The Russellville Democrat., 1889-02-28

Major Breckinrldge was honestly and fairly elected to q seat in the congress of the United States. l am entirely familiar with every county and every voting precinct within the Second congressional district, and outside of the one precinct of Plum there is not one particle of evidence that can be produced to show that there was any fraud of any character or description. It is true that some lawless parties did steal the ballot box at Plummerville. 1t is fact and cannot be denied, and Major Breckinridge has never denied it. Gov. Clayton, in his statement says that it contained 572 votes for John Nj. Clayton and 125 votes for Breckinridge. Admit that it con tained every vote he states it dld and precisely as he claims, yet accord ing to his own admission Clifton k. Breckinridge was honestly elected a member of the Fifty first congress by 399 majority.
 Can anything be more absolutely unjust than to say that because he took the certificate, knowing that he was honestly elected, he in any way could have restrained or anticipated that some lawless assassin would take the life of John M. ClaytonY Do senators remember what indigna- tion went up from many republican papers throughout thls union when Garfield was shot down by an assas- sin on the streets of Washington, and some republican papers asserted that it could in some way have been pre- vented by the lamented Ex President Arthur Was any blame to be at tached to him because he was the next man in succcession2 Certainly not, Mir. President; and no man ever made such a charge except one who was full of bitter party malignity and was willing to resort to any means in his power to accomplish his own ends.
 So it may be said in regard to Major Breckinridge. Having been honestly and fairly elected, holding the certificate as he had right to hold it, because someone slew, with. out Justification and without excuse, the man who was making the contest, can there be any reason for making an attack or an insinuation upon him?
 These are the facts in regard to that matter, and because Col. Clayton was assassinated as men have been assasslnated in all the states of thls Union, is that any reason why bit ter and malignant attack should be made upon the entire people of the state of Arkansas, who have done all that was In their power and who stand today united as one man in trying to ascertain and hunt down the assassln2
 Mir. President, another assasslns tion occurred in Arkansas in the days of reconstruction, when Powell Clayton, the man who signed that statement-not the deceas ed man--hecause John M. Clay ton, the man who was killed, was 8 gentleman and fair man Tn politics and in every other way-l say that when Powell Clayton had his foot upon the necks of the people of the state of Arkansas, Gen. Tom c, Hindman, 8 man who was a mem Der Of congress before the war, who had just retired after having made a gallant canvass on behalf of John M. Hank, the democratic nominee, was shot down at the dark hour Of night through his window in the presence of his own family and his own chil- dren. Gov. Clayton st that time had control of the entire state govern ment of Arkansas, backed by the fed eral troops at Washington, and yet the assassin was never known, never arrested, never punished, and it is stated by some of the newspapers ip my state--I do not know whether it is true or not-that no reward was offered or no effort made to arrest him,
 My colleague and l stand here to- day to denounce Tn terms as bitter as we are capable of commanding, the assassination of John M. Clayton. It has been denounced by our gov ernor, by the legislature, and by men in all parts of the state. Every eff fort is being made and has been made to ralse money to hunt him down. l regret that his brother should have put forth proclamation SO unjust to those people. Governor Powell Clayton, upon the day of the burial of his brother, when many thousands of people had turned ont to do honor to hls memory and to at tend hls funeral. democrats too, doubtless touched by the universal sympathy shown for him and his family by the universal effcrt to hunt down the assassin, is reported to have said to reporter of Pine Bluff that he was incapable of under taking to make political capital out of the blood Of his murdered brother. I regret that when he made this state ment, read by the senator from New Ham pshire, at subsequent tune he dld not word 1t so as to avoid the charge of what he said he was inca pablo of making,
 There may be some excuse for him MT President. It may be that, smarting under the pain caused by the assassination of hIs brother, might be exaused for him and William H. H. Clayton in having made statements that were not justi- Jed by the facts; but there can be no excuse for those who know nothing