Pocahontas star herald., 1912-03-22
AN OPEN LETTER
TO HONEST GEORGE
GEORGE w. REAvEs ASKS A FEW
QUESTIONS OF GOV.
DoNAGHEY.
HE ANSWERS THEM ALSO
The Chief Executive Has Not Been
Sincere or He Is Not
Sincere Today.
February "a, 1912.


Governor George W. Donaghey, Lit
tie Rock, Ark.
Dear Sir-I note in your late epistle
to the people of Arkansas you said Il
have not promised you anything that
did not do or try to do" Let US
see, governor. You will not deny that
during the state convention at Hot
Springs, Ark, when Hon. John S. Lit
tie was nominated for governor, you
scattered posters or pamphlets in
all public places saying that you could
complete the new state capitol for
s250,000. You denounced Caldwell &
Drake as grafters when, they asked for
an additional appropriation of 100000,
agreeing to finish the capitol and
beautify the grounds for that amount.
have nothing to say in defense of
Caldwell & Drake except that, if they
were grafters and boodlers, as you
charged, you should have caused them
to be sued and prosecuted and punish
ed according to law for that offense.
In open court their attorney said:
I'VE cannot sue the state, but you can
sue us. If We have done anything
wrong sue us and let the case in all
its details be settled in the courts"
This you would not and did not do.
Why, governor?
They had a good bond and could
have been compelled to finish the
state capitol under their contract in
an artistic and workmanlike style,
but, instead of compelling them to do
this, the people, at your solicitation,
accepted your proposition and elected
you to the high office of governor.
: Caldwell & Drake were deposed and
you and your commissioners took pos
session and have now expended on the
new state capitol s695,OOO in cash,
in addition to the temporary heating
plant and the use of convict labor,
and you now insist that it will take
| S750,O00 more to complete the job.
So, in place of its taking S250,000 to
finish the capitol, as you said at Hot
Springs, it viii take about s1,500,00O
to complete it under your administra-
ton You miss the mark too far to
inspire confidence in your promises
and when the good people Of this
state swapped Caldwell & Drake for
you, as a financial proposition, it was
like going out of the frying pan into
/ the fire.
Governor, why did you pay an archl-
tect $4,000 for less than ten days
work connected with our new state
capitol, which was nearly thousand
/ dollars per day? Why, governor?
Governor, on page 8, among other
things, you used this language: 1T
has now been worked down to dem
o9stration that the whiskey men are
! determined to rule this state against
the interests of the people," This is
true. They control the politics of our
state now, and this condition has been
brought about under your administra-
ton with the saloon people or gang"
helping to further and boost every po-
litical ambition of your life.
Did the whiskey people vote for you
in your last race for governor? Yes,
Did the saloon people vote for you
in your last race for governor Yes.
Against Mr.. Kavanaugh, an ayowed
friend of local prohibition? Yes.
And, governor, you know that they
are not going to destroy the bridge
that has carried them over safely.
Governor, I am not whiskey man.
do not frequent saloons, but I now
venture the assertion that the whis-
key men, the gang" "the machine"
is for you now. VIII shouldn't they
be? They were bull. up and have
thrived under your administration.
Governor, in your epistle, on page
s. you say, in substance, that a Ger.
tain senator was complaining bitterly
because he had lost $1,000 by voting
for a certain bill, and that an attorney
for a certain large corporation said
his corporation had been assessed
over SlUsuOO do us pdll VI d uOOult
fund to defeat certain legislation.
Governor, why don't you, as the
peoples governor, take the people into
your confidence and tell them who
that senator is and the name of the
large corporation that was assessed
for more than $4,000 as a part of a
Doodle fund so the people would not
re-elect this senator? Why, governor?
Governor, why didn't you go before
the grand jury, or have the proper
party go, and indict these boodlers?
You could at least tell the people who
they are, so they will be warned The
people are entitled to this information
from their governor.
Governor, from your epistle, l know
you are well informed as to the cor.
rupt practices going on during our
last legislative session.
Did you, in any Of your messages,
call attention to this corruption dur.
ing the regular session Of the legisla.
= ure? No.
Did you call attention to this cor.
ru2tion during the sitting of an extra
session in any Of your communica.
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