The Monticellonian., 1902-07-25
STATEMENT OF COMMITTEE.

10 the Arkansas Democracy:
 As 1t seems that there is some misapprehen- sion in the minds Of of people in re- speet to the action of the executive committee of the democratic state central committee in arranging for joint discussion of the politi- cal issues of the day between some represen- tatiye of party and Mir. Myers. the re- publican nominee for governor. we deem It proper to set forth the facts in the premises.
 On June 2T the chairman of our committee issued the usual official call for meeting of the committee In Little Rock on July 8. Two 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 a confer enee with him before said meeting. In reply to said 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, Morrilton Ark:
 Dear Sir-I received your very kind letter in regard to the campaign and l agree with you thoroughly The campaign ought to be short and hot. have selected list of speak CTS thirteen in number. and left them with Capt. F. L. McCrscken. I think if you will have these speakers make ten speeches each of the last ten days Of the campaign and bill for number that you proper q would suggest that ten would be enough for mel, in the last ten days of the campaign would have 14o or 15o speeches. I have given MeCracken full fn- structions. Sorry 1 cannot be here the day the committee meets, but l will speak In the northwestern portion of Benton county on the 7th, and 1t will be impossible for me to reach here by night
 "Hoping that the committee may carry out these suggestions of mine nearly as prae- tieable and with kind regards, l beg to re-
 (signed) .JEFF DAVIS"
 On July our state central committee met and. after transaeting other business adopted the following resolution to-wit:
 Resolved That 1t is the sense of this com mittee that arrangements for joint debates be tween the democratic nominees and speakers party be entered into heretofore
 Captain E. L. MeCraeken handed in to the committee list of thirteen speakers prepared by Governor Davis, underneath which list Coy ernor Davis wrote follows:
 Have these parties each billed for ten speeches each the last ten days before the gen eraI election in whatever portion of the state the committee may think proper Bill me for any number of speeches you wish. but l think is sufficient.
 tSlgned1 .JEff DAVIS
 Mir. ehas. Jacobson. private secretary to Gov Davis. advocated the adoption of the above resolution, saying that he knew it was the wish of Governor Davis that wherever republican speaker bobbed up he should be met by u democratic speaker During the meeting Captain F. L. MeCraeken. who ap- peared at said meeting as the special repre-
  the letter of Governor Davis published above, seemed indisposed to have Governor Davis meet both Messrs- Myers and Greayes in joint de bate at the same time and place. saying, Tn that connection. that "a game of two pluck would hardly be fair.
 On July 10. the day after the meeting of state central committee. the chairman and secretary of our committee, as authorized by the above resolution, challenged the chairman and secretary of the republican state central committee to arrange for joint debate be- fVgRa nay publican nominee for governor, They replied that they would accept the challenge, provided MT. Greavet was not permitted to participate in the meetings Nothing that our chairman and secretary could say do seemed to have any effect toward inducing them to recede from this position. They stated, most positively and empha hatically that none of their nominees speakers would participate in any meet ing in which Mr. Greayes or any of his fol- lowing should be permitted to participate, and that. if joint debates were not arranged be tween Governor Davis and Mir 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 munications set out above and signed by him to bill him for any number of speeches we might desire, having received from bim from any of his friends no intimation that he would decline to meet MT. Myers in joint de- bate unless Mir Greayes were present and par tieipating. and believing that Mir. Myers shoud he met. and that Governor Davis was the logical and proper representative of the democratic party to meet him. chairman
 
 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 l. In addition to having the written authority of Governor Davis to pursue the course we did, we the more readily adopted it. because of the fact that he then out of the city and had been for some days and the date of his return was unknown
 They also arranged to have Governor James r, Clarke fill such of said appointments as could not conveniently be filled by Governor Davis. These Joint discussions were to be- gin on July 2s at Danville. in Yell county. Thereafter, Governor Davis extended written invitation to Mir. Greaves to be present. and to take part in these discussions. This writ ten invitation and it's acceptance by Mir. Greaves published in the public press. 1hereupen the chairman and secretary of the republican party called upon us to know wheth- not our nominee would repudiate the ac- tion of our committee. acting through it's chair man and secretary, and informed that their nominee. Mir. Myers. would not meet the ap- polntments If MT. Greayes were permitted to take part in same, but would make inde- pendent campaign the state. Our chair man then summoned all five members of campaign committee to meet on the 18th inst fin order, if possible, to effect an arrangement 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 three of the members of cam paign committee. and Hon. O. x. 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- lutely standing by its originally announced in- tenton of refusing to have their nominee take part in any discussions with any of the in- , surgents. and declaring that, If Mr. Myers were net met by representatives of the democratic party. he would campaign the state alone. Our eXecBtiFS Gqmmittee. finding that Gov. natiS Would not meet Mr Myers unless MT. GreaNes permitted 10 join in the discus sions and that NIT. Myers would engage in no discussions in which Mir. Greayes would be per mitted to join. had recourse before it but to cancel the appointments previously made for joint discussions between Gov. Davis and Mir. Myers alone. We may add that Mir Chas. Jacobson, private secretary 10 Gov. Davis was present at this last conference and re- stated Gov. Davis position that he would not engage in joint debate with Mir. Myers unless Mir. Greaves also permitted to partiei- pate Gov. Davis knew that the chairman would be tn Little Rock for the sole and express cause of holding this conference. and did MT. Gresves; but both of them left the city the night before the same train. There then presented to the committee the al- ternatiye of having MT. Myers traipse over the state or ef securing some other loyal democrat to meet him We thought 1t unwise to have Mr. Myers spend hIs will and exercise his nuent fancy upon our party its principles and Ills nominees, with none to answer him. We, thereupon, applied to Hon. George W. Murphy, democratic nominee for attorney general, to come to the aid of our committee and of our party and meet Mir. Myers. He most cheer fully and loyaly placed himself in the hands of the committee. and we proceeded to arrange Tor and 10 advertise forty four appointments for joint debate between Gen. Murphy and Mir. Myers, beginning at Stuttgart on July 2S We nave read Tn the papers a signed statement from Gov. Davis charging that. in the action detailed above. We playing in the hands Of the Clayton contingent of the republican party, and stating. in substance. that he will be present and debate with Mir. Myers at Stutt sart. that be has invited Mir. Greaves to join ta same (which invitation has been aeeeptedl.