The Russellville Democrat., 1889-02-28
PIummeryille Murders.

St. Louis Republic: The following appeared in St. Louis paper found ed with stolen money and conducted by the associates of thieves and con i victs:
 No parallel can be established be- tween tho Clayton murder and the mur- ders which take place in one part or other of the Northern States nearly ey- cry day. In the assassination of the 1 Clayton class 1t is the Democrats who do the killing and Republicans who get killed. The assassins are assassins in these cases because they are Democrats, and the men assassinated are assassin ated because they are Republicans. John NJ. Clayton was assassinated at PlummerviIle, Conway County, Arkans nsas, by scoundrel who, had he been educated to commit crime with the pen instead of with the shot gun, might have written the above. The people of Arkansas are determined that he shall be safely hanged before they make any inquiry into his politics. Between them and him there is no question of politics only question of murder.
 1 But between them and the Repub- llcan party there are questions both of politics and of murder as politi- cal method. The assassination of John M. Clayton is only one of the foul crimes that have been committed at PlummeryiIle. When the Repub- lican party controlled Arkansas and when Powell Clayton controlled the Republican party in Arkansas, Dem- ocrat after Democrat was murdered at and near Plummerville by men employed by Powell Clayton, paid by Powell Clayton with money robbed from the tax payers of Arkansas, and by Powell shielded from the conse quences of their crimes-not indl. rectly but directly, by act of his in- famous carpet-bag and African Leg islature.
 It was Powell Clayton who main tained in Arkansas standing army of negroes with bayonets to prevent the Democratic vote of the State from beng cast and counted. Itwas Pow ell Clayton who sent negro despera- does with State authority as State militia to this same town of Plum mervllle as to many other towns where their crimes were as great. But Plummervllle is the text, now, and we will not depart from it. It was at Plummerville that Hooper was arrested by Powell Claytons ne- gro agents and by them riddled with bullets. His body was found within 200 yards of the spot where, by 8 crime not less internal. John M. Clayton was assassinated. And it was by these same agents of Powell Clayton and the Republican party that, h th,s same county, Casey was shot and burned in his own house.
 When under the Republican reign Of terror, robbery and murder were the usual methods of Republicanism in Arkansas, when such atrocities were committed and the most aban. doned criminals shielded by leglsa tive enactment, it is almost miracle that Arkansas should be what it has become since it was rescued from an archy-a peaceful State, whose peo- pie have set their faces away from the past, and forgiven as far as 1t is possible to forgive the men who were the eanker worms to destroy what the locusts of war mad left. There Is no one in Arkansas who does not know the Clayton record; yet for twenty years the Olaytons have re- mained secure in the State while or phans who were infants in arms when their fathers were murdered were growing to manhood. It may require courage for Powell Clayton to go and come in Arkansae at his pleasure as if he had no record there, but it has required higher and bet ter courage for the people of the State 10 leave vengeance against him and his to Providence, If it 80 be that by his conduct he should continue to challenge It.
 Out of the ruins of war, and the worse ruins left by Republican ra pine, the people of the state have been erecting for themselves 8 new prosperity: They had resolved to ignore the past, and they are unwill. ing to have it thrust on them now lest the old crimes should beget new. Not responsible for Claytons crimes or for the crimes of Republicanism in Arkansas as he made Arkansas Repuhlicanism, they have been con tent to leave them unpunished and to wreak no vengeance on their per petrators. They have done well in this. They havs only done ill in what they learned from Clayton, his kith and his kind.