The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-10-03
POWELL CLAYTON.
Age Has Not Diminished His Gall.
He Sends a Second Letter to Gov.
Hughes, Of Arkansas.
Restive Under Citations of His
Own Dark Record,
He Makes Light of Gov. Hughes
Enforcement of Law.
He Is Full OF Bravado and Endeavors
to Make the Democratic Admin
istration Responsible for
Frauds it Opposes.
Special Dispatch to The Appeal.

Special Dispatch to The Appeal.
EUREKA SPRINGS Ark, Sept 90 1855
Gov. Simon =. Hughes, Executive Office, Little
Rock, Ark:
sir-l have read your letter OF Septem-
Der q, 1888, addressed to the Arkansas
Gazette, which suppose is intended as an
answer to mine, addressed TO you on the
2lth OF the same month. II so, permit
me to say that, while you have devoted
much time to the reconstruction period
and events OF some twenty years ago, you
have not shed much light upon events that
have transpired within the past few weeks
Many of the questions to which l have
called your attention remain unanswered,
and others have been answered in a gen.
eral and indirect manner. Your
theory seems 10 be TO try to
establish the fact that some fifteen
or twenty years ago somebody else was
guilty OF high handed and outrageous acts
and hence such acts committed by you
and your party within the past few weeks
should go unquestionod. In reference to
myspeech you seem TO deplore the tact thnt
did not confine my remarks TO the tariff,
fisheries, Chinese and trust questions.
do not doubt, Governor, but that such
course would have been more agreeable TO
you and your party. have noticed that
people who violate the laws do not like 10
have their acts ventilated and denounced.
Stop ballot box stuiling, the robbing Of
poll books, the Justification OF returns and
other crimes against the suffrage in Ar
kansas and i will engage TO confine my
remarks hereafter TO more agreeable sub.
jects.
Referring to the question asked by me.
TO which you made no answer, that you
did organize and arm militia company in
Conway county, prior 10 the election, and
that you dId supply IL with deadly ammu.
milton about two weeks before said cleo
ton, at time when that county was in a
--conditon Of profound peace, is true. That
you did the same thing in Woodruff coun-
ty is also true. Whv not say 80 in both
cases? You know that you organized a
militia In Union county Just before the
election, and you know that after you had
exhausted all Of the State arms YOU en-
deayorad 10 get arms for the State militia
from the adjoining county Of Ouachita.
Why not acknowledge this2 You know
that there are twenty odd citizens OF Crit
tenden county still in exile aud that YOU
have turned n deaf ear 10 their supplca-
tions for protection. You know that they
cannot safely return 20 their homes, even
90 meet In the courts the trumped
up charges against them. You know that
YOU did wait about ten DAYS after the nine
poll books were stolen from the clerks
Office at Little Rock before you offered n
reward. Why not say so2 BY the way
Governor, why did you wait 80 long?
Some unchariablc people say that you
would have offered no reward had no
presidential election been pending, aud
base their reasons upon the iact that, when
similar cases were committed in the past,
you offered no rewards. Why are you
silent about the other poll book TO which
have called your attention, which was
stolen after the irst nine books were, the
theft OF which seemed necessary in order
20 repair the bungling job Of the first
thieves who did not steal quite enough 10
elect you sheriff. Why not tell us about
that and give your reasons for
not Offering a reward for the thief. In r..
lalion 90 Arkansas county you sly: 4
have heard that the ballot box from one
township In that county was taken II Il
masked Democrats who took IT, would not
the word stolen be more appropriate than
taken; and why don't YOU offer a reward
for these thieves also2 You say that you
knew nothing about the ballot box that
-~Ias blown MP in Jackson township, Little
River county, except that have stated
10. II YOU will take the trouble 10 write
10 any reputable citizen OF that township
YOU will find that what have said IL true,
and hope YOU will then offer q reward ia
that case. Whilcyou arr about Il you might
inquire into the fact that n body OF
armed men kept sufficient number
Of Republican voters from going 60 the
polls IN Miller county TO give that county
10 the Democracy, and take steps TO bring
these criminals 10 justice. In regard 90
Union county, YOU still seem 30 be obliyi.
ous 60 the condition Of affairs existing
there during the canvass and election. For
your information, | refer YOU 10 the report
Of the special correspondent Of the st.
Louis Republic. Democratic paper, pub.
lishod the very day my letter 10 YOU was
written, from which YOU will find that,
instead Of everything being serene there
before and during tho election. as indi.
Gated by your letter 10 the press, things
were In n very bad and disturbed c0ndi.
ton indeed, and that you were mistaken
when you said only one man was shot and
that accidentally. but that Hal Gray. a col
orcd man, while going In his wagon 10 the
polls WIS shot and killed by a concealed
assassin. You will also lind that the
Democrats warned the colorcd voters that
the contest In that county was between
white men, and that they had better re.
main nt home on election day. You will
also find that armed men did parade in
the county ON election day; that armed
men were at the polls at Champagnallc
township. and that three masked men did
deliberately seize the box aud destroy Il
without opposition from these armed men
You will lind that Il Is admitted that at
least one man was whipped prior 10 the
election. All this and much more you
, will find detailed by the RpuJlic's cores
pondcnt which ought 20 be good authority
Tor YOU. When YOU have asccrtained the
facts about Union county hope you will
offer reward for tho assassin
OF Gray, Tor the apprehension
and conviction Of persons engaged In the
whipping Of colorcd voters, for three men
vho stoip tho ballot b0x NJ Chamuagnaiia