Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1905-07-13
BFRRY'S REPLY TO DAVIS.

of ever getting legislation through
on the subject
Settlement Bill
sAgain, Governor Davis Statement
in regard to the Arkansas Settlement
bill is not true. He knew when ne
spoke at Conway that | passed the
bill through the senate as IL "as
agreed upon by the secretary OF me
treasury. the secretary OF the inter
ior and Governor Clarke. He kne"
also that when | made the speech tc
which he refers that the amendlnen1
in regard to the railroad lands had
rot been offered and was not IN lhe
bill He knew that that rallrcad
amendment was put on by coihi'i'-
tee Of the house after the Dill hao
rassed the senate and that the amend
mont was never acted upon either D!
the house or the senate until 1t was
submitted to the Arkansas legislature,
and tbey twice approved and ratified
the settlement with the rallfSaa
amendment in it and they speclhcallS
instructed the senator to accept the
settlement and pass the bill WllA tne
amendment and that it never passe'
the house or senate until this had
been done by the Arkansas leglslat-
ure.
Did More for the State.
"T want TO say here that in my juds-
ment this settlement did more Tor
Arkansas than any ether bill that mas
been passed either by congress or the
state legislature since the war. II
relieved the state Of debt, counting
al the interest. of $2,SO0.ooo when
had hung over the state for sixty
years. The attorney general decided
that technically the bonds did net
bear interest after maturity. rms
reduced the amout one million ana
brought the debt down to one million
eight hundred thousand dollars. There
was nc dispute as to the justice OF
the debt. It was not Holford bond
debt but it was for money that the
state borrowed from the Smithsonian
Institution and from the Chickasaw
Orphan fund. In any way in which
the compromise can be considered.
the state of Arkansas made not less
than 81 100000 clear by this settle
ment. All of the delegates from Ar
kansas in both houses supported 1t
but the chief credit is due to Hon. T.
G.. McRae He and I worked for twelve
years to rid the state of this enOr-
NOUS debt and until it was removed
the state could never have settled
her other obligations and never could
have stood clear Of all debt as she is
today. And yet Governor Davis will
stand before an audience Of Arkansas
people and make a statement which
he intends TO reflect upon the honor
of his opponent.
AltuOuSi NONNl lioi - - 49,
that every member of the Arkansas
delegation supported and voted ir'
this settlement. yet in his speech at
Conway he calls it steal Governor
Davis ought net to impute dishonest
motives to honest men and ought NOT
to- call a compromise a steal. especial
" in view of the fact that he said in
the same speech at Conway that he
had made compromise recently with
the railroads by which he released
them from paying $4,000 in taxes
and which he had said under his Of
fetal oath they owed the state.
Railroad Taxation.
'In speaking of my record whlie
Governor in regard to the railroad
taxes. Governor Davis failed to state
to the people of Conway that before
was elected governor neither the
Iron Mountain nor the Memphis and
Little Rock railroad had ever paid
dollar in taxes. Beth claimed that
thev were exempt from taxation by
their charters. No governor or other
,ublic official had ever suggested
that they were liable for taxes. oh
The dav when | was sworn in as gov
ernor. 7 stated to the legislature. IN
NV inaugural address, that | believe !
they were liable to taxation ana
asked the legislature to pass nil'
10 assess them for taxes. The lesls-
lature did pass the bill The rail-
roads brought suit to enioln the o'her
members of the board and myself
from assessing them for taxes. en-
ploved Judge L. NJ Rose to assist At
tornev General G. B. Moore III the
trial of the case. We gained the case
in the chancery court. The ral'roaas
appealed to the supreme court OF the
United States and We also gained II
there and the roads were for the
fret time under nv administration