ARKANSAS. 



citizens of the Territory. There are over 10,000 

 children of school age, and in many sparsely 

 settled localities it is difficult to provide for 

 their education. He urges the acquisition by 

 the Government of the valuable coal and min- 

 eral lands on the San Carlos Reservation. He 

 also points out the need of a fourth judge. 



Election. The election on the 4th of Novem- 

 ber resulted in the choice of the Republican 

 candidates for delegate to Congress and Su- 

 perintendent of Public Instruction. The vote 

 for delegate was as follows : Republican, 6,820 ; 

 Democratic, 5,671. 



The Legislature, according to the latest re- 

 port, will stand as follows: Council Repub- 

 licans, 6 ; Democrats, 5 ; Independent, 1. 

 House Republicans, 12 ; Democrats, 11 ; In- 

 dependent, 1. 



ARKANSAS. Elections. The Republican State 

 Convention assembled in Little Rock on the 

 8th of April, and, after passing a compliment- 

 ary resolution commending the administration 

 of President Arthur, electing delegates to the 

 Republican National Convention, and author- 

 izing the Central Committee to place before 

 the public a State ticket, adjourned. The com- 

 mittee met on the 15th of August, and nomi- 

 nated the following ticket: 



Thomas Boles, Governor Paul Graham, Secre- 

 tary of State ; S. A. Duke, Treasurer; J. R. Berry, 

 Auditor ; Jacob Tricher, Attorney - General ; J. A. 

 Barnes, Commissioner of State Lands ; T. B. Ford, 

 Superintendent of Public Instruction. ; W. N. May. 

 Chancellor ; W. W. Hughey, Chancery Clerk. 



The Democratic State Convention assembled 

 at the capital on the 25th of June, and nomi- 

 nated the following ticket : 



Simon P. Hughes, Governor ; E. B. Moore, Secre- 

 tary of State ; W. E. Woodruff, Jr., Treasurer; A. W. 

 Files, Auditor ; D. W. Jones, Attorney - General ; 

 Paul M. Cobbs, Commissioner of State Lands ; Wood 

 E. Thompson, Superintendent of Public Instruction ; 

 D. W. Carroll, Chancellor ; J. W. Callaway, Chan- 

 cery Clerk. 



With the exception of Governor, Secretary 

 of State, and Attorney-General, the present in- 

 cumbents were renominated. After electing 

 delegates to the National Democratic Conven- 

 tion, uninstructed except to vote as a unit, 

 the convention adopted a platform from which 

 the following are extracts: 



We hold there can be no conflict between the Fed- 

 eral and State governments in the exercise of their 

 legitimate functions, and are unalterably opposed to 

 the assumption of power upon the part of either, 

 without constitutional warrant ; for which reason we 

 condemn the tendency of the Republican party to 

 centralize all power in the Federal Government. 



We favor reform and retrenchment in the public 

 service, and declare our adhesion to the Democratic 

 party upon the subject of the tariff, holding that the 

 grant to Congress by the Constitution to lay and col- 

 lect imposts was intended to raise revenue, and for- 

 bids the opposing policy of the Republican party of 

 fostering one brands of industry to the detriment of 

 another, and the promotion of 'the interests of some 

 to the injury of other portions of our common coun- 

 try. And we demand a material reduction of the 

 present excessive tariff duties, and such revision of 

 the laws imposing them as will equalize the burdens 



and benefits derived from their levy and collection, 

 and that no more revenue from all sources should be 

 collected than is necessary for a wise and economical 

 administration of the government. 



We approve the action of the Legislature in resub- 

 mitting the proposed amendment to the Constitution 

 of the State with respect to the railroad aid, Holford, 

 and levee bonds, and relegate the question to the peo- 

 ple as a non-political issue, to be voted on in accord- 

 ance with each voter's conviction of right. 



We are in favor of legislation which fosters equally 

 the manufacturing and agricultural industries of the 

 State, oppose all discriminations whatever, and recom- 

 mend the enactment of liberal laws to encourage im- 

 migration, the construction of railroads, and the de- 

 velopment of our rich mineral and timber resources ; 

 but all grants of corporate powers and franchises must 

 be guarded against acmse. and held subject to the regu- 

 lating power of the people. 



We reaffirm our devotion to the cause of education, 

 and will uphold and maintain our free common schools 

 by voluntary taxation ; and we pledge in behalf of e, 

 cause so essential to the happiness and liberty of the 

 people the fostering care and aid of the State. 



At the State election, held on the first Mon- 

 day in September, the entire Democratic ticket 

 was elected by majorities of about 45,000. 



The State Senate consists of 32 members, of 

 whom 29 are Democrats, 1 Independent Demo- 

 crat, 1 Republican, 1 Greenbacker. The lower 

 House of the Legislature has 94 members: 77 

 Democrats, 15 Republicans, and 2 Greenback- 

 ers. The Legislature meets on the second 

 Monday in January. 



On the 1st of September, Chief -Justice E. 

 H. English died. He had occupied the place 

 for twenty-five years. For the vacancy the 

 Democrats nominated Sterling R. Cockrill, Jr., 

 and the Republicans M. W. Benjamin. A spe- 

 cial election was ordered for the 4th of No- 

 vember, and Mr. Cockrill received 72,215 votes, 

 and Mr. Benjamin 50,452. 



The result of the vote for President was as 

 follows: Cleveland, 72,927; Elaine, 50,895; 

 Butler, 1,847. There was no electoral ticket 

 in the field for St. John. The five Congress- 

 men elected are all Democrats. 



License. Arkansas has a law that permits 

 each county to determine for itself whether 

 liquor shall be sold within the county during 

 the ensuing two years after a general State 

 election. At the September election seven 

 counties voted against license, viz.: Ashley, 

 Columbia, Franklin, Garland, Johnson, Logan, 

 and Pope. The remaining sixty-eight voted 

 for license. The total vote for license in the 

 State was 91,926; against, 44,873; majority 

 for license, 47,053. 



Bonds. Another important question voted 

 upon at this election was a proposed amend- 

 ment to the State Constitution forever prohib- 

 iting the General Assembly from providing for 

 the payment of any of the bonds of the State 

 known as "Railroad Aid," "Levee," and 

 u Holfords." Under an act of the Legislature 

 passed on the 8th of July, 1868, submitted to 

 and ratified by the people almost unanimously at 

 the November election that followed, the bonds 

 of the State were authorized to be issued to 

 the extent of $11,000,000 to aid in the con- 



