The log cabin Democrat., 1922-01-26
governor recounted the platform of popular government upon which he

pOpuldT government upon Wnlcn ne
 was elected to his high office and upon which he seeks reelection. In
 attempting to carry out his reforms,
 he declared, the opposition of the
 senate checkmated him and party
 pledges went unredeemed. He cham
 pioned the abolition of useless of
 fices, and was for reform in peni- tentiary management. To put the
 penal system on tax basis, he bor-
 rowed $530,00 and retired a debt of $$400, leaving $13O,0OO to run on a cash basis. This year, he expects to meet payments on the penitenti- ary's debt and to clear about $100,- 900.
 The governor hotly denounced those inside the pen and out, who, he alleges, assisted in the escape of Tom Slaughter and his fellow con- victs. Give me $10000 of secret service money and I will put half dozen of them inside the pen, where they belong," he asserted, and then launched into a recital of his efforts to bring the suspects to justice
 Road building and taxation fur nished the text for a part of the gov ernor's address, in. which he express ed the hope that before the conven- ing of the next legislature, complete and accurate information on all road building can be collected and submit ted to the people for their judgment as to what roads shall be built and what roads shall be abandoned. He registered his attack on the tax commission as a useless body, and declared he will not fill the vacancy in it's membership unless forced to do so in order to assess the railroads and other corporations.
 Taxation for Arkansas, the govern or hopes, can be brought down to a basis where franchise, excise. cor poration and privilege taxes will pay the expenses of the state government, and leave counties to assess proper ty levies in keeping with their needs, thus ridding Arkansas of the dispar- ity now existing between assessment valuations obtaining between all counties. He cautioned his hearers to watch the expense of the county government, detailing the action of one attorney in Nevada county, who called ITO witnesses at S2 per day in a murder trial and then used only 25 of them, the trial costing the coun- ty s8,000 Judge Clark would not stand for this in Faulkner, the governor said, but other counties may we'll heed the warning. "Pd put such lawyer in jail," the chief ex- ecutive said.
 There were 800 in the state prison when MT. McRae became Governor McRae, and now there are 1900. five pardoned only two men," he said, land 1 admit now I made mistake in both cases. After that I just don't pardon any one. Stand with me for the majesty of the law and law enforcement"
 Counties of the state now receive for the upkeep of their roads 70 per cent of the amount of their au- tomobile license fees and about $350,- 900 additional is being derived from the gasoline tax, the chief executive said in presenting these items of taxation. Then he concluded with education as his theme, declaring that neglect of the public school has been Arkansas greatest sin. His ambition as governor, he frankly confessed, is to put common and high school education within the reach of every children, in contrast with the states lamentabe record of now sending to school only one- half of it's children and this one half for only 130 days in the year.
 His conclusion was a fervent plea for unified support of government by the people, and fervent wish for the prosperity and health of his hearers. The governor was intro duced by R. G. Steele, who compli- mented him for his record as chief executive. MT. Steele also briefly thanked the governor as his address was concluded. Governor McRae returned to Little Rock on the II o'clock train.