Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-04-17
THE ARKANSAS AGONY.
Little Rock La Mode Paris.
The Hotel D'Armes Defies Both
Regimes.
La Chambre Legislative Girt
with Cannon.
La BOurgeoisie Crowd theIBoule-
wards.

La BOurgeOisie Crowd the.BOule-
| wards.
LITTLE Rock, Ark, April I6.-There is
but little change in the Gubernatorial
muddle- Brooks holds the StatehOuse.
which is surrounded by armed men, about
100 in all. They have two cannon. Bax-
ters headquarters are still at st. Johns
College, in the suburbs of the city. He is
preparing 70 retake the Statehouse. About
loo stand Of arms, belonging to the State,
are at the arsenal. Both Baxter and
Brooks have made demand for them, but
the demand is refused. Men are pouring
in on every train. The city is rather
quiet.
We Memphi.
MEMPHIS, April 16.-There is consider
able excitement here over affairs In Arkan-
sas. The appeal and AUdl0nche specials
assert that the troubles there result from
the late visits of Senators Dorsey and
Clayton.
Brooks PrOeIaImefh.
LITTLE Rock, April 10, 4 p. M.-There
is but little change in affairs. Gov.
Brooks has issued the following proclama-
ton:
EIec1tire Office, Little Rock, Ark.. Apra
l6.-TO the People of Arkansas: As YOU
will reeollect, L was a candidate for the of
fee Of Governor at the November election
OF 1872. That l received majority of the
votes east for that Office has never been de-
MED by the friends Of Elisha Baxter. | ap-
| pealed TO the Legislature and asked TO be
allowed the election for the Office Of Gov
ernOr, and my petition, at the instance and
by the cOnniyance Of Baxter, who cOrruptly
used his official patronage TO bribe menu
bers OF the Legislature, was rejected, and
was denied not only the right of petition
which the constitution guarantees To every
| citizen, but the right TO have the question
| of the election investigated or passed upon.
| The Attorney General asked the Supreme
Court for q writ Of quo waTTanto agains;
Baxter, for the purpose Of compelling him
to show by what warrant and authority he
assumed 10 discharge the Office of ths. Gov
ernOr That tribunal declared it had no i'll
risdictiOn to hear and determine a contest
for the ctiiee of Governor, and the cause
was dismissed for want of jurisdiction. /
then commenced IN action against Elisha
Baker under the provisions Of the Code in
the manner prescribed BY law for Che re-
cOyery Of the Office and the salary received
hv Elisha Baxter during the time he wrong
fully withheld the sime from me.
l served a notice Ou Elisha Baxter that
would, at certain times and places named
in said notices, take testimony in support
Of my claims. Elisha Baxter. for reasons
best known to himself, failed to appear al
the times and places mentioned, and treat
ed the court proceeding with derisiOn and
contempt, openly bOasting in public and
private speeches aud conversations that he |
would resist the execution of the Judgment |
Of any cOuTt Of the State with the militia.
if it attempted, in any manner, to interfere |
with his discharge Of the duties of the Of |
fee of Governor. Notwithstanding his |
threats, | continued the testimony and |
prosecution for the purpose OF uphOlding |
my own rights and yindicating your choice. |
On yesterday the Circuit Court rendered |
judgment in my favor for the Office and the |
salary, and at once took the oath of office, |
and took possession Of the same. Elisha |
Baxter no longer holds the executive office, |
and it is to be hoped that YOU will ioin |
your voice with mine in rejoicing that the !
man you choose for Governor has as last |
been duly installed into the Office.
Being in Office, it is but fair, that /, to |
some exten;, define my future policy which |
the adherents of Baxter will no doubt mis-
represent for the purpose Of advancing per-
sOnal interests and gratifying their own
ambition For my political tenet, res
pectfully refer you 10 the platform Of the
Reform party on which | was a candidate
in 1872. From the principles therein
enunciated, have not deviated and God
helping never will. No man in the State
has felt the power of the ballot box stuff
fers and political thimble riggerts to the
extent have. L say to you, that so far as
in me lies the ballot box and election
machinery Of the State shall never be made
an engine of fraud and oppression as it was
in 1S72. This is republican formof gov
ernment where the voice of the people
should rule, and so far as l am concerned, it
shall rule from this time heneefOrth, and so
long as | occupy the executive chair every
man shall have the free and undsturbed
right to vote as to him shall seem best, and
that vote once cast, shall be counted as the |
man meant it should be.
Efforts, ROdOubt, will be made by design
ing men to convey the impression that it is
the duty Of the people to rally to the stand
ard of man who, no doubt, will claim be I
is the Governor of Arkansas, that YOU all
know was not elected, and who has no more
right or claim TO the office than any one of
you have that was not a candidate, for the |
purpose of placing that man again in the
Executive. / say frankly TO you that ali
such attempts will lead to strife and blood
shed, for shall resist and suppress the ac- !
lion of all mObS that may assemble together !
under the banner, and at the call, OF Elisha !
Baxter. No man III the State can more |
deeply regret strife and blOodShed than nv
self; but feeling, as / do, that Selfgoyern- Q
ment, rather than selEaggrandizement. is I
he issue, | shall employ every means at my $
to maintain its supremacy.
Elisha Baxter forced me from the Legisla-
ure to the courts, and thus far have pa ]
.iently borne with the laws delay, at all
lines feeling that justice would bc done by !
he judgment Of court OF competent juris- q
fiction. | am in the Executive office.
When it is adjudicated that | am not there
e.ally, | will bow my head i'm silence to T.
he decree of the court. The power that \
Elisha Baxter used TO force M into the 4
,OurtS, will use to make him abide by .
heir DEGREES. To one anil all say, keep =
uiet and pursne your different vocaiiOns. I.
/ our services are not needed ai the Capitol n
o preserve police or good order. Should :.
he time come when they will be needed, .
on will be notified in due time through n
he proper channels.
JOSEPH Brooks, :
Governor of Arkansas. =,
Baxter Appeals tO the Courts. Il