The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1908-current, 1914-02-03
KIRBY ARRA|CNS
SENATOR CLARKE
ANSWERS HIS OPPONENT
JURIST HEARD RY LARGE AND
ENTHUSIASTIC AUDIENCE
HERE MONDAY NIGHT.


portunity to reply to the attacks made
upon him by Senator Clarke at Nor
rllton Saturday, Judge William f.
Kirby, before an enthusiastic audi
ence of nearly 500 at the courthouse
last night, severely arraigned his op-
ponent, and emphatically denounced
the charges made against him bv the
senator.
Judge Kirby introduced for the first
time in his campaign sensational
charge against Senator Clarke when
he declared that the Argenta street
railway system, owned by Senator
Clarke and operated by one of the
senator's clerks on the government
payroll, which had been assessed at
$4,000, was sold last week for $780,
600. This not only shows" said
Judge Kirby, that the Argenta street
railway is not the insignificant prop
erty as the senator claims, but that
he has been defrauding the state out
of the taxes on $l04 900 worth of
property"
DR.. j. W. Conger, president of Cen
tral College, presided at the meeting,
after it had been called to order by
County Judge Holt, and introduced
the speakers. The first speaker was
Earle w Hodges, who in a 1O-minute
talk, presented his claims for re-elec-
ton as secretary of state. Following
the address of Judge Kirby, F. E.
Clinton, Mr.. Hodges opponent; A. V.
Smith, former secretary to Governor
Futrell and candidate for state land
and highway commissioner, and Hen
ry c Mccain, candidate for state au-
ditor, made short addresses.
In introducing the principal speak
er of the evening, DR.. Conger, after
mentioning the achievements of Judge
Kirby and the honors which have been
accorded him by the people, said he
was proud to introduce him as
Christian gentleman. II know of no
higher econium | can pay him that
that said DR.. Conger.
In the first half of his speech, Judge
Kirby briefly outlined his position on
the national issues, He said he ia
vored supplementing the new curren-
cy law with an amendment providing
for system of rural credits, whereby
American farmers would be enabled
to borrow money at rates ranging
from 3 to per cent, instead of to
10, and cited the successful operation
of such laws in Germany, France and
New Zealand. Senator Clarke, the
speaker said. had declared himself op-
posed to this system, Judge Kirby al
so favors the peace program of Sec
retary of State Bryan, and declared
there is no longer any danger of war,
He said the $60000000 now appro-
priated annually for new battleships
should be turned into national good
road fund, and $1,000,000 should be
appropriated by the government each
year to each state in the union for
the construction of good roads. He
also spoke in favor of a constitutional
amendment for the direct election of
the president and vice president, a
measure to which he said Senator
Clarke was also opposed. Referring
to antitrust legislation, Judge Kirby
said that Imprisonment should be sub
stituted for fines upon convictions of
violations of the antitrust laws,
Turning his attention to his oppon-
enr, Judge Kirby declared that Sena-
tor Clarke had received more from the
people and done less for them than
any man to whom high office had ever
been accorded. He charged that the
senator had received a fee of $4,000
for compromising the railroad tax
cases al a loss of 40 per cent to the
state; that he used over $4,000 of the
salary of a clerk of senate commit
tee which never met, to pay the man.
dPei OF MS street railway system,
that he paid out of the government
treasury over $4,000 to his boy who
was attending school; that he even
withdrew from the treasury all but So
or $4 each year of the $125 station
cry allowance; that he never answer
ed his constituents letters and had
declared he was going to write even
less in the future.
Judge Kirby declared that Senator
Clarke was cold, arrogant and aristo-
cratic and cared for nothing except