Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1908-05-15


diagonally across his manly chest.
More votes!
Methods That Won Votes.
Frequently in hot weather the can
didate would jerk his collar loose and
fling it to the floor as he arose to
frenzied heights of exhortative ora
tory. In the backwoods Of Arkansas
the preacher and the politician supply
the only public speaking or entertain
ment to be had. JEFF Davis grew up in
a farming district. His father was a
country preacher and farmer. JEFF
learned early the methods Of the ex-
horters. His oratory still smacks some
what Of the camp meeting style. That
style vastly pleases his good friends,
the hill billies. It is to them con-
vincing style. 1t gets their votes.
In the few cities and big towns
there was always much opposition to
Davis. Practically all the newspapers
strongly opposed him. The candidate
usually referred to the newspaper men
as ''these squirrel headed editors" In
the rural districts the description
squirrel headed" always made hit
With the press, the churches and the
progressive element of the state for
the most part against him, JEFF Davis
always wins in Arkansas. Why? Be-
cause he is political genius, able to
adapt himself to his environment. He
knows his constituency. During his
governorship the Second Baptist
church In Little Rock expelled him
from Fellowship because OF charges
brought against him. This would have
crushed an ordinary candidate beyond
recovery. Davis made political capital
out Of it.
Those high collared roosters In the
Little Rock church." he told his rural
constituents, turned me out for DO
lihcal reasons, but my little church at
Russellville, where was raised and
where was a member for twenty
years. sent for me and welcomed me
back to membership"
During his second term as governor
an attempt was made to impeach him
for alleged misconduct In ONCE. The
impeachment failed. It was the first
time any attempt had been made to
impeach an Arkansas governor. No
other governor had held Office for more
than two terms. Because Of this at
tempt at impeachment JEFF Davis bold
ly announced his candidacy for third
term.
81 know it is undemocratic," he said,
"but want vindication."
On the vfndication platform he was
triumphantly reelected. He used the
plea Of persecution with his rural con-
sttuents to fine effect.
A Startling Act.
One Of the sensational acts Of Gov
ernor Davis was to pardon negro
prisoner from the state penitentiary on
the condition that he emigrate at once
to Massachusetts,. Upon recent trip
to the old Bay State he had heard COM
plants that the south mistreated me-
groes, he said, and he wanted Massa-
chusetts to have such negroes as Ar
kansas didn't want. Once the gov
ernor entered the penitentiary and
sampled the food served to the in
mates. He threatened Immediately to
open the doors and let every prisoner
out unless better food was provided.
Improved food was provided at once.
A sample Of the JEFF Davis brand Of
campaign argument is supplied by q
little incident that occurred when
Judge Carroll D. Wood Of Hot Springs
was his opponent for the governorship.
Judge Wood had reversed a lower
courts decision awarding $4,000 to a
child named Esther Warren, whose
hands had been cut of by railroad
train. On the platform where the can
didates were in joint debate Governor
Davis turned to his opponent and cried:
ooh, Judge Wood, pray that when
you get to the better land little Esther
Warren will have been supplied with
hands and that you will not hear her
screaming: Where are my hands,
mamma? Where are my hands7'
Il