The Van Buren press., 1912-09-07

This placed the control or the state
government in the hands OF carpet
boggera and negroes Resident white
citizens were dlsfranchIsed. Advan.
turors and recently liberated slaves
controlled the government
"Tho assessor, under this Repuhll.
gan law, appointed one regular judge
and one alternate to serve If the reg
ular Judge failed 20 attend Both rhs
Judge and the alternate we're Repub.
licans. No other party could be rec
ogni2ed because one Judge bcld the
election.
"The assessor, as an election o..
ticer. was given all the power of the
circuit court, and any person disturb.
ing him In the performance of bis du-
ties, or hindering any person In go.
ing to or from the place OF reglstra-
tion was deemed guilty OF felony
and punishable with Imprisonment In
the peuitentiary for not less tnan two
nor more than five years.
Think OF A. . A county assessor
with power TO punish for contempt
"a political hcnchman empowered
to send a citizen to the penitentiary
tor five years on the mere protence
that the citizen had annoyed him as
an election officer!
Section 2G Of the Republican cleo
tlon law which | am discussing, pro.
ylded thm no ballot should be so
marked that It might be known how
any person voted
This enabled the election Judge 10
substitute new ballots for those voted
ana thus totally change the result Of
the election without any possibility OF
| detection
Worse than that The election
Judge was authorized to send any dis
orderly person to Jail for 60 days, or
to fine him 800,
"Thus, the men who had made Ark
ansas, the white citizens who had
| fought in the Confederate army, vere
all disfrauchised. Ignorant negroes,
totally unfamiliar with political queg
tions, and but a few years before
given their freedom; political free
! hooters, many OF whom had fled
from Justice in other states, became
! the governing class. All sorts oi
shames and crimes we're committed
and went unpunished Oppression
prevailed throughout the State. Tor
mre, robbery, arson, aud assassina'
ton more hldeous than during tho
Civil War, we're general
This oppressive election law CON
| talned humorous provision. Soc
ton 81 required the Judge, upon open
ing the polls, to open the ballot boz
I'm the presence Of the people there
assembled, turn II upside down, and
then lock II and keep II locked until
all the people had gone.
False bottoms were frequently
used The ballots actually voted were
abstractcd and others substituted,
This Republican election law and i's
administration became the subject on
A Congressional investigation. Tho
chairman Of the investigating com.
mlttee. himself a Republican, report
cd to Congress In part
at ia hardly necessary 10 add.
after setting forth those facts,
that IN the state Of Arkansas
elections are but mere tarces.
Under the constitution and laws
the reglstrators can and do dis.
franchise lust as many as they q.
please. ALL THE GREAT OF
F1CEs ARE BOUGHT AND
SOLD,
"Railroad bonds and leyee
bonds, M we'll as positions In
which Official robbery may be
porpelrated, are granted and
awarded to political partlsans
until (; Ia the mercst mockery to
say that reconstructed Arkansas
has n republican form OF govern
ment'
This Is tho Judgment Of great and
unbiased Republican on tho record OF
the Republican party In Arkansas
When my opponent, Mr., Roland, de-
nouncos election frauds undcr Demo
cratic election laws, ! point him 10
| this record OF shame ana crime writ
ten IN tho blooi and tears OF m op'
pressed people, and challenge him IN
oblterate II or TO mitigate H.
"Thc only answer made by Rcpn1'
lIcan speakers ls plea OF the statute
OF limitation II does not avail against
political party giving no evidence
Of reform. offering no apology for w
oppression and failures. Tho same
man that dominated the Republican
party during reconstruction, controls
| II now. lie selects Mr. Rcmmoll Ms
chairman OF the state Central Com
mI,too, Mr.. Roland M the rVmlneo for
governor, names tho delegates 10 tho
national convention, writes the state
platform and parcels out postoffiees
and marshalshlps with unquestloned
authority
"Thc Republican party has q record
for unfair elections IN national pol.
ltlca which may discuss NJ another
time. Arkansas Ia net ready yet 70
permit General clayton or HIS bench
men 70 rewrite our election lave"
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