The Forrest City times., 1894-03-23
A Card From Governor Flshbaok.
To the People of Arkansas:

To the People of Arkansas:
 FELLOW -CITIzENs--I am frequently urged to make speeches and give my views of political questions. l had thought my views were sufficiently known
 But, although it seems not, I cannot consent to make canvass. My time and energy belong to the people until my term of office expires. Whenever
 l feel that my seat empty is as valua- bie to the people as when occupied, 1 will resign.
 l therefore take this method of mak- ing myself understood on the issues now demanding attention.
 l regard the demonstration of silver the most stupendous legislative crime of the age. Silver should be coined as | freely as gold, without discrimination against either.
 l believe in tariff for no other pur- l pose than revenue, and an income tax to meet the enormous pension list and that this should be cut down until a pension would be badge of honor in- stead, as now of dishonor.
 I believe the administration should
 have no agents to aid i'll carrying out l it's policies except those in full sympa- thy with it's aims. therefore believe in turning the rascals out"
 l oppose the issuing of any more bonds for any purpose.
 1 believe every species of bounty should be abolished. That several mil lions of farmers who are raising cot ton at less price than cost should be taxed about Sll ,000, 900 to pay about seven hundred farmers who are engag- ed in raising the more profitable crop, sugar, is an unmitigated outrage. believe the Cotton Exchange in New York by gambling in futures, and thus regulating the price of cotton. not by the laws of demand and supply, but after the gamblers fashion and for their own gain, is depressing the price of our Southern staple and costing us untold millions. and should be abolish ed. Four hundred and fifty four men constitute the Cotton Exchange. It is limited to this number. They buy and sell each year from forty to fifty millions of bales of cotton, or four or five times as much as is raised in the world. They receive 10 cents per bale for buying and selling this bogus stuff This constitutes an income of from $4 O00, 900 to $5 900 .000 to be divided between 454 men. They receive also a large share of the forfeited margins, whether ten, twenty or one hundred millions, nobody knows, but enough to render it the most weathly, most pow erful and most dangerous lobSy and gambling institution in the world. It costs the cotton raisers 9 per cent. at least of the price of their crop. It has so completly strangled interstate commerce in cotton that New York, which ought to receive 5000 600 bales of our crop, receives only about l65,- 600 bales, or one fifth as much as Mem phis. It is therefore that favored the Hatch bill. We were promised if the Hatch bill failed that the price of cotton would go up. It did fall. and cotton fell, as might have been ex- pected, and will keep down as long as it depends upon gambling instead of demand and supply.
 believe that as the navigable waters of the Union are under the exclusive control of Congess, that body should not onlyimprOve their navigation. but protect their banks from overflow. Large areas of our State have been nearly ruined by leaving the levee system to State control.
 believe the unearned lands of rail- road corporations should be forfeited. believe that the people should have the right to vote for United States Sen ators as we'll as any other of their Of- ticers or servants. l therefore favor the printing of the names of all candi- dates for the Senate upon the tickets of the primaries in each county at which representatives are nominated, so that the representative may be properly instructed as to the wishes of his con- stituents. and so that the people, and not lobyists. shall select these impor- tant officers.
 Respectfully submitted, w N Eishhack