Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1897-09-01
A SOLUTION THAT SOLVES.
Arkansas Takes the Lead In the Solution of
the Railroad and Convict Questions.

make business trip to Little Rock,
Ark, and the nature of nv mission
was such that l was thrown into con-
tact with the state officials and had an
opportunity of forming the acquaint-
ance of Gov. ID. w. Jones, the present
state executive. 1t will be remem-
bered that Gov. Jones was elected as
democrat, and that it is commonly un-
derstood that the populist candidates
have been Systematically and regular
ly counted out and, specially in the
last election, it seems as if the demo
cratic candidates polled the entire vote
Of the state.
However, after paying my visit to
the state, l have formulated my own
theory concerning the Arkansas cleo
ton, and it is that thousands of popu-
lists willingly voted for Mr.. Jones and.
in SO doing, had in mind the man and
his principles and not the name of the
party whose nominee he was. Gov.
Jones is a broad visioned, progressive
man, an ardent bimetallist and stu
dent of monetary science. He is not
bound or tied down by the bonds of
conservatism, and considers not SO
much what has been and is, as what
can and ought to be. Some idea of
the kind of man he is may be derived
from the fact that, after my return
home, a man told me that he had heard
Gov. Jones during the campaign and
that he made regular anarchistic
speech. When a man is honored with
the appellation Anarchist" :" he is gen.
orally very near to the straight and
narrow path.
But l did not start out to write of
Gov. Jones as an individual, but rather
to call attention to the steps he is TAX
ing to, at one and the same time, solve
the railroad and convict labor eues-
tions.
AS might naturally be expected of a
southern democrat, Gov. Jones is a
staunch believer in states rights and,
while not yet committed to the theory
of national ownership and operation
of railroads, firmly believes that each
of the several states should own the
lines of railroad within their respective
borders Space will not admit of any
argument upon the respective merits
of the two theories.
In his inaugural address Gov. Jones
recommended to the legislature the
passage of an act authorizing the state
| to build railroads with convict labor
and, in response to this recommends
ton a bill introduced by populist
and known as the Bush bill in honor
of its author was passed. The full
text of the bill is as follows:
| Be it Enacted by the General Assembly OF the
| State of Arkansas:
| Section l. The governor, auditor and attor-
ney-general are hereby constituted state
| board with power to locate, survey establish
| build, equip and operate state railroads and
| telegraph lines. The governor shall be chair
man of said board and the auditor shall be
| secretary and in the event that any number of
| railroad commissioners should be appointed ol
| elected, then they shall be ex-off1cio members
| Of the said state board.
| Sec. For the purposes mentioned In Sec
| tion of this act, the said board shall be au-
| thorized to receive donations and gifts of lands
| and money to be used in the construction OF
railroads and telegraph lines and the equipment
| Of the same; and shall also be clothed with
| full power to sell and convey any lands belong
ing to the state of Arkansas. any part of the
smallest legal subdivision of which lies within
IL miles Of the track Of any railroad so built
the proceeds Of such sales to be used in build
ing and equipping said railroads and tele-
| graphs
Sec. g. The said board is further empowered
for the purpose of construction as aforesaid
! to have the use of convicts of the state. L
| shall have power to direct the superintendent
| of the penitentiary to employ many state
convicts in the work aforesaid as in its judg
| ment may be necessary to carry out the pro-
visions Of this act not to exceed 300 at any ont
| time. All necessary stockades shall be con
| structed along the line Of railroad, for the USE
| of the convicts and the superintendent of the
penitentiary shall remain in charge of the con.
victs to be worked under the direction Of th'
engineer.
| Sec. 4 Immediately after the passage of thi
| act, it shall be the duty of said board to opeI
subscription books for the donation of lands
and money 20 aid in the construction of rail
roads and telegraph lines, and to advertise the
same in such manner as shall seem to it mos
practicable.
Sec. 5. When, in the judgment of the board
a sufficient sum has been raised to justify tn,
commencement of the work of construction
they shall outline the road proposed to b.
| built, and in locating said road they shall Civ
preference to such line as shall be most profit
able to the state in the way OF the develop
ment Of the states resources and giving &C
commodation to such parts of the state as ar
not traversed by railroads. as well as to tn
contributions offered. and the probable amour
of business to be done by such road
Sec. The state board created by this act
and their successors forever, shall constitute
body corporate with full power to sue or b
sued and to do and perform all acts that an
individual, company or corporation may @
right do, not inconsistent with the provision
of this act, and all property held by them a
such board shall be the property Of the state Q
Arkansas.
Sec. 2. The state shall not be liable for an
debt created by said board under the provi
sions Of this act, but all contracts of such cor
porations shall be forever inviolate.
Sec. g. After the first ten miles of any line @
railroad have been graded, the state boar
shall have the right to issue bonds and secur
them by a first mortgage on the aforesaid road
bed, track, right-of-way. equipment and fran
chiseS, and dispose of these bonds for fund
with which to purchase rails rolling stock an
other necessary material and skilled labor bu
the state shall assume no personal liability 10
such bonds. and the attorney-general sha
represent the state in all litigation that ma
result therefrom.
Sec No bond, mortgage or other debt sha
be created against said railroads which sha
mature under 30 years or bear a greater rate G
interest than six per centum per annum-
n Sec. 10 In case any railroad built un
der the provisions Of this act shall de
fault in the payment of any just bond O
mortgage upon the same, or the interes
due thereon, then the holders of such bond @
mortgage shall have the right to foreclose sal
bond or mortgage by an action brought in an
court Of competent jurisdiction and upon de
cree Of said court, may enter upon and tax
possession of such road: but after such deere
has been rendered. the state shall be entitle
to pay the amount found due by said railroa
at any time within four years. and shall hay
the right of redemption according to the prin
ciples of equity.
Sec IL The state board shall have power t
issue bonds on any portion OF any railroad
J constructed under the provisions of this ac
not to exceed the actual cost Of construction an