Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1908-06-07


 majority. This was at a time ill which everything was excitement and. 10 use the language of some of the old set tlers of that county, now living, pop ping of a match would have been the signal for a bloody contest.
 Tn 1877 Mir. Jones was elected pres ident of the state senate. In lS'S he made his first race for the nomination. for congress against William r. Slem- mons but was unsuccessful. Notwith- standing his defeat, he entered into
 the campaign with unusual vlsor and activity and stumped the district for
 the nominee. At that time the See ond district was the only doubtful one one in the state and always, uhth | later years. the seat Of hot contest.
 In 1880 Mr. Jones again announced
 himself as a candidate for congress.
 and this time was successful. Hls
 onponents were Judge John \. Will iaims of Pine Bluff afterWard federal
 indge and Hon. Rufus k. Garland, the Heading Greenbacker of the state, He
 was reelected in 1882 over his single
 opponent and was reelected in lSS2
 and 1SS4. His opponent in the race of 1884 was the late Judge C. E. Mitch ell This was Mr. Jones third term
 in the house and he did not enter
 l,aforo hacDn1iOo 1 candidate e
 fer the United States senate, to Whlch
 he was elected on January 3l of that year. In that contest, before the leg
 islatllre of 1885, were Senator Berry
 who had just closed very success
 ful term as governor, and the Hon Poindexter Dunn of Forrest City. ther
 very strong and popular member ol the lower house of congress,
 Senator Jones is not without
 record in the house, The Forty-seE
 enth congress. which was the hrst II il which he served. was a Republican
 body As Congressman Jones was c new member. he got an unlmportan ,- and obscdre assignment on commit if tees. but the Forty-eighth consres . was largely Democratic, as resul Q of the election of 1881. Mir. Jones be !, came prominent in the very beginnln l. in that congress in the race for th ir nomination for speaker between RaI r. dall and Carlisle. Randall was an oi h Democratic leader in the house an |, Protectionist. The tariff issue Wa ,a then fast becoming prominent. M Ia Carlisle was a strong adherent of tn ot policy of a tariff for revenue onl -, Nr. Jones was one of Mir Carlisle ,a counselors and advisers in that coi r., fest. Following MT. Carlisles electio o. Mr. Jones was appointed member V, the committee on ways and mean q. This is an honor very seldom :; slowed on a member only entering ( ;s, his second term. As member ~ that committee Senator Jones d oa much in framing the first Norrst ,o- tariff bill. which was presented to u = haus4 i, 1882. That bill was defeate at by Randall Democrats. Republican
 and protpctionists During his sa :, ond term in the house Mir, Jones W ,,l the Arkansas member of the Dem , cratic congressional campaign col ,;, mittee. He took an active part III Il ,s- discussion of the tariff bill and GU o rencv legisiatiOn in this section. IT 3o result of his first term in the sena ,4 was the establishing of solid reput ,e- ton as a good committee member a 2 hard worker. He was assigned ,a the committee on territories a ao claims. and to some minor committee As. His first conspicuous work in the SC la ate. perhaps. was in the dlscussl ,-4 growing out of the Morrill, tariff bi ,so which passed the senate in 1887. ,at the long fight made against the tor ,n- bill the minority in the senate, Ser .o, tor Jones. being member of the De ,o,, ocratic steering committee, was .e, lively associated with Senators G' n5 man, Cockrell, Blackburn, Gray, W ,at thall and others. This struggle lin characterized by some as the great' led minority fight ever male. This co ra- mittee and carte-b blanche. having be ,nr given power to act as they deem rb- best. with no obligation upon tn ba- to report to the caucus.
 in Mir. Cleveland was elected upon me platform in which the tariff was
 to principal plank. When the house st ion the Wilson tariff bill to the senate the February, 1894, the situation in un- senate was this: The Democr in had majorty of three; a loss Of nty votes meant the defeat of the measu est Hill of New York at once announ'
 in his opposition to any kind of ta On legislation at all. This meant t $ a inc Democrats should hold every VC