Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-21
THE ARKANSAS TROUBLES.
A History of the Complications.
The Division of the Republican Party
i'm Is7a-A Fight Against the Clayton
Rins-How Baxter was sCounted I'm"
as Governor-Rejoicing af
Triumpt-fhe President Declines 10

as ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS at
Triumph-fhe President Declines 10
Interfere. r1
From the New York Tribune.
WASHINGTON, April l6.-To under
stand the present complication in Ar
kansas it Is necessary to go back TO It's
origin, In the campaign in 1872. When
that campaign opened the Republican
party in the State was split into two
factions, called the "Minstrels" and
the "Brindle Tails" The division oc-
CURED a year before, and was original
ly a quarrel for the spoils, but the best
elements of the party drifted into the
latter faction, because it was opposing
the usurpations of Clayton and the cor
ruptions of the Statehouse ring, which
had carried ON a system of plumber mo-
where paralleled in the "carpet-bag'
States, except in South Carolina. The
sBrindles" resolved to support the
Cincinnati nominations. and were the
first to put a State ticket in the
field. Their nominee for Cover
nor was Joseph Brooks, a Repub-
lean, who was personally very popular,
and was a powerful stump orator A
very small faction OF Liberal Repubh-
cans, who had organized in the spring,
and sent delegates to Cincinnati, agreed
to support this ticket. Later, the Dem
| ocratic Convention determined to make
| no nomination, and COMMITTEES of the
| Democratic, "Brindle," and Liberal
Republican organizations, reorganized
the Brooks ticket so as to give the
| Democrats representation upon 1t.
Thus a strong reformticket wasformed,
with the support of all the elements
| opposed to the Clayton faction. A fee
bic attempt was made Just before the
election, to draw off the Bourbon Dem
ocrats TO the support of a new ticket
put out by The Little Rock Gazette, but
it met with no popular response. The
Ministries" or Clayton Republicans,
nominated Baxter for Governor. He
had not been a prominent member of
their party, but as an old resident of
the State, who had been a Union man
during the last years of the war, and
was believed to be conservative In his
| views, they thought him the most avail
able man they had, and hoped to draw
some Democratic votes from Brooks.
The Brooks ticket and the Greeley
Electoral ticket were, beyond all doubt,
elected by a majority Of not far from
10000 votes, but the Clayton Ring,
who had the entire election machinery
in its control, repeated the practices by
which they had before placed them
selves In power, and threw out the
votes of entire counties on account of
irregularities in the returns made by
their own officials, as wa alleged, by
their instigation. In some counties
they counted the returns from one or
two townships, in order to elect their
county ticke.s, and rejected all the
rest. In this way they figured out a
majority of 5000 votes for Baxter, and
installed him in January, 1873, togeth-
er with their entire State ticket. The
same system of counting in" pro-
duced a Legislature with a majority
belonging to the Clayton party.
Brooks appealed to the Legislature but
was denied a hearing. He then APP
piled to the Supreme Court for a witt
of quo warrantc, but the Court refused
to grant the writ. His case appeared
to be desperate. The usurpation was
completely triumphant. The Presi-
dent naturally declined to interfere in
his behalf. 1t was not the Presidents
OK hat was gSred in Arkansas as in
Louisiana, and there Eas 40 Durell to
overturn the State Government with a
judicial decision backed by Federal
bayonets.
The Republicans, as soon as they
f,4r-1 ~hn+ +Ia- hn1 Es.a,rrIf d, Fn,rfa-ff
in their new Governor, Baxter, began
10 cultivate the Democrats and helped
to form the combination which elected
Dorsey to the Senate in opposition to
the regular Republican candidate.
About half the offices in his gift were
allied by him with Democrats. In short
be followed very closely the example of
Andrew johnson, and tried TO hoid. up
. party composed of the Democrats and
such Republicans as he could induce to |
act with him. The minstrel" faction
became greatly alarmed at his perfoF-
mances, and concluded that they would
be a great deal better off with Brooks
as Governor. 1t was probably in pur-
suance OF an understanding with the
leaders Of this faction that they would
sustain him, that Brools brought q per-
sonal suit in the State Circuit Court, |
presided over by Judge Whytock, for
the possession of the Office Of Governor
and its emoluments. Gov. Baxter 10
nQred the case, attempting no defense,
and declared that he would not submit
to the jurisdiction OF the coarJ. Judge
Whytock, who issued the decree plac-
ing Brooks in possession of the Office,
was & candidate upon the Reform ticket
with Brooks fQ Supreme Court Judge.
The Senators and Representatives
from Arkansas appear to be entirely
satisfied with Brooks coup d'etat.
They speak of Baxter as a political
traitor, and say that from the day he
enteFed upon his Office he appeared to
feel that he was not fairly elected. and
to dread a removal if the contest
should ever be fairly adjudicated. To
mollify the Democrats, SO that they
would not assist Brooks in pushing his
case, he began at once to appoint them
to Office and IL plot Eith the worst
Bourbon element Of then party. Ii Is
believed that he had formed a scheme
which had In view the ei6atian of q
Democratic Legislature next fall, and
the subsequent calling Of "a Constitu-
tional Convention to undo, so far as
possible, the work OF reconstruction.
i is this danger which leads the Clay
ton hepublicaHs to look with joy
upon the assumption of Gqberngto-
rial powers by Brooks. The ti-Clay-
ton men are naturally no less reioiced
at the final triumph of their champion.
Both parties have had interviews with
the President, and have assurances
that he sees no cause tor interfering in
Baxter's behalf. The Secretary Of War
has, under instructions from the Pres
ident, this afternoon directed the COM
handing officer of the United States
military foFcec at Little Rock to take
no part in the present contest except to
prevent bloodshed, should there be
danger of it, or to prevent the collision
of armed bodies of men. The Attorney
General has sent a Geographic order to
the United States Marshal at Little
Rock directing him to exercise the
greatest vigilance N watching both po-
litical parties, aud upon any signs of