The Russellville Democrat. [volume] (Russellville, Ark.) 1875-1898, 1884-08-14
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AT ATKINS.
The OratOrical Tilt Last Satur-
day by the Candidates for
Legislative HOnOrs.
ATKINS, ARK, August 8.


Fellow citizens of Wilson township:
| / am before you as candidate for
representative before The primary
election. / feel it an exquisite pleas
ure to compete for The office against
1.-TWO as worthy gentlemen as my
competitors are. ] come before you,
we'll known, as | am ITO the manor
born / come before you not want
ing to represent any one particular
industry, but to represent all. l
could not represent Pope county
without representing the farmer. l
could not do otherwise. Bro. Henry
in opening the canvass offsetted me
as farmer. but / have reputation
as farmer too, as / was raised be
tween the pillow handles. / presume
that is prelim,naries enough, and |
will proceed to give my views on the
more important topics and issues of
the day. On the subject of prohlbl-
ton, | believe our laws are good
enough, and l am not in favor of
tampering with them. So far as en-
couraging manufacturing industries
in our midst, | am in favor of it in
every legitimate manner, but am
positively against any exemption.
In few years more our taxes will
be merely nominal. If / have the
honor to be your representative !
shall try by every means in my pow
er to reduce them to A mills, which
will be possible, and raise enough
funds TO run the expenses OF the
state government. l am not in favor
of appropriating one dollar for immi-
grafton. II immigrants want to
come here, let them come on their
own resources like the most of us
have done and they will be more
likely to make good citizens when
they get here. am decidedly in
favor of the present school system
and wasn't it maintained. The mass
es need education, for an educated
people can never be enslaved
These, my honorable opponents,
will put me on trial to-day on the
Fishback Amendment questions. As
to my standing on that, as on all
other questions, ! fear not the con
sequences. They still want me to
be anti-amendment. / never have
been in favor of paying one dollar of
that amount. Bnt it is non politl-
cal question, aud | was in favor of
keeping il out of politics. 1t be-
comes my duty TO notice this point
more particular because it seems that
it is the main point my competitors
make against me. Away back in
1874 they refused to place 1t in the
constitution, but | claim they IN
serted clause tantamount to it.
file then cited the clause which
said no unjust debt should be paid J.
When the test came four years ago
| cast my vote against it and / new
er thought that any one would ques
ton my veraclty on it or that my
democracy would be impaired. Oh!
they cry out don't vote for him, he is
anti amendment. My opposing it
coming into politics is the unpardon-
able sin. | would ike 10 see leg
islature that would have the hardi-
hood to pass law making those
bonds valid in violation of the edict
OF the supreme court. / have been
perfectly honest in my convictions
and / say those who have most agi-
tated this question are demagogues.
IL should be made your represen-
tatlve / shall use my endeayors to
have a fair count made OF the vote,
and shall do all in my power TO have
the amendment adopted, for this
reason: Over 80 per cent of the
voters Of this county have declared
In favor of 1T, and bow cheerfully
to your wall, and will try and have
your wishes carried out and this
hobby elimited from politics. / have
been in the habit OF referring TO the
unfortunate departure OF some good
democrats in this independent move.
You hear 1t asserted and will to-day
that the democrat party is no better
than the republican party. say il
is and any unbiased man that will
read its record cannot say otherwise.
Look how they have persisted dur
ing the past twenty years in giving
away the public domain; how they
have fostered and created monopo-