Newport weekly independent., 1902-08-29

it's seating capacity Saturday evening by democrats and republicans, the former largely predominating to hear the joint discussion of two of the candidates for governor, Governor Jeff Davis and Hon. Harry H. Myers of Little Rock, representing the ''reg- ular'' wing of the republican party. Close attention was accorded both speakers by the large audience, who demonstrated their approval during the course of Gov. Davis speech by frequent applause. MT. Myers is very adept at telling funny stories, which several times convulsed his hearers with laughter.
 Myers opened the joint discussion in an hours talk. The introduction to his argument was quite howery and the more substantial portion of his address afforded abundant proof of the speakers oratorical gifts. He ridiculed the pretensions of the Gin surgents as republicans and called them assistant democrats.
 The substance of the contentious advanced by the opposing candidates, has been so often rehearsed, that the INDEPENDENT will only attempt brief resume of the argument, which differed little from other reported ad- dresses.
 The contract with the Dickinson Brick Company. whereby the Iron Mountain Railroad now pays S1 50 a day for the labor of state convicts. whereas the state only receives 50 , cents per day for these same work men, resulting in loss of $2, 900, ,OOO in revenue to the state, furnished ground for criticism of the governor, whose signature made such contract effec- tive. Arkansas was the worst gov erned state in the union except North Carolina, proven in the high rate of taxation, for which the state had nothing to show in the way of schools and good roads.
 The Knights of Pythias had been working for years to secure sani- tarium at Hot Springs, supported by the national order, the building to have cost $1,O0O, ,0O0, but Massachusetts and other northern states had re- fused their consent because of the reputation the governor had given Arkansas in sending the negro con- vict to the Bay State and thus ad- ministering slap in the face to a sister state.
 Eagle, Jones, and many other good democrats had refused to ''duckU at the governors bidding and as a result they had lost their official heads. The speaker also, "the hero of thousand bloodless unfought battles'' had also suffered decapitation because he deigned to criticise his excellency.
 What did Senator Hillhouse and other members of the state senate think of the governors charge that Dodge & Johnson, railroad attorneys must sign every enactment that passed the state senate?
 The prosecuting attorneys should be placed upon salary, and differ ent convict system established, one that would not demoralize or humiliate convicts as under the present order. Let the state own factories and such as were not intelligent enough for such labor be worked upon the roads. Manual training schools should be established by the state as the pro- fessions were becoming crowded.
 He had no defense to make of Clay ton; he knew nothing about him and cared less.
 The democratic party had de- frauded the school children of the state of $500,00O in |substantiation of which charge he had letter from the democratic state superintendent of public instruction.
 The lavishness of pardons upon the part of the governor, had made the courts laughing stock. From the Searchlight, an article was read charging Davis with having promised to pardon Robt. Simmons, before the primary on condition of the latter's support. If the charge is untrue, the governor owes it to himself to have