The Van Buren press., 1901-11-16

Editor Kendrick Replies to Shotgun
Letter Sent by Governor Davis to
Prosecuting Attorney at
Fort Smith.
From tn St. Louis Republic
A. j. Kendrick, editor Of the News
Record Fort Smith. Ark. is In st.
Louis on business. After reading yes.
terday Little Rock dispatch in the
Republic, which gave the language
used by Governor JEFF Davis Of Arksn-
sas In \ letter to the prosecuting attor.
ney at Fort Smith. suggesting the
alternatives Of an indictment against
the Fort Smith editor. or shot gun.
Mr.. Kendrick made statement, which
he also sent to his paper last night to
appear as signed editorial In the
News RECORD" today. Mr.. Kendrick
returns to Arkansas tomorrow. The
statement, in effect, is as follows:
This highly remarkable statement,
coming from one Of the great states OF
the New South, Is such an outrage upon
the law-abiding element Of Arkansas
nay. of the entire South-that 1t de-
serves more than passing condemnation.
His words ought to be kept before the
people Of Arkansas every moment Of
the time that this man 10 allowed to re.
main In public lite-which, thank
heaven, will not be long, II present sp.
pearsnces are not deceptive.
ITO take up Governor Davis state.
ment IN seriatim, and have them In un-
frilled Anglo-Ssxon;
1.-The executive says he will accept
no apology from the editor who has
hurt his feelings. Most certainly he
will not, principally for the reason that
he will never get such an apology-it be
waits until the Rocky mountains are
broken into molehills on the resurrec.
ton morn. The undersigned stands by
everything he has ever written about
this man Davis and has nothing TO re.
tract or apologize for. So much for
that.
''Ths worthy governor, "A before
noted, practically threatens to use shot
gun law on the editor Of the News
Record unless he can bnlldoze an
Indictment out of the Sebastian county
courts--after the prosecuting attorney
has said there was nothing In the charge
Of criminal libel.
This 10, Of u certainty, q superb, q
most awesome declaration coming from
the chief executive Of a great state, and
It shows the truth OF the old saying;
Give q man enough rope and he will
hang himself Let 1t be said right
here that Davis sentiments do not re.
feet the sentiments In regard to methods
of enforcing law that prevail IN the
South, and the South Is not to blame
for producing such being
again, II you will get the iudict.
ment, to quote the language Of this
distinguished letter-writer, i will do
the rest. From which one might infer
that Davis was the proprietor Of n
| patent, back.action, duplex, automatic
jury, against the button Of which he
can place his forehnger and watch the
machine roll out verdicts to order,
IF Davis will keep on writing letters
like his last two specimens until he
once more offers himself for popular
sufirage--whether rs governor for q
second term or for United States sena.
tor--he will bring down upon himself
such an Osss on Pelion Of votes that II
will take ten regiments Of laborers with
crowbars. pickaxes and dynamite. work.
from now until the last trump, to pry
him out OF the wreck.
1.-THE saying Of Lincoln 10 as true to
day 40 II was forty years ago: 'You
can Z fool all the people oil the time.
Davis, practically speaking, IL . beaten
man. He has beaten himself by his
talking, bis writing and his omcisl acts.
1.-THE "News-Record.' here and
now, predicts that the lsw-abidinR
people Of Arkansas-and this paper pro.
poses TO reach every one Of them with
the facts before primary day.-will give
an everlasting coup de grace to this In.
didual, who, over bis own signature NJ
tho chief executive Of great common
wealth. practically indorses and en-