The Russellville Democrat., 1893-05-11
McCLURES LATEST RESIGNA-
 TION.

V1ON.
 BatesviIle Guard: Judge John Mcclure. more commonly known by the gamesome title of Poker Jack throughout the region in which his remarkable career for twenty-five years has made him notorious, if not infamous, has rendered to Atty Gen. Olney his unconditional res ignationn as special sel,appoint- ed by President Harrison in Janua- " last. to assist in the prosecution of cases growing out of the Novem- Der election; and, in doing so, takes advantage of the occasion afforded him to indulge Tn some severe and characteristic reflections upon Judge Rose. member of the national demo cratic committee for Arkansas, upon Senators Jones and Berry and upon Hon. Jos. w House, the newly ap- pointed democratic district attorney Perhaps this is quite natural on the part of Mcclure, and quite to be ex- pected. His conditional resignation as special counsel, appointed to as sist in the prosecution of the officers of the First National Bank. having been accepted with such remarkable avidity, it doubtless occurred to this devotee of the jack pot that he had best resign everything else he held under the national administration as speedily and as internationally as possible before being unceremoni- ously kicked out, as he most assur- edly would have been, just so soon as the Department of Justice could get it's ample foot in motion. And it is quite natural, also, that Me- Clure should feel resentment of the deepest kind towards the gentlemen previously mentioned in this article, for to them belong the credit and the thanks of the people for having so promptly secured the revocation of his appointment by Attorney Gen eral Olney.
 Mcclure has even greater cause for disliking the senators than this; for, besides having taken leading part in overthrowing the carpet-go ernment of reconstruction, of which Mcclure was a shining light 1t was through their earnest and persistent efforts that his appointment to sue ceed Judge Caldwell on the bench of the federal district court was pre- vented. The abuse of villain IS extorted praise" and the people of ArkaMsas will regard MeClure's de- nunciation of the senators as dec oration of honor. With what blas phemy the man compares himself to the crucified Christi And with what sublimity of gall he must fortify himself to charge men so upright in their lives as Senators Jones and Berry with ''lack of character, when it is generally known that, while he was Harrison beau-ideal of south ern radical, Harrison dared not ap- point him federal judge, because his character was such that even a republican senate would not confirm him.
 The point in this tirade flowing from the prolific fountain of Me Clure's disappointment is contained in the implied charge that Col. Houses appointment and his own enforced retirement as an assistant to the district attorney give assur- ance that the prosecution of the election cases referred to will come to naught. The first prosecution instituted and the first conviction secured in the United States court for violation of the federal election law in Arkansas, within the memory of this generation, was instituted and secured by Hon. Jos. w. House during his former term as district attorney. The case was that of Faulkner county election judge, who failed on account of sickness in his family, to attend the election. One has but to turn to the records of the federal court, made by Mcclure him self, to prove untrue his lippant charges of wholesale election frauds in the state. The most serious ob- stacle in the way of the successful prosecution of the few instances of fraud that have been committed within the last four years has been McClure's connection with the pros ecution.
 If Col House is disqualified for conducting the prosecution of such cases as may now be pending in the federal court, by reason of having been employed as counsel for their defense previous to his appointment as district attorney, it goes without saying that the Department Of Jus tice will provide reputable counsel for the prosecution, to see that just ice and the interests of the govern ment do not suffer. The retirement of Mcclure from this business gives the much-needed assurance that act ual crime shall be punished and that prosecutions shall not be conducted merely for the double purpose of promoting partisan ends and rob ping the federal treasury by the ex- tortion of exorbitant fees.
 NfnD ANT