The weekly soliphone., 1915-06-25

and that he and Dr. Dickinson signed it security.
When this was DONE he stated, he turned the note
to Thomas and did not know what he did with it, or
when and where he got the money, and denied that he
at any time paid Thomas any money. Thomas, to the
contrary stated that when he signed the note Soddard
handed him the money.
Now, most assuredly one Of these eminent gentle
who guarding the states interests at Little Rock
is mistaken. Also it seems strange that within three
fridays after SUCH incident occurred they should be
Numerically at variance regarding vital point
A. j. McAms clerk in the office of Dickinson and
Soddard s,vears that he saw Stoddard hand Thomas
roll Of bills and that Thomas put the money in his peck
let.
Thomas stated to the committee that he understood
Dickinson secured the money from friend, and that
the transaction not handled by bank-n fact,
such transactions usually not handled by bank.
McAmis testfies, further, that when Stoddard dis
covered the committee knew of his relations with
Thomas he Immediately suspected Hodges of having d-
vulged the secre-and thus Hodges in the deal
to corrupt Thomas if reliance is to be placed in the af
fidavit of McAmis.
On Monday morning, June IA, Hodges stated that
he was expecting Thomas affidavit regarding the
mttees purpose to make adverse report and if it ar
rived he would not permit the committee to audit his
books
On the sixteenth-two DAYS later-when Thomas
affidavit had been made public Hodges wrote for the
newspapers: Il have read with much surprise and
chag1n the story of the affidavit of F. Thomas" etc.
surprise and chagrn, mind YOU when as a matter of
Iact ne knew OF the affidavit days before and was
breathessy and nervousy waiting for in order to stop
the investigations And yet Hodges thinks it is 'unfor-
nate for the people of Arkansas for petty politics to
influence investigation of the states affairs
According to- the sworn statements of McAmis for
DAYS previous to the defamation Of Secretary Hodges
with reference to investigation of his accounts-the
states accounts-we find him comforting with Dickin-
son and Stoddard We find Dickinson and Stoddard
paying money to Thomas personally for favorable re-
Ipor-patently cor1uptng the very instrument through
winch the legislature hopedto receive impartial fair
and accurate information regarding the condition of
the various state departments And we find the COM
mee all the while, doing it's very best to serve the mr.
poses for which it was created
IS possible that this committee has not done all
IaC cod nave been done 1t is barely possible that it's
members should have detected the shortcomings of Mr.
homas weeks sooner but let it be said to the commit
tees credit that as evidence of Quilt was found
Thomas lost his position
Then we see the secretary of state hiding behind the
thn veil OF unspeakabe knavery peIpeated by Thomas
ana using 1t as an instrument to forever cothe his Of
cal acts IN darkness The secretary of state saws that
this committee, appointed by the state Legislatures and
acting upon special proclamation of the ta
executive OF the states affars-sha not determine the
correctness or the incowectness of his accounts He will
not permit these men to say whether or not he has hon
eSCy accounted for the thousands of dollars in public
revenue that have passed through his hands during the
past Iour years He will not permit the officials an
PoCed by the states general assembly for this specific
purpose to say whether the secretary of state has turned
INTO the treasury money received for supreme court re-
ports or whether he has put it into his own pocket
NO! ne declines, gives an excuse as thin as bubbles
ana grandoquenty appeals to the state bankers asso
citation for an audit of his offce-an association that
does not dabbe in politics and one the secretary of state
Wen knows will not be drawn into the CONTROVERSY AS
Wen appeal to the kaiser the dead duke of Yelling
ton The very audacity Of such proposition is damna
De IN that one whose reputation is not so pure as the
hheS OF the valley should seek to block and thwart the
people will as expressed through the legislature and
substitute instead method of his own CHOOSING which
gall "''N'
Mr. Hodges is candidate for governor; and, while
OF SCae TINS TACT should have weight with pub
he opinion than if he had announced an intention Of re-