Semi=weekly graphic., 1898-04-02
LEGISLATIVE
 CANDIDATES ExP0UND THEIR VIEWS FROM THE COURT HOUSE STEPS. s
On Account of the Chilling Atmos. phere Only a Small Audi
 epce Was Present.

for the legislature in front of the court house Thursday night was heard by only small audience, at- tiibutable, no doubt, to the chilling atmosphere on the outside.
 It was 8:15 o'clock when the speaking began. Mr. Beni. Althei- mer was selected as chairman and introduced the speakers. The re- marks by the speakers were brief, but pointed ~
 Mir. Greed Caldwell was the first candidate introduced. He declared himself in favor Of changing the time for paying taxes from the Spring of the year to the Fall-Oe! tober to January. If elected, he said his first duty would be to con- } slder the interests of Jefferson coun- ty, which he held to be paramount to the interests of the State. He commented upon the peaceable elee- tions in this county and said he was opposed to any changes in the cleo tion laws. He suggested a new plan for working county convicts. His plan was to purchase a county, convict farm and use the convicts in making crop and employ them in building and improving tbe public. highways when not engaged ou the farm, and said that if he was elected he should try to get bill passed by $ the legislature to that effect.
 MT. H. K. Honey, the candidate of the Pine Bluff Oratorical Associa- tion, was the next speaker. He was not prepared at that time to make a speech, but would elaborate his views before the primaries are held He declared that if elected he would stand by the people. He would con- sider the interests of Jefferson coun- ty first and the State afterwards, and if elected to the legislature and if he should run up against any trust or corporation lobbyists, he would not let them hoodwink him. He paid a high compliment to the Pine Bluff Oratorical Association and plead for the people to vote for him and encourage him and his fellow members in their laudable effcrts AHis speech produced a pleasing i'm pression.
 Hon. R. F. Foster was then intro duced and hls speech was listened to with attention and interest. He showed that he was amply capable of representing the people of this county in the legislature. He said he was in favor of amending the criminal laws so as to empower the trial judge and prosecuting attor- ney to amend defective indictment when demurable, but was opposed to prosecutions on ":nformation" with no responsibility for costs in the case. He was opposed to giving away the public domain to railway corporations, but was in favor of constitutional amendment exempt ing manufacturing industries from taxation for a period of five years. His pet measure" he said, was to amend the constitution for a bienni al legislative session of sixty days with no power to extend the session. He thought if the right to extend the session thirty days was revoked that legislators could transact all s necessary business in sixty days sand go home. He criticised the last legislature for making an extra ses- sion necessary. In his opinion, there was too much legislation any way.
 He also stated that he was Tn fa- vor of purchasing a State convict farm. This could be done, he de- clared, without one-cent of expense to the people by selling the peniten- tiary property in Little Rock and investing the proceeds in convict farm. He also declared himself in