New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-16
REPUTATION IN ARKANSAS


may be well that Republicans at the North should
DO advised of the condition Of affairs in the " sody
| State Of Arkansas II will BE- remembered that last
year the all-absorbing question In the canvass in
| this State was proposed amendment 10 tho Con.
stitution forever prohibiting the payment of any
part Of the bonds of the State known az Railroad
Aid, Levee and Halforls. On this question ths
Democrats tore each others hair, and but for tina
fact that it Presidential year the party wonld
have split wide open, it did in Tennessee. The
Republicans looked on complacently at this family
| quarrel, having no ticket in the field. The anti.
population wing of the Democracy, il wa.
| evident from the commencement, largely
in the minority, and the fate of the amendmen,
rested upon the action Of the Republicans. The
State Central Committee of the latter party issued
an address advising Republicans TO vote against the
measure. This advice followed where they
voted at all. The result of the election showed
| CT 900 votes for and 4 900 against the amend.
ment with about % 900 not voting on the question
at all. Under the Constitution of the State, con-
srued by the Democratic Returning Board-anxous
at that time account of the Presidential election
that nothing should go out which even winked at
population in the Stato-it required a majority Of
all the votes cast to adopt the amendment. Cone.
quently, the votes of about 25,0OO Republicans
who did not vote on that question at
all but who voted for some can.
didate running for Office, were counted
against the amendment. AMI TINS it was declared
defeated. On the direct vote the amendment was
carried by $4,000 majority. The friends Of the
| amendment were very angry over the declaration Of
the Returning Board, and the leaders swore ven.
ceance against the members thereof. When the
Legislature met on the 10th Of January was soon
asccrtained in the organization of the Senate that
that body contained majority Of repndiationists,
| while the House about equally divided.
The amendment men proposed TO resnbnit the
| question again 10 the people. In the senate the
vote stood - for 10 4 against II required sixteen
votes to pass, majority OF all the SenatOrseleet
being necessary 10 submit an amendment. Ia this
STATE the Senate is composed of thiry-one members;
consequently one vote was lacking. A. the next
best thing to do both houses passed an act
! and by almost unanimous vote-d
rrcting the Auditor and Treasurer T. drop from
their books all the disputed bonds, and no longer
port them any part of the states indebtedness
This measure became law without the Governors
POLITICAL FAMILY QUARREL
The repndiatiou members Of the Legislature then
ISSUED an address to the people of the Stae-espe-
cially 10 the DEMONSTRATING on them not 10
vote for any candidate for any office. State county
or municipal at the next State election, who was
not in favor of calling Constitutional Convention
in order 10 wipe out of existence the " fraudulent
bonds. This address was iEdorsed by the state
Central Committee of the DEMOCRATIC party, organ.
Zrd last year 10 cohduct the campo gn III Tie VI
tcrcst OF the amendment. ihrre are
now two wcll-dcfned democratic parths IN
the state Tho regular Democratic Com;
| mitfce-ihe chairman of which was defeated
! FOR the nomination for Governor last year because
Of HI. extreme opposition 10 repndlatlon-is opposed
t. population. The other wing. led by TIE men
| above referred TO- fayOrs 1t. II J., no secret thaI
nryt wear there viii be- two distinct and separate
! stat and county tickets placed III the held. pon
the tate II this election hangs the successor oil seba
tor Garland The latter OF course desires 10 succeed
himself but be In bitterly opposed Ia rrpndiation,
and should the rpudiatlonists sncce,d-and they
| have "A large majority of the Democratic parry win
thern-a non -d,bt-paying senator viii be elected.
The Republicans are looking on quietly AZ TINS
family quarrel. They VIII be important t",ion
/ urN wear and you may not be- surprised II they
carry the state. Neither wing 81 the Democracy VIII
/ give way
PROSPEROUS REPUBLICAN RULE.
II nay not be ont Of place here TO refer TO the fact
that not one cent of our public dcbt-interest or
priucipal-has ever been recognized or paid. except
during the Republican reign in the State bei"een
l,6, and 1874. and with the further exception OF
some bonds issued to pay the expenses OF what IS
known as the Brooks Baxter war. and some addi-
uonol bond, 10 raise means Ia carry on the State
| Goy,rnment when the Republicans came into
powrr IN thu, State they found an old Indebtedness
| Of thirty wears standing, IN The share oi bonds
issued by The state 10 and IN the cstabliSmtht Ola
/ Real Estate Bank. amonnung-punclpll ana inter-
c,t-to ilyc OF siX million dollars. Of ih,~r uohus
! tln. United States held aud holds today, Over
1 -tOO 900 In trust for the Smithsonian INSTITUTION
| tpon which not one dime of interest had ever mtn
I rill Tho debt nov amounts Ia lttlc less than
, :, 900 900. The inst thing the Republicans did was
/ H. mas "A funding bl and provide for the paNuru
/ of tin, nat, rest on all this indebtedness. lie law
| was A good one. and the financial aiaiT> 81 'iS
S,t, IN, INTO degree never known before
when the Government rlapsed int" the power ~
/ M. oll-timr regime. and no attempt las been made
from that time to this 10 pay one dollar oil ih'eiea
Anons other acts passed by the first Republican
I,g.lt tiire m the state was one submitting 10 D
vote of the people the question Of isSng 'tilshln
amount ot bonds to aid IN the constipation 81 tall
roads Demo, rats ~ well a. Republic ans voted iV
! tl,measurc In tle whole vote cast here werr DO.
exceeding 5000 votes AGAINST the measure tNeiy
| Democratic ucwspap'rl the state yocated ~ !
Under this act htte over S5000.OOO IN bones
wetci.,urd and the result a. that Il gave al impetus
tot - .dudIug OF railroads IN Stale whith III per
! To- had known no such mxurlcs. To these bonds the
State to-day owes at least two OF It's most important
DEMOCRATIC FISANCIAL METHODS.
The law was well guarded. providing Il at when
the railroads failed To pay the interest promptly the
| State Treasurer should sequestrate the earnlngsm
the road until the amount paid. And ID morn
than one instance the Republican Treasurer took
charge Of the defaultng roads. The first act passed
by the first Democratic Legislature WAS taking
away from the Treasurer this power The nen
move was made by the roads before the supreme
! Court. who succeeded IN procuring decision whic1
! declared that the law under which the bond, bsi
been issued had been submitted 10 the people IN ~
irregular manner. Thus the Legislature and tb'
Courts did exactly what the railroads deslre'l-r
leased them from the payment OF the bonds. Apo
then 10 make it more binding. the Legislature suy
mittcd "a the people the aincndnrnt
the Constitution forever prohibiting Tue LeSl>latms
from making any provision for the payment OF
any of thes. bonds besides another class OF iudebt
r,lne,s known ~ Leyce bonds, and still au0tbf
class, Is ned IN 1910 to and IN the establishment Of
a swndllng institution called the Real Estate Bank
\ word about the Leyee bonds. Under a Demo
cratic Legislature laws had been enacted when
t.la.l fs.r fls I'm pf
This work certificates were issued which were nls1o
receivable for swamp and oyerilowed lands lL'