The Mena weekly star., 1912-01-11
Junior Senator Was Absent or Failed to Vote When Matters of Vital Importance to South
 Were at Issue.
THESUNK LANDSCASE
Davis Would Have Turned Thous- ands of Acres Over to Cor poration for Sake of At
 torney Fee.

stephen Brundidge, candidate for United States Senator for Ar kansas, opposing the candidacy of JeiT Davis, arrived Wednesday night, and spoke before a very rep resentative audience at the court house Thursday. With him were Styles T. Rowe of It. Smith, candi- date for attorney general, and John Nj. 0athout, candidate for auditor of state. Prior to the speech of Col Brundidge. both these were introduced and simply made brief statements of their candidacy. W. B. Barton, chairman of the Dem- ocratic County Central Committee, presided
 Col. Brundidge began his talk shortly after fl o'clock, and for almost two hours, or until almost o'clock, held his audience with his recital of the record of Sen- ator Jen Davis and of his claims for support. All through the noon hour not more than three or four left the audience.
 A synopsis of his speech follows:
 Col. Brundidge stated that he was sorry Senator Davis, his op- ponent, was not present; that he had invited him to all his appoint ments. because he thought the peo- pie were entitled Co hear a joint discussion between candidates for this high office. He spoke of the four joint meetings held, and said Davis had refused any further joint debates. He had a copy of a speech made by Senator Davis at Bentonyille four years ago, in which he said the people were en- titled to hear a joint debate be- tween himself and Senator Berry, against whom he was running, and that no man who refused it ought to be elected
 The tariff question was discuss cd some length. The speaker said that for several years past both great parties had been commit ted to it's revision in their plat forms. At the last session of Con- gress the Republicans had revised it. but in the wrong direction-up- ward instead of downward: that in consequence the people had given the lower house a large Dem acratic majority. He favored less money for army and navy, where 69 per cent of our revenues have gone for years, and favored spend ing much more for internal i'm provements, and for making navi- gable our various rivers. That since over 6 million dollars had been spent for good roads in the Philippine Islands, and one-third as much in Alaska, and he favored ap- propriating something for good roads in the United States. As long as our rivers are not used for transportation, the railroads will continue to extort upon the people in high freight rates. He said that Arkansas has more navigable streams than any other state, and gets less appropriations for them. If he was sent to the Senate he would see that we have a change, and get increased appropriations. That although Senator Davi5 makes light of securing such ap- propriations now, in fact, says he is opposed to it, when he was run ming against Senator Berry he loudly favored them, claiming his opponent was not good at asking fir same.
 Col. Brundidge took up Senator Davis record in detail-said he had the worst record of any man in the Senate, as he could and would prove before he closed. Thai in the four joint speeches, Senator Davis made no defense against the showing up of same. Stated that Senator Davis was absent from the s nate chamber while the body was in session from half to two thirds of his time: that while drawing the salary of United States Senator he had been here in Arkansas attending to his law prac- tice,. and had made Si00000 in this way. In detail he showed how he was absent and not voting when the most vital measures were up. such as the Income Tax law, the Employers Liability law, which