The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-09-12
ARKANSAS POLITICS.
Dfsgraceful Performance of Men Who
 Aspire to Succeed Berry.

Disgracerui Performance OF wen "hO
 Aspire to Succeed Berry.
 New Orleans Times Democrat.
 Statesmen of the old school were of ten caustic in debate, but they had way of polishing their phrases, and thus managed to keep well within the bounds of decency. They knew how To say mean, cutting things in an elegant manner. Even Lincoln, hard hitter with a big maui. while yet unused to the platform, knowing little or noth- ing of oratory. passed through the fire of the Illinois campaign with Douglas, perfect master of the art of pIblic discourse, without doing violence to the rules which governed public dis cussion in those days. But we have deserted the majestic standards of that period. Debate has fallen into replaced the elegant retort. Abuse, innuendo, and slander now hold forth where reason used to reign. An apt illustration of the difference between the old school and the new Is found in a recent happening in Arkansas. Gov ernor Jeff Davis. candidate for the United States Senate. and Attorney General Robert L. Rogers. candidate for Governor, addressed the suffragans of White County. The Memphis Com mercial-Appeal relates this incident: Governor Davis in the course of his speech said: I see the Attorney Gen. eral here today. and I am going to tell you what he did this morning. We met in the hall of the hotel at Higginson. in the presence of William A. Billow of Searcy, and in a boisterous way told me that If I said certain things here today in my speech as to his private 1 character he would kill me. What do you think of an Attorney General run ming for Governor going around threat ening to commit murder? l want to say that I do not think Bob Rogers ought to be elected your Governor. | This was the only reference the Cover nor made to the incident at Higginson. Attorney General Rogers, who follow | ed the Governor In a speech. said he 1 had been informed that Governor Da- | vts was going to tell something that would reflect on his (Rosers's) family, and that he met the Governor in the hotel this morning and told him to say what he pleased In regard to his pub 1 lic record, but not to go into his per sonal or private character in the way suggested; that If he did he would
 hurt him. Governor Davis here in- terrupted the speaker by asking: Did | you not say you would kill me? MT Rogers replied: I think I said I'll hurt you, but if you insist and tell an l infamous falsehood that reflects upon | my mother ana ldmIAys | VIII IndA0 nay
 word good. Look at me, continued MT
 Rogers, turning to the crowd, do
 look like a dangerous man? Search
 me and take the cannon off me- Turn
 ing again to Governor Davis Mir. Rog-
 CTS said. Kill you; why, l can take a
 corncob with a lightning bug on the
 end of it and make you jump into the
 Arkansas River.
 In the midst of this political satur-
 nalla the citizens of Arkansas may find
 somewhat of solace by turning to g | leader who Is made of sterner stuff; a
 statesman of the old school. and a su'
 perb soldier with 1t all; a man worthy
 of the State of Garland and Breckin-
 ridge. of Clark. and Fishback. and Eagle, and the Commonwealth will dc
 violence to its history and will lower
 its standard of efficiency and excel- lence in the public service should il Efail, in this emergency, to turn to that grizzled old hero of Corinth, James Henderson Berry. Senator Berry, who Is candidate for reelection to the United States Senate, has declined tC take any part in the war of words now in progress in Arkansas, content ing himself with a calm and dignifeC submission of his candidacy to a con stituency he has served faithfully anC
 with distinction since 1882. He should
 be elected. Arkansas does not deserve
 the type of man who Is seeking to re- place him in the Senate