Old Politics, Or Whose Ghost Is It Anyway? Part Two

 

The second part of this article takes us back to the year 1872 and two men named Joseph Brook and Elisha Baxter.  Both were corrupted.  Dead men voted.  Living men voted more than once.  Ballots will birch.  Voters threatened at gunpoint or towed to vote for the gun holders candidate.  In the end, Baxter one because he had more voting territory. Brook was infuriated of this because I had read the same territories and a previous position.  Brook filed a complaint against Baxter.

The following two years, Baxter seemed to put corruption behind him.  He made good on promises.  The most important of these bills was re-enfranchised all the men who lost the vote because they supported the confederacy.

Brook saw this act as the end of the Republican domination of the state of Arkansas and decided to take action.  Brook staged a revolt with the support of his Republican peers.  A Republican judge ruled that Baxter could not hold office because of Brook’s complaint from two years past.  Brook became governor, was sworn in, gathered a militia, and had Baxter thrown out of the building.  A cannon was placed in front of the building to make sure Baxter didn't return.

Baxter didn't return instead he set up shop a few blocks down from the assembly building.  Brook might have had the support of judiciary and a large militia but Baxter didn't give up and formed his own army.

Two hundred men died in the small battles took place over a month between the two fractions.  President Ulysses S.  Grant interceded a restored Baxter back to his position in the end.

Brook survived a coup and avoided jail time for it but it didn't keep him out of politics either.  Brook served Arkansas as postmaster general until we died. Brook never forgave himself for his failure in claiming the position he most coveted.  Others believed it is Brook is the one haunting the Arkansas assembly building.

I guess in the end it doesn't matter who's ghost haunts the Arkansas assembly building.  The debate will go on until he is figured out.  What matters is these two dramas are never repeated.

First part of article

Old Politics Or Whose Ghost Is It Anyway- Part One

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Old Politics Or Whose Ghost Is It Anyway? Part One

 

The building that housed Arkansas State assembly is now the subject of great debate in the city of Little Rock, Arkansas.  The debate isn't on whether the building is haunted not because it is.  The debate is on whose ghost is doing the haunting.  There are some that believe the status of a Speaker of the House, who killed another representative in 1837.  Others believed the ghosts is of a man, who almost succeeded in taking over the governorship in 1872.  The question has never been answered. 

Perhaps, you, the  reader can figure it out.

The first part of this ghostlore concerns to representatives, Colonel John Wilson and Major J.J. Anthony.

One day in 1837, Colonel Wilson presided the assembly emotion was brought up for a bill that would allow hunters to collect a bounty of hides by Representative Amos Kuyendall.  Everyone agreed that the bill was a good idea.  The debate on the bill was how exactly the cash poor magistrates would pay the bounty.  Several ideas were brought up and shot down.  One representative suggested the hunters be given certificates instead of cash.

Major J.J. Anthony say that at this point and loudly stated his solution. “We don't need certificates.  All we have to do is have the hides signed by the president of the Real Estate Bank.”

Many of the representatives baffled by Major Anthony's statement or assumed he was drunk.  The only person in the assembly at knew with the major was talking about was Colonel Wilson, who was the president of the Real Estate Bank.  The Colonel and Major had an adversarial relationship.  The Colonel the value of the bank notes in circulation with his signature on them was being called into question.  In other words, Major Anthony was saying wolf hide with Colonel Wilson’s signature on it would be comparable to a legal tender from U.S. bank.

Colonel Wilson as the Major to explain himself.

No response came from Major Anthony. He just stood there.

Colonel Wilson been told Major Anthony to sit down and to get the floor to someone else.

Major Anthony's response was the opening up his coat and putting his hands on his hips.  On Major Anthony's belt a scabbard with the 12 inch Bowie knife in it.  Major Anthony was silently challenging Colonel Wilson.

Colonel Wilson take the challenge and the two representatives as began to fight.  The fight only lasted a half minute Encarta wilson's life would be forever changed.  Colonel Wilson avoided execution when the jury decided he committed an excusable homicide.  Colonel Wilson was kicked out of the assembly.  He never held office again.

Many believed that it is Colonel Wilson's spirit, whose gloom is still felt in the old building.

Second Part Of Article

Old Politics, Or Whose Ghost Is It Anyway- Part Two

 

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