The Russellville Democrat., 1888-04-26
COL. FISHBACK'S RECORD
$50, 100000 Saved Directly to
the People.

Il TOLn Tue II u. Sillltu liIDcss
From what we learn of the char
acter of the canvass now gong on
several Of the candidates are boast.
ing of what they have done, and sew
eral others are profuse in promises
of what they would do, while Col.
Fishback. who is refined and cul-
tured gentlemen, and believes it to
be IN bad taste to tell what he has
done; says nothing OF his deeds.
We propose to tell the people OF
Arkansas something OF his record,
and why 1t is that those who know
him best always give him their en-.
thusiastic support. He has never
been beaten in this part of the state
for anything.
/. He was appointed IN 1855
treasury agent, by Andrew Johnson.
He refused to accept the position un.
til he was told that by doing so he
could save the people of South Ark
ansas at least twenty millions Of prop.
erty.
1t was the duty OF that officer to
seize the property Of every man who
had not taken the oath OF allegiance
Nobody had taken 1t because nobody
was authorized to administer it.
The treasury agent received large
commission for seizlng and confiscat-
ing, amounting to nearly a million
upon the twenty millions.
He accepted, and privately sent
word all over the South to friends OF
the South to have the people take
the oath while he was in office and
saved their property. They did take
it and saved at least twenty millions,
while he could have made nearly a
million by simply executing the law.
But he was the peoples friend, and
the records show that he left that
office poor mar.
2. During reconstruction no man
in Arkansas was more active or more
efficient in his war upon the radical
regime.
8. When the people got the govern
ment back in their hands, in 1874,
he was elected to the constitutional
convention and was the author Of the
most valuable provisions of that in
strument, by which the people have
been saved millions more, indirectly.
4. During that convention, he in
troduced a resolution with q master
ly historic preamble, giving the rea
sons why the constitution should
prohibit the payment of the fraud
ulent bonds of the state. But as we
were not "out of the woods" the
convention thought we had better let
that alone. Afterwards, when we
were tout of the woods" as q mem
Der of the general assembly, he in
troduced the "Fishback Amend,
ment," and after ten years fight
against large odds, and after three
campaigns of the state, at an expense
of more than thousand dollars to
himself, he finally succeeded in get
ting the amendment adopted, by
which he saved fifteen millions more.
8. He was the author of the bill
in 1885 by which fhe taxes were re
duced from to 4 mills.
6. He was the author Of the res
olution and open letter by which the
Iron Mountain railroad was forced
to pay $250,000 back taxes to the
state and counties and cities to which
they we're due.
Let those other candidates show
one-tenth of this good to the state.
Is it any wonder that Senator Ber-
ry should say in public speech that
"no man has done more for Arkansas
and received less" than Col. Fish
backp
II the people of Arkansas wish to
encourage their public servants in
good work, they now have the oppor
tunity.