The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1908-current, 1911-05-23
SENATE AT War
ON OONACHEY
GOVERNOR ANTACONISED
EXPECTED TO PREVENT UPPER
HOUSE FROM RELIEVING
STATES FINANCES.

Little Rock, May 23.-'In the name
OF your country, men, are you going
10 allow your antagOnism for one man
TO outweigh your duty to your state
ana your constituents" was the plea
OF Governor George w. Donaghey at
the close of his special message to the
general assembly Monday afternoon.
1T has been reported to me that anv
measure the governor proposes or ia
Vors will meet with opposition which
will kill it. Is this right? | believe
that you will wake up and look at the
situation as men, and that YOU will
not allow any ill-feeing you may have
for any one person to overcome YOUR
duty to the state"
This plea followed the reading of a
SPECIAL message which lacked any,
thing like the brand of fire Governor
Donaghey was expected to uncork.
and was met with liberal applause
from the house and senate assembled
IN Joint session.
Immediately afterwards the sena-
tors filed out and returned to the 9TH
er wing of the building, where it took
only two minutes to adjourn "to di-
gest the governor S message" as mem
bers put it.
Almost without exception, even the
administration followers included. eX-
pect the special session just opened to
De battle between governor and the
majority Of the senate, with the ma
lorty IN the upper body standing sol
IDLY against any measure Governor
Donaghey might advocate. This ma
Jorlty is expected to kill any legisla-
ton Governor Donaghey might sug-
gest, no matter how meritorious, and
| 1t is reported that members OF this
majority have made such a boast. The
line is not an invisible one. 1t shows
plainly, for the opposition to President
II. X. Toney taking the gavel again
only adding fuel to the fire, and as
Governor Donaghey was about the on
lly one showing any opposition, the
hatred of the Toney following has
centered on Governor Donaghey.
The entire special session Will pass
with the majority in the senate hold
ing the whip hand, and unless some
measure is found which will break
their ranks or Governor Donaghey
openly opposes a bill which he has Sc.
cretly prepared and had in troduced
there is little chance for the governor
being a victor in this session.
Speaker R. F. Mlwee has the house
well in hand, as in the regular session
but the house could remain unit
doomsday passing administration bills
without being able to make the senate
follow suit.
The governor had made a personal
appeal to a number of the senators
during the forenoon to oppose the
seating of President Toney as the pre-
siding officer, and the placing of Sen
ator W. c. Rodgers in the chair, ever
if it should become necessary to resort
to quo warranto proceedings. Sena.
tor Rodgers himself, however, fell il
with the supporters of Toney, and il
sion pleaded for harmony and rein
quished any right he might have il
order to expedite business and avoiC
long controversies. He predicted thai
the session would be short one, anC
asked that the most careful attention
be given to the measures suggested by
the governor. On the organization
the anti-Toney forces, without it be
ing openly announced that that was
their purpose, marshaled only si>
votes against a resolution declaring
teh old officers and employees re-elect
ed.
In the house the reorganization
went through without a hitch, or ;
suggestion of opposition.
After the reading of Governor Don
aghey's message to the jiont assembly
in the afternoon, in which he urged
the members to come to the rescue Of
the state and save it from disaster
the revised Bradham- Hurst bill wal
introduced by Representative Simm.
of Miller county. The clerk read fol
two hours, finishing about half of it
and the house then got tired and ad
journed for the day. The senate die
not attempt to do anything during The
afternoon, and is apparently waiting
for the house to put something up t
it to work on.
The Simms bill, which is the admin
stration measure, eliminates from The
Bradh ham- Hurst bill the provisions fol
the assessment of railroad, telegraph
telephone, sleeping car and pipe lines
that having already been enacted as /
separate measure. 1t also provides
that the county judge shall be chair
man of the board of equalization whei
it sits as a board of appeals. A slid
ing scale of assessment and levy i!
made. For the present year, the as
sessment is expected to be S450,0 900,
600 on the accepted basis of so pei
cent Next year it is contemplated the
assessment shall be on a 100 per cen
basis, and the aggregate should reacf
a billion. This years levy will be
3-4 mills, and this is automatically re
duced, with the various funds in pro
portion, to IA when it shall hav,
reached the total of one and a quarter
billions.
1t is estimated by David A. Gates
chairman of the tax commission, tina
this will restore the lost equilibrium