen. Thompson and
Capt Neil Brown, both officers under
Brooks, took their seats in the legisla-
ture from Pulaski county, and participa-
ted in its proceedings up to the day Of
adjournment V. V. Smith, who had
been elected lieutenant governor on the
same ticket with Baxter, hut who turnc d
in favor of Brooks, presided in the state
senate without disturbance or action
The chief complaint of the people was
that they had no voice in the government,
and that the taxes had become burden
some in the extreme, amounting in many
) important respects to conGscation. lie
felt sure that there had not been fair
election in the state since the reconstruc.
ton measures were adopted Not one
member of congress from Arkansas,
neither senator nor representative, had
been honestly elected since that time, c,and
not one of them was entitled to his seat.
In answer to n question as to how the
credit of the state had been managed. he
said that the state had 10 credit.
During the examination there were
present in the room Senators Clayton
and Dorsey and ex-senator Rice, the lat
ter acting as attorney for the Clayton
faction and examining the witness
es. The prevailing opinion is that
Brooks and his supporters have little to
gain through this investigation, and that
their object in procuring it was to break
the force of their downfall and let them
out with some show Of grace.