The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1904-01-30

Davis then tried to make capital ont
OF some cases that had come up before
Judge Wood IN the supreme court. One
especially which he claimed had been
pending for ten years, when he well
knew 1t had not been before that body
two years. and also knew that these
presented in regular manner and are
then decided In accordance with pre-
cedents established In similar cases and
which presidents were quoted in the
decision. But, OF course, Davis is too
shrewd campaigner to read these when
he quotes portions of these decisions
Then he came TO the well-known In
vestigation of his official conduct and
dramatically declared that this investi-
cation had put brand on him and his
whole family, which could only be
cleared away by denomination. In
brief he took up the various charges
pVlitlliuH tuciu uitli tue uuIuitiattN
would have thought him prosecuted
martyr, when in reality, as nearly all
our readers know, most of the charges
were proven and that only by one vote
was he kept from having to answer to
articles of impeachment, DR., Meyer,
the representative whose vote saved
him, stating that he would have voted
for the finding but feared should he do
so the governor would veto measure
Of vital importance to his comfy.
In various ways-ways which have
become well-knOwn all over the state
did he attempt TO stir up u feeling of
jealousy against the business men Of
Little Rock and all over the state who
have espoused Woods cause. clubbing
them the high-collar and silk stocking
crowd. He tried to play to both the
churches and the saloon interests in the
same breath, stating that he loved the
Baptist church and drank whiskey aud
then claiming he had never been drunk
u charge that has been proven on him
countless times.
He charged Judge Wood with appoint
ing negro jury commissioners while
circuit judge, which the latter most
satisfactorily answered in his rejoinder,
by showing that he WAS guilty of that
otfense seventeen years ago, when in
order to reclaim the district in which
he mad been nominated from negro
dOminatiOn--the negroes outuumberiDg
the whites and holding most Of the
Off 'rs-he had been requested by the
central committee Of his district to
promise this appointment of one jury
commissioner in order to secure enough
negro votes to carry the district. That
he did then carry ont this promise and
appointed one negro at each term Of
court, and thanks to this the district
was eventually entirely redeemed
This was the substance of Davis re-
marks. he never mentioning single
matter of state Importance for which b.
stood or what stand he would take on
any When he closed there WAS rush
for the door by his adherants he joining
them, not showing his opponent the
courtesy of listening to his reJoinder Of
fifteen minutes.
Jugde Wood occupied his fifteen
minutes in showing as briefly rs possible
a few of the gIaring falsehoods IN the
governor : hurangur closing his address
by u touching appeal to his hearers to
stand tor Arkansas aud redeem the
state from the iutalny Of jeff Davisism
His sentiments were heartily cheered
and when he had finished there WAS
rush to the speakers tribune 10 grasp
his hand by the greater portion Of those
who remained to hear the close Judge
Wood made many friends during his
stay IN Van Buren,