Newport weekly independent., 1902-07-25
STATEMENT OF COMMITTEE,
Little A0ck, Ark, July IS, 1902 To the Arkansas Democracy;

sioh III the minds or some of people in spect to the action of the executive committee or the democratic state central committee in arranging for joint discussion of the politi- cal issues of tho day between some represen- tative of our party and MT. Myers, the re- publican nominee for governor, we deem 1t proper to set forth the facts in the premises on June P the chairman of committee issued the usual official call for a meeting of the committee In Little Rock on July 9. TWO or three days after he wrote Gov. Davis, the democratic nominee for governor. that the committee would meet on the 9th inst and that he hoped to have the pleasure of confer- enee with him before said meeting. In reply 10 sald letter, Governor Davis wrote the follow ing letter, to-wit:
 'EXecutive Chamber State of Arkansas Little
 Rock. Jefferson Davis Governor, Chas. Ja-
 cobson, Private Secretary.
 "Hon. Carroll Armstrong, Morrlton Ark:
 Dear Sir received your very kind letter ln regard to the campaign and I agree with you thoroughly. The campaign ought to be short and hot. l have selected list of speak CTS, thirteen in number, and left them with Capt. D. l.. McCracken. I think if you will of the last ten days of the campaign and bill me for number that you see proper would suggest that ten would be enough for me-, in the last ten days of the campaign we would have 40 150 speeches. l have given McCracken full in- struetions Sorry l cannot be here the day northwestern portion of Benton county on the 7th and it will be impossible for to reach here by night.
 'Hcping that the committee may carry out these suggestions of mine as nearly as prac- ticable, and with kind regards, I beg to re- main, your friend
 (Signed) "JEFF DAVIS"
 On July our state central committee met and, after transacting other business, adopted the following resolution. to-wt:
 Resolved That it is the of this mittee that arrangements for joint debates be- tween the democratic nominees and speakers and the nominees and speakers of the republi- can party be entered into heretofore.'
 Captain E. L. McCracken handed in to the committee list of thirteen speakers prepared by Governor Davis, underneath which list Gov ernor Davis wrote as follows:
 Have these parties each billed for ten speeches each the last ten days before the gen. eral election in whatever portion of the state the committee may think proper. Bill me for any number of speeches you wish. but I think ten is sufficient.
 (signed) "JETF DAVIS"
 MT. Chas. Jacobson. private secretary to Gov above resolution, saying that he knew it the wish of Governor Davis that "wherever a republican speaker bobbed up he should be met by a democratic speaker During the meeting Captain E. l.. McCracken, who ap- peared at said meeting as the special repre- senta tive of Governor Davis as Is shown by the letter of Governor Davis published above, seemed indisposed to have Governor Davis meet both Mcssrs. Myers and Greaves in joint de- bate at the time and place, saying, in that connection, that "a game of two pluck one would hardly be fair
 On July 10, the day after the meeting of state central committee the chairman and secretary of committee, authorized by the above resolution, challenged the chairman and secretary of the republican state central committee ito arrange for joint debate be- tween Governor Davis and MT. Myers, the publican nominee for governor They replied that they would accept the challenge provided Mir. Greaves not permitted to participate fin the meetings. Nothing that chairman and secretary could say do seemed to have any effect toward inducing them to recede from this position. They stated, most positively and emphaticaly. that none of their nominees or speakers would participate in any meet ing in which Mr. Greaves any of his fol- lowing should be permitted to participate, and that, if joint debates not arranged be- tween Governor Davis and Mfr Myers, the lat ter would proceed to make thorough canvass of the state at his own pleasure. Having full authority from Governor Davis in the two com munca tions set out above and signed by him to bill him for any number of speeches might desire having received from bim from any of his friends no intimation that he would decline to meet Mr. Myers In joint de- bate unless MT. Gfeaves were present and par ticipating, and, believing that Mir. Myers shoud be met, and that Governor Davis was the logical and proper representative of the democratic party to meet him, our chairman and secretary proceeded to arrange for series of twenty four joint debates between Governor Davis and Mir. Myers, the same covering less than half the time between July 10 and Sep tember 1. In addition to having the written authority of Governor Davis to pursue the course did, we the more readily adopted it, because of the fact that he was then out of the city and had been for some days, and the date of his return unknown.
 They also arranged to have Governor James P. Clarke fill such of said appointments could not conveniently be filled by Governor Davis These joint discussions to be- gin on July 2S at Danyile, in Yell county. Thereafter, Governor Davis extended a written Invitation to MT. Greaves to be present. and to take part in these discussions. This writ ten invitation and its acceptance by MT. Greaves were published in the public press. ThereupOn the chairman and secretary of the republican party called upon us to know wheth- or not nominee would repudiate the ac- tion of committee, acting through its chair man and secretary, and informed that their nominee, MT. Myers, would not meet the ap- pointments if MT. GreaveS were permitted to take part in same but would make inde- pendent campaign the state. Our chair man then summoned all five members of our in order, if possible, to effect arran nAment by means of which the desire of Gov. Davis to have joint debates between all three of the nominees for governor might be effected. The undersigned, three of the members of our cam paign committee, and Hon. O. N. Killough, the fourth member of same, attended said meet ing and spent nearly the whole day in at- tempting to effect this arrangement, but utterly without result, the republican committee reso- lutey standing by its originally announced in- part in any discussions with any of the in- surgents and declaring that, if MT. Myers were not met by representatives of the democratic party, he would campaign the state alone. Our executive committee, finding that Gov. Davis would not meet Mir. Myers unless Mir sions and that Mr. Myers would engage in no discussions in which Mir. Greaves would be per mitted to join, had recourse before it but to cancel the appointments previously made