The Monticellonian., 1903-12-31

keeper of dried fruits For the next 20 CT 40 minutes he abused the members of the Board for purchasing the Culumins farm.
 There could have been but one inference from his remarks on this subject He charged that the other members of the Board in direct violation or at least exceed ing their authority under the law, had under cover of darkness. without investigation. without giving him notice. robbed the State, and foisted upon it farm composed of 1 lakes. lngoons. swamps. sand-bars and John son grass, rocking with malaria and death. 1 He stated that great calamity had beiall- en the State in the purchase of this farm ," Referring to his fellow State officials he said, Il submit to you that their action amounts to gross carelessness and neglect of their of ficinl duties in this behalf" Again refer ring to the purchase of the farm he says ..It smacks of reckless proceeding, the like of which have never witnessed before in the history of Arkansas. Again he charges that the Board paid three times the value of the land No fair minded man can read the Governors message relative to the purchase of the Gummins place by the other four members of the Board, and not feel that charges of impeachment should have been preferred against each of them. if the charg es could have been proven. What the Gov ernor iuSinuates against the Board made greater impression than what he charges in so many words. But if as he charged, "they were guilty of gross carelessness and neglect of their official duties in this behalf, :" they certainly should have been impeaehed. The Governor closed hls tirade by asking ,.tbe appointment of joint committee to investigate this transaction from heg.nniHg to end. make personal examination and-in- spection of this farm" Who was 1t then that first said anything about ap inyestigat- ing committee? The sole and only cause of the investigation of Jeff. Davis was Jeff. Fa- vie himself. iIad,it not been for his outrag- eous message abusing four State officers who were better men than himself, had it not been for these damuuhe charges made on such public occasion. before such distin- gushed presence, no such thing as an inves- tieatioa would have been thought of by the last Arkansas Legislature Feeling outraged by the way in which they had been slander- cd and traducad, and thinking that their rec ords were as clean as the Governors, and being perfectly willing to have the test ap- piled, the Board through Atty Gen. Mur- phy tendered to both the House and Senate certain eoantereharges against the Governor, and demanded that they be investigated along with the charges against themselves. Couli the Legislature refuse to investigate these counter charges thus publicly made, when the Governor demanded that his charg- es be investigated? Would this have been fair to the members of the Board? The up- shot of the matter was that joint commit tee was appointed to visit the Cummias place and report upon its physical features, while to the Ways and Means Committee, always composed of the sblest members of the House. was given power to investigate the whole transaction. the charges of the Governor and tho countercharges of the Board. c. T. GOTHAM.