Pocahontas star herald., 1910-03-11
VERACITY
OF JEFE DAVIS
Senator Davis Asks to be Allowed to
Strike Statement from Records

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ment he is alleged to have made
several days ago when he appeared
before the committee in advocacy of
a bill introduced by Representative
Oldheld of Arkansas, quieting the
claim to about $4,000 acres of
swamp lands in the eastern part of
Arkansas known as the "sunk
lands"
The committee declares and. the
records show that Senator Davis
said he would receive fat fee for
his services as attorney for the St.
Francis Levee Board in litigation
concerning the lands. The lands
In dispute gre claimed in part by
the United States, the levee board
and private individuals.
Senator Clarke, the colleague of
Senator Davis, also appeared before
the committee and declared that
Senator Davis has misrepresented
him before the committee at the
)preyious hearing when he said that
Senator Clarke was in favor of the
bill. Senator Clarke declared that
he was opposed to the bill and had
always voiced his vigorous opposi-
tiOn.
Following the controversy, Rep
resentative Oldfeld fastened to
clear his skirts of any connection
with it, and declared that he had
introduced the bill only as a cour.
tesy to Senator Davis when the lat.
ter had requested him to do so.
1t had been admitted by Senator
Davis that he was the attorney for
the st. Francis Levee Board of the
State of Arkansas which claimed
title to the lands under state grant
and for which board he brought
suit against a number of persons
who had cut timber on the land.
The land was sold in many cases, 1t
is stated, for $3.50 an acre, but the
timber was reported to be worth
from $40 to S25 an acre. In his
first appearance before the commit
tee the records showed that Senator
Davis made the following statement;
"We could not prove our title. l
confess that there is Just that much
sel6shness in it to me, because there
is good fee if | can recover the
price of that timber. / do not care
who it goes to, whether it goes to
the state of Arkansas or the St.
Francis Levee Board, but | would
rather it hould go to the St. Fran
els Levee Board because it is right
and just"
In correcting his testimony Sen
atOr Davis struck out the words,
"because there is a good fee if | can
recover the price of that timber"
and substituted for them the follow
ing:
because | am attorney for the
st. Francis Levee Board for the re-
covery of this timber"
Senator Davis asserted before the
committee he had not used the
words attributed to him, but sever
al members of the committee disa-
greed with him and declare that he
did make the statement.
Following the senator's appear
ance before the committee the COM
mittee held another extended execu-
tive session and finally decided
by practically unanimous vote that
they would not allow Senator Dav-
is to make the change desired. 1t
was held that no one had A right to
change the records Of the commit
tee further than to make the neces-
sary changes in verbiage.
The opinion is very general here
that Senator Davis did not realize
the gravity Of his statements which
the majority of the members are
positive that he did make just as he
quoted. The senator now raises the
question of veracity with the whole
membership of the committee pres
ent. Congressman Old6eld.had this
to say about his connection with
the bill in ouestion: ''H