Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1908-06-07
THE POLITICAL LIFE
 OF JAMES K. JONES
Career of the Distinguished Senator Who Died in Wash ington June Began as State Senator in Recon struction Days-Work in House and Senate and as Chairman of the National Democratic Committee.

by d small majority of two or three votes, all of the commissioned officers in his battalion voting for him. Sub sequent to this time he was appointed agent. as 1t is called, Ill the commissary department and re- ported for duty to Major J. w. Gallo way at Washington, Ark, who was charged with providing commissary i supplies for the army of Arkansas, and ill this position he was on duty with Major Galloway until the war closed.
 At the close of the war he settled on a good farm in the western DOT tion of Hampstead county, which he superintended and cultivated until 1874. During his stay on the farm he
 directed his attention to the study Of law, afterward applying for license,
 and was admitted as a practicing at
 torney. He then removed to Washing
 ton, the county seat of Hampstead
 county, for the purpose of engaging Ill
 his chosen profession. It seems that
 Mir. Jones did not contemplate engag-
 in in politics. and. in fact, his en-
 trance into that field was little pc
 culiar and without his own studied
 volition.
 After the war, when everything was
 in a state of chaos and when it be-
 came necessary for the Democracy of
 that county and the state to effect a
 strong and effective organization. the
 Democratic central committee of Hemp
 stead county displaced the older mem
 bers on the committee and in their
 places were substituted vigorous, ac-
 tive young men. Without going through
 the formality of calling a convention
 il was, by common consent. agreed
 that the best and ablest men shoulo
 be placed on the Democratic ticket
 as the nominees. Without Mir Jones
 consent or knowledge he was placed
 on the ticket as the nominee for statt senator, to fill vacancy that had oc
 cured in that office. Gen. w. B. Greer
 of Little Rock was commissioned a: committee to notify Mir. Jones Of hi; election. At this time he was at hi: s home on the farm. some nine mile
 distant. When Gen. Green nOtifie' , Mr. Jones of the action of the Demcc : racy of Hempstead county he wa : taken completely by surprise and 3 first demurred to entering the cam { paign. Gen. Green. however. pre-. al l ed upon him to ride into town an 9 talk the matter over with the com ', mittee After conference with tht k committee MrJones accepted the nom t orous campaign, upholding and de d fending the principles of his party. an [ was elected. He was the first Demo h crat ever elected in Hampstead count e for any office, afte? reconstruction be a gan. His election to fill the uneNpire n term in the state senate was Mir. lone: h bow into the arena of pollticS-th l. beginning of his long, useful and illus 1t trious career. Among some of thoS tt with whom he was associated in thf it memorable legislature of 1873 are Ser $ ator Berry. who was in the lowe Il house from Carol county: GCvernC ,r Eagle from Lonoke. Gen. Chas, Golf Y of Lawrence in the lower house, an 1t Gen. H. B. Armistead. who at tn; of time was senator from the Frankli county district. Senator Jones file is out his unexpired term and was r' is elected in 1874 for full term of fot
 years. The campaign of 1874 througl ,y out the state was death grapple b. le tween the carpet-baSger and the Il a terloper on the one side and the hon g. people on the other, one seeking O. hold and the other to gain possessit of the government. Because of u ,l- negro population of Hampstead cou as tv. augmented by the powerful contl he gent of carpet-baggers, this coun at was the scene of one of the hotte he contests. In this campaign, as VII the first MT. Jones was successful | it. account of his merit and worth as n. leader he was chosen chairman ol. the Democratic central committf mt and ill his hands was placed the Il at control of the campaign. \ despe he ate political contest followed. but ed the days of red mixing, "cou"5t ew out" and padded registration We lel things of the past, t vas sQua