The Van Buren press., 1876-07-25
The Argus Candidate for the Sen
ate-What he is Thought of at
Home.

kloIue
Ed. PRESS A gentleman of our village
writes to the Fort Smith Herald, of the 18th
inst, under the nom dc plume of Ozark" He
says the tow nship meetings in Franklin
county declared for Witch over Armstcad
for State Senate. The vote stands IA to IL
and one township ticG. giving the nomination
to Witch. The people here are wild with
delight" etc. In his INSCRIPTIONS haste to
assert untruths, he says further, "the Little
Rock fuglemen under the influence of Bour-
bon made a great aifast for G-..- A ,.nataa.l.
but the people did not want him, not having
forgotten his course In the Clarksvlle con-
veution," &c, &c, And he winds up by say
ing "Our crops are fine; prospects COCA"
&c, thus attempting to lead the rca1er to the
supposition that it was an honest son of
the soir' busying his brain in behalf of the
: Simon pure (D L. Witch. But we know
the gentlemen, ar.d wherefore he writes.
Those delicate organs common to his Kind
nrotrud,ng above his petit coup Ozark"
have betrayed his true character, as did his
voice upon another occasion, while attempt
ing to "play the Lion.'
Let those who would know the whole truth,
come see what we have seen, and hear what
we have heard. 1t is true, we will admit that
the vote stood, Ii Witch, II Armstead; but
who are the people wild with delight" who
made the mountains ring with the anvil bat
teries? Who? The peopleg A parcel of
loating negroes, hired to make them ring with
Witch powder; these are the people who
were wild with delight upon the occasion to
which he refers. Then right on the heels of
this he says, the people of Franklin don't
want Armstead, not having forgotten his
course in the Clarksville convention" What
are the facts? VINO support Armstead? Who
Wittieh' And why? Gen. Armstead as a
neighbor and citizen. Is far above reproach or
suspicion; even his bitterest enemies are for
ced to allow the truth. Mr.. Witch is a man
whose record we have and those of the 25th
senatorial district who consider it of any in
terest to them to know with what :. manner
of man" they have TO do, can, and should
know before the great senatorial question is
finally settled by the District convention.
Even his warmest supporters have admitted
but few weeks since that Mr.. Witch. the
man who now asks the people of Crawford
and Franklin counties for their support; who
asks to be made The nominee of the democrat
ic party for Senator from the 25th senatorial
district, we say this mans warmest support
ers have admitted that he will betray any
trust, and has been guilty of practices which,
but for his F" brass" would have driven him
blushing from the field, ere he began the cam
vass. 1t Is he who has offered bribe of $500
to a radical legislator to obtain the judgeship
of the now 9TH judicial district and now asks
favors OF the democratic party. 1t is he who
has disgracec the bar, "time after time by
means most deleterious to the people, and
now asks them for their support.
That MIR. W. has many supporter we do
not deny. There are n few good men in his
ranks. but that he has the support of the ma
jority of the democracy of Franklin, we do
emphatically deny, with no fear of successful
contradiction. The people were not fully re-
presented at the conventions and many of
those who did attend, are not known as DEM
ocrats, but, even as It was, the vote stood
Witch, II; Armstesd, l3; but they claim it
stood II to IL but that we are right is obvi-
GUS from the tact that the vote stood l2 to II
when Logan township q votes) went for
Armstead first ballot making him l3, when
the Witch faction ran in two or three votes
from johnson county, and nine railroad
hands who did not live In the township car
ried for Witch, and this is the way he claim
ed the nomination. Is he worthy of the sup
port of the democratic party of the dis
tricte If so, let him be nominated, and give
him hearty support, If not norus homo.
Yours,
MEMoRIA IN ETERSA.
OzAcR. July Is 1S16.