ARKANSAS. 



in them, and have, by their peculations in railroad, 

 levee, and all other bonds of the State, almost bank- 

 rupted its credit abroad and at home, and have used 

 fraud and unlawful force for the purpose of retaining 

 power against the will of the people, we therefore de- 

 clare it to be our opinion that it is absolutely neces- 

 sary to the welfare of the people that ^ a radical 

 change in the administration of the affairs of the 

 State, and many of the counties, should be effected: 

 therefore 



Resolved, \. That the best policy to be pursued by 

 the people, to make certain of success in the coming 

 election, is to have unanimity of action as well as 

 feeling on the part of all good citizens of all parties 

 who favor reform in the administration of the affairs 

 of the State and county governments. 



2. That the chairman of each Democratic-Conser- 

 vative county executive committee be requested to 

 put into operation the amendment to the Enforce- 

 ment Act of Congress, in regard to the appointment 

 of the supervisors of election in each voting precinct 

 of their respective counties. 



3. That the delegates appointed to the Baltimore 

 Convention, to meet the 9thof July next, be instruct- 

 ed to vote for the ratification of the nomination of 

 Greeley and Brown, as candidates for President and 

 V ice-President of the United States in the ensuing 

 election. 



4. That we indorse the Cincinnati platform of 

 political principles, and the platform of principles 

 adopted by the Keform Kepublicanparty in their con- 

 vention of May 22, 1872, at Little Kock. 



5. That it would be unwise and inexpedient for the 

 Democratic party to nominate a State ticket for the 

 ensuing election, and we declare against it. 



6. That the State Democratic Central Executive 

 Committee be and is hereby authorized to act with 

 like committees of all Keform Kepublican organiza- 

 tions, in this State, opposed to the present Adminis- 

 tration, in the conduct of the ensuing canvass. 



7. That we earnestly urge the organization of the 

 Conservative and Democratic party in all election dis- 

 tricts and in all counties, and the using of any hon- 

 orable means to secure the election of county officers 

 and members of the General Assembly, and that a 

 cordial invitation be extended to all persons opposed 

 to the present State administration to unite with us 

 in said organization, and we pledge ourselves to op- 

 pose the election of all independent candidates for 

 any of said offices, running against regular nominees. 



This action caused considerable dissatisfac- 

 tion in the Democratic party, but served to 

 bring practically into one organization the op- 

 ponents of the State administration. 



The leaders of the regular Republican body 

 now began to move, and the State Central 

 Committee, of which Powell Clayton had be- 

 come chairman, issued a call for a new con- 

 vention, which was to assemble at Little Rock 

 on the 21st of August, to nominate State of- 

 ficers, a Congressman at large, and an elec- 

 toral ticket. An address to the people was 

 also published, defending the course of the 

 party, and its administration of the govern- 

 ment of the State. The convention, which 

 met at Little Rock on the 21st of August, was 

 in session two days. There was considerable 

 discussion, but its action was in the main har- 

 monious. The State ticket put in nomination 

 was as follows : For Governor, Elisha Baxter ; 

 for Lieutenant-Governor, V. V. Smith; for 

 Secretary of State, James M. Johnson ; for 

 Treasurer, Henry Page; for Auditor, Stephen 

 Wheeler; for Attorney-General, T. D. W. Yon- 



ley; for Supreme Judges, M. L. Stephenson, 

 and E. J. Searle ; for Superintendent of Public 

 Instruction, J. C. Corbin ; for Superintendent 

 of State Penitentiary, II. 13. Robinson ; Con- 

 gressman at large, John M. Bradley. 



The platform approved of the conduct of 

 the national and State administrations, in- 

 dorsed the action of the National Convention 

 at Philadelphia, and set forth the following 

 statement of principles : 



2. "We fully recognize the equality of men before 

 the law, and favor the largest liberty to the people, 

 without regard to race, color, creed, or nativity. 



3. For the future, as in the past, we pledge our- 

 selves to the maintenance of free schools and a gen- 

 eral diffusion of knowledge among all classes, and 

 we hereby declare it as our opinion that the present 

 school law ought to be so amended as to do away 

 with the office of circuit school superintendents, and 

 the question of education and the support of schools 

 be remitted to local authorities. 



4. We favor a firm, honest, and impartial enforce- 

 ment of the registration and election laws of the 

 State, to the end that every qualified elector may, 

 without fear or intimidation, exercise the privilege 

 of choosing the servants necessary to administer the 

 government; and we hereby heartily indorse the 

 action of the Kepublican members of Congress in 

 providing supervisors of election, whose duty it is 

 to witness whether a free and fair registration and 

 election are held, and that an honest count of the 

 vote is made. 



5. Disfranchisement for political offences has ever 

 been regarded by the Republican party as a tempo- 

 rary measure, only to be resorted to in the establish- 

 ment of civil government in harmony with the issue 

 settled by the war in the States lately in rebellion. 

 This object having been virtually accomplished, we 

 announce it as our opinion that a removal of such 

 disabilities may be made without endangering the 

 public peace or prosperity of the State, and we de- 

 mand that the members of the next General Assem- 

 bly shall adopt the proposed amendment to the con- 

 stitution on the subject of franchise, and provide by 

 law for the submission of the same to the people 

 within sixty days thereafter. 



6. That the power to prescribe and regulate the 

 qualifications of voters belongs absolutely and ex- 

 clusively to the people of each State, subject to the 

 single limitation imposed by the fifteenth amend- 

 ment to the Constitution of the United States, viz. : 

 "That no State shall deny or abridge the right of 

 a citizen to vote merely ' on account of race, color, 

 or previous condition of servitude.' " That in every 

 other respect the right of the State to fix and deter- 

 mine the qualifications of its voters is unlimited and 

 exclusive, and has never been questioned by any 

 party, nor by any jurist or court in the country. 

 And while we heartily indorse the President for 

 recommending, and a Kepublican Congress for pass- 

 ing, the late act of Congress removing the disability 

 to hold office imposed on certain classes by the four- 

 teenth amendment to the Constitution of the United 

 States, we emphatically declare that said act of Con- 

 gress did not and could not abrogate any part of 

 the constitution of this State, and did not en- 

 franchise any citizen who is disfranchised by the 

 constitution of this State. 



7. "We are in favor of a reduction of taxes to the 

 lowest possible limit consistent with the preserva- 

 tion of the credit of the State, and pledge ourselves 

 to oppose any and all attempts that look to a repu- 

 diation of any portion of the legal indebtedness of 

 the State. 



8. In our opinion the revenue law should bo so 

 amended that taxation should not be burdensome 

 to the poor ; therefore, in the interest of the laboring- 



