A one-party state

Dear editor:

Sometimes it takes a rich man to drain a swamp. Virtually since it became a state, Arkansas was run by one party, the Democrats. I know we have all heard the saying about how absolute power corrupts and it certainly was true not only for this state, but for a time our local government.

How did illegal gambling exist in this state and city for decades? During most of the 20th century, legal gambling really only existed in Nevada. It existed in this state and city because everyone who mattered was on the take. The locals were being paid off, as well as whoever sat in the governor's mansion. At one time, pretty much everything in this state was for sale through the backdoor of that mansion. All of these politicians were of one party, Democrats. There were virtually no Republicans, except for a brief period right after the Civil War when, I believe, they were appointed.

Along came a rich guy, Winthrop Rockefeller, who ran successfully in 1966 and served as governor till 1971. No longer was the state for sale, as it had been under the Democrats. Basically he was rich, $5,000 didn't mean anything to him, the state was no longer for sale.

Prior to this, at times, folks across the state would complain about the illegal gambling. When the shouts got loud enough, the Democrat governor would send five or six trooper cars over to take a look. Someone would warn the bars and restaurants, in 30 minutes the slots, which were all on wheels, were out of sight. The troopers made a show of walking down Central and concluding nothing illegal going on here. Back to Little Rock they would go, then everything came back out, business as usual again. Now things were different, the new Republican governor could not be bought. This time when the troopers came, the jig was up, the illegal gambling machines were taken out in fields and destroyed.

Things in this state were changing, we were just starting to become a two-party state and soon many Democrat state officers, legislators and others were being indicted and prosecuted. From this very corrupt Democrat political machine unfortunately spewed the Clintons. The last of a breed that soon took that game they learned right here to Washington, where the For Sale sign was out. This would eventually lead to Hillary's run at president, where thankfully their deeds of selling influence for a price were ended.

Once there was a rich man who ran for governor in what may have been one of the most corrupt states in this nation. Draining this corrupt swamp will be small potatoes compared to draining the nations in D.C.; we should all wish him well.

Some may say: We're once again a one-party state. That's true, but Republicans are better at policing their own than Democrats have proved to be, so don't worry if they get too big for their britches, they'll soon be gone.

Larry Bauer

Hot Springs Village

Editorial on 12/07/2016

Upcoming Events