The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-04-09
HOW ARKANSAS WAS ROBBED.
SIX YEARS OF PLUMBER.
Interesting and Amusing
Incidents.
A RECONSTRUCTION CONSPIRACY.
LITTLE ROCK, March IS, 1875.

The State OF Arkansas celebrates to-day great
deliverance. BY proclamation OF Governor Gar
land this day Is kept one OF thanksgiving Tor
the action or Congress which, 1t Is hoped and be-
eved, restored the State 10 permanent and
peaceful seEgovernment. Here IN the capital.
the day has been singularly quiet. Banks ana
shops were mostly closed; many people went TO
church; there was TURKEY Tor dinner; and there
were, among the older and substantial citizens,
not a few heartfelt words OF gratitude Tor quiet
and peace. and the hope OF prosperity And that,
30 far as one could see, ALL. The streets were
not crowded. though the day was as long as
June day with us; l heard absolutely no
political discussion either in streets or hotels;
Poker Jacks arrival in the morE!ng did not create
even ripple; and though there are probably
good number OF disappointed men among the ad-
herents OF BROOKS, 1t looks here very much as
though both parties were glad 10 see the battle
ended. Indeed there Is doubt about the
matter, for everywhere throughout the State re
ports show that the general settlement Is ac'
cepted as anal, and industry reviving. More
cotton and grain are being planted than in pre-
vous years; houses and fences are being repaired;
fewer men are idle; there is notable and
sudden decrease OF street loungers, black
and white, in Little Rock. People are going
to work again. liz Is creditaoe 10 both
parties that so far as / hear and have
been able TO observe there Ia bitterness OF feel
ing, no resen tment. The victors are too well
pleased TO be anything but good-humored, and Inc
vanqulshed take their defeat in good part One
OF the most jealous, and, during the winter,
ferocous BROOKS men, q colored man. said TO me
to-daf. "What we need now is men and capital;
we have peace secured; we are oone with politics
for while, and will all 60 to work In earnest 70
recover our losses and make the state rich. Give
us only good crop this year and WEN be OUT OF
the woods"
WHY THEY ARE THANKFUL
The truth is, IL was time tor strife to end. No
body OF either party who had anything, even MS
labor to lose. could any longer AFFORD It
Here are o few figures which prove IL.
Arkansas has less than $50, 900 people. 1t has
about 100. 900 voters. These owed in 1868, when
began In this State about So, 900
and had $4,000 cash in their treasury. The
debt was State debt. The counties owed little or
nothing. To-day, after seven years, the State
owes at least sI5 roo 600, and most OF the counties
have debts or their own sufficient TO make them
bankrupt. And Tor this huge indebtedness which
amounts, for State counties, town and school dis
tricts, to probably s2o,ooo,oOo, the people have
nothing to show, except some miles OF railroad, on
which they must pay for their passage whenever
they travel. There are no new pubic buildings;
neither science nor the arts have been advanced
the old State House looks as dllapidated as when
nothing except having It's door ltntels mutilated
that Brooks cannon might pe squeezed into the
halls the schools almost all closed because the
school fund was stolen, and Little Rock Is un-
paved though the conquerors or 1865 issued nearly
shinplasters enough 10 have all the streets hand
somely paved and bonds enough besides to make
dry crossings at the corners.
The State debt alone amounts to-day TO more
than Sis for every voter. state, county, town
aht "A arh del
would probably bring the voters IN debt S175 a
head And the wnole OF this prodigious burden
has been laid upon an impoverished ana never
very prosperous people in seven years.
HOW IT WAS DONE.
Arkansas was, in 1865, q tempting prize to specu-
lators Ii had q trivial debt q handsome little
sum in cash In the Treasury hardly any railroads
and people singulary innocent or political wlles
the young and enterprlsing men who then locked
in and seized q power and who held Is so many
years mad had some experience In what we call
"politicsr ave showed them some trcksr
said one OF them TO me; ''the damned fools didn't
know q thing about organization. They Just went
around the State making stump speeches and
thought that was politics. Bat that thlng's
played out"
TIE new regime framed q constitution admir-
ably suited to their ends, OF which shall speak
further on. Ana then they began the real work
OF punoer with an act granting State aid
bonds TO railroads to the extent OF 500 miles,
at SIS 900 per mile, or $4,000 Tor suca roads as
had also land grants Under this law I'll miles OF
road were built or which the Fort Smith road is
well built and well planned for loo miles and IA to
be completed. II has received $1,000, 900 OF
bonds The Memphis and Little ROCK Company
built as miles and received $1.2o0ooo, or $4,000
more than IL should nave got. The 0uacntta Com
pany built % miles and got 100000, or s1socOo
more than IL should have got. The Arkansas Gen.
tral built IS miles and got s., 100000; under the
law It was entitled 10 but $4,000. This was SEN
ator Dorsey's road. Tho Pine Blur built 20 miles
and got s1,2oo,ooo. or s15O,ooo more than its
share. The whole issue OF railroad aid bonds
made by the state in less than four years amounts
TO $3.50, 600. Many OF the roads we're not needed;
all but the Fort Smith and the Memphis are unhn-
ished and Will for some time remain so; s1,1loooo
more bonds were issued than even these rag
ments OF roads were entitled TO; the roads were
to pay the interest," but OF course did not and the
state nov owes the whole sum, and when IL con
must pay tue interest as well as the principal.
Citizens OF Little Rock point out TO a visitor
number OF pleasant residences at the new or court
END or the struggling town, which, they say, were
built BY the men VINO handled these bonds.
LKvEE BONDS.
Next, In 1871, were issued 50, COS, sac in levee
bonds. the law authorizing this Issue PROVIDED
that no levees shoad be built except on the appl-
cation OF a majority OF ,ne property holders to
DO benefited, and then only In specified
way, and the land benefited was held
for the payment OF interest and principal
OF the bonds Regular surveys were 10 be made
and compstent engineers were 70 decide, after
ALL whetner the levee should be butt. In prac-
tlce, one or two engineers and half dozen con-
tractors made q Ring and bulls evees Wherever
they pleased: no formal petitions were required,
no proper surveys made; logs and timber, aud
even nour and beef barrels were crammed into the
bank. and meantime the Levse Commissioner
Benjamin. Thomas issued bonds whenever any.
body whom he knew asked for them, and actually
kept no books to SHOW to whom, for what work,
or when they were issued. The first iresnes
washed most or these levees away and OF those that