The weekly soliphone., 1915-03-12

approval of the racing bill, and who
further charge that the very men
who assisted him to tthe governor S
chair are those he parted with
when he was called to pay his po-
litical debts
According to a statement made
to the Arkansas Democrat by Geo.
F. Belding of Hot Springs, supple
menting the statement made by
Mr.. Belding yesterday, Governor
Hays unequivocally assured Mr..
Belding and several other men
Monday morning that he would
sign and approve the bill Monday
afternoon. The question of selec-
ton Of the commission had been
threshed out by the bills friends in
conference with the governor.
APPOINTMENT CHAFES.
Governor Hays caused another
flare Of ire among his friends yes
terday when he appointed T. J. Ra-
ney of Newark, Independence coun-
ty, in the place of L. L. Coffman,
former state auditor, on the new
state board of control Mr.. Raney
is known as political friend of
Governor Hays opponent for gov
ernor, Mr.. Brundidge. Governor
Hays friends in Little Rock who
had worked and had helped his
candidacy against Mr. Brundidge
had asked him to appoint a Pulas-
Xxi county man. There is a reason
for his appointment of Mr.. Raney,
however.
According to politicians, Mr..
Raney has close friends in the pres
ent senate, which before tomorrow
afternoon must elect a president
pro tenn who will be lieutenant gov
ernor. Governor Hays, it is said,
has his own candidate for the place.
The president pro tenn of the SEN
ate could have a significant influ-
ence should a vacancy occur in the
Arkansas delegation at Washing
ton.
Proponents of the Sawyer bill ex-
pect to take some action within
the next few days to take the mat
ter into the courts Rumors were
afloat last night that an effort
would be made to pass the bill
over the governors veto. The men
advocating the course, however,
were dissuaded.
Senate and house leaders assured
the bills opponents that the bill
would get the required majority in
each branch of the legislature-51
in the house and IS in the senate.
'We will stand by the legisla-
ture rather than by the governor
since he has muddled this thing"
was common expression in the
house today by members who voted
against the bill when it passed the
house the last time, with a senate
amendment eXempting 35 counties
attached
GOVERNOR IN BED.
Circulating through the house
this morning was a rumor that
Governor had collapsed while in his
office this morning. Office attaches
denied the rumOr, but said the gov
ernor was in bed at his home, and
that he had not been in his office.
They said he was indisposed.
For more than one act of omis-
sion and commission the governor
has been censored since he answer
ed statements made by Judge Eu-
gene A. Rolfe, Capt. F. R. Rice,
George r. Belding, Frank NJ. Kitch-
ems, l.. E. Sawyer and others, and
charged the Democrat with ulterior
motives in criticising his double
action reversal on the Hot Springs
bill.
Men who, like the Democrat,
have not censored him, today de-
mand to know why he refused to
advocate or recommend to the leg
islature some financial scheme for
enactment whereby the states fl
nancial condition could be reme-
died.
His efforts to surround himself
with a political machine, too, are
being censored freely. His appoint
ment of L. l.. Coffman and the sub
sequent refusal of the senate to
confirm the appointment stirred
feeling.
MACHINE COLLAPSING.
Governor Hays attitude toward
again running for governor, and
his efforts to perfect an organiza-
ton that would enable him to reach
the goal, apparently are about to
collapse Had Coffman's appoint