AMENDMENTS.
Art. XX, Sec. 33, provides that not more than three amendments to the
constitution may be submitted at any one time by the General Assembly;
* KurOPfBe<i amendments shall be published weekly for thirty days, the last
publication to be at least sixty days prior to the election; a majority of these
▼oung at an election is ne essary for the adoption of an amendment.
While more latitude is given, it will continue to be a some
what ^difficult matter to amend the Constitution. No limit is
placed upon the number of amendments the people may submit
under the Initiative and Referendum, but the Genera# Assembly
is still restricted to three at any one election. Since amendments
can be submitted at only sixty-day sessions, there can be but
three offered every four years by the Legislature. However, the
people may submit any number every two years, since general
elections must continue to be held biennially on account of the elec
tion Ox members of Congress. Considerable saving is provided in
the cost of publishing proposed amendments, the time being re
duced from six months to thirty days. By providing that the
final publication shall be not less than sixty days prior to the
election at which the vote is to be taken, ample time is given for
the most thorough circulation of the proposed measure, and for
the voters to familiarize themselves with its provisions.
QUADRENNIAL ELECTIONS.
Art. Ill, Sec. 12, provides that “the general elections shall be held quad
rennially, on Tuesday following the fiVst Monday in November, from and
after the general election held in the year 1920.” Other provisions fix the
terms of the various State, district, county and township offioers at four
years, except that Justices of the Supreme Court shall be elected for terms
of eight years. The terms of Chancellors are reduced to four years.
This is a popular reform, especially when considered in con
nection with Sec. 1, Art. VI, which provides that no one of the
state officers “shall be eligible as his own successor, nor shall he,
during his term of office, become a candidate for any other office.”
This gives a public official a reasonably long tenure, the same in
effect as that which now prevails through the unwritten party
law of a second term for an officer whose services are satisfac
tory. In sonie years there have been as many as nine elections—
jirimary, general and special—and the people have been kept in
an unnecessary political turmoil. There was somebody constantly
“running for office.” An officer wras scarcely more than inducted
into one office than he began pulling the wires and building his
fences to succeed himself or to be promoted to some other. It
was not the fault of the man, but of the system. This has had
a tendency to build up political machines and perpetuity in office
holding. This will be impossible undor the new provision. A
state officer will serve four years and then he will step down and
out, and he cannot spend the time for which he is paid a salary
in campaigning for another office. The prohibition of succession
and becoming a candidate for any other office does not apply to
county officers. The chief advantages of the new system will be
that one-half the expense and worry of frequent elections will be
eliminated, and political machines will be removed as a menace to
good government.
♦ + + +
MINORITY REPRESENTATION.
Art.. Ill, Sec. 18, provides that one member of the State Board of Elec
tion Commissioners, and Art. XX, Sec. 25, provides that on all public Boards
and Commissions appointed, there shall be at least one member of the most
numerous minority political party.
This is an assertion of political justice in keeping with
the spirit of genuine democracy. It recognizes citizenship above
I»artisanship. It is just and fair to a large element that would oth
erwise be denied participation in the conduct of state affairs. The
doctrine that official salaries are political spoils, and that all ap
pointive officials and clerks are political spoilsmen, is vicious and
dangerous. Demonstrated fitness, efficiency and integrity are to
be the proper qualifications for service.
+ + + +
THE JUDICIARY.
Art. VII, Sec. 2, provides that the Supreme Court shall consist of a Chief
Justice and six Associate Justices, and that it may sit in two departments
and en banc, and shall always be open for business. The two additional jus
tices shall be elected at the first general election after the ratification of
the Constitution. Their term shall b.e eight years. Other sections provide
for the complete system of Circuit, Chancery, County, Municipal and Juvenile
Courts.
The business of the Supreme Court has more than doubled in
fifteen years. About 600 cases is the court’s annual capacity under
high pressure, and the judges have found it impossible to prevent
congestion, even by working day and night. The plan has been in
operation in California for twenty-fiVe years, and its adoption is
recommended by the Arkansas Bar Association. The article,
framed by some of the state’s ablest lawyers, places the judiciary
- on the highest possible plane. The new judges will not be elected
until 1920. It has been saidJJiat a judgeJs supposed to be a
' judicial race-horse, having TbTkeep up wiOTthe docket regardles
' of the number of appeals. The nine judges of the Supreme Court
of the United States hand down an average of thirty opinions each
annually, wdiile the five Arkansas judges write an average of 125
each, annually. The final decisions of a court of last resort cannot
be corrected. Life, liberty, property and reputation are all in
their hands. Their opinions become fixed rules and precedents for
ail time. It is impossible to overstate the great importance to the
people of giving the Supreme Court judges all the time required
for the decision of cases, and the preparation of opinions in a man
ner that comports with the dignity and responsibility of a tribunal
from whose decisions there is no appeal.
INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM.
Art .V, Sec. 1, provides for the Initiative and Referendum for the Stat#
and municipalities. Eight per cent of the legal voters may propose a statute
and 10 per cent a Constitutional amendment. The proposes measure shall
i be published thirty days before filing with the Secretary of State, which nh0i«
be four months before the election. Six per cent of electors may order a*
election upon any general act, the petition to be filed within ninety days fol
lowing the adjournment of the Legislature. A majority of votes cast on th*
subject shall be sufficient to enact or repeal an act, but a majority of all
votes east at the election shall be required to adopt an amendment. tW
thirds of each House mayj declare any act an emergency measure effective
at once. The provisions appiy to municipalities as wwil as the State, but no
measure may be initiated in any municipality unless the law-making power
| has first refused to ei*ict it. The Governor or Mayor can not veto initiate
acta. Tire law is self-executing, and no law may be passed restricting the
people’s rights thereunder.
This is the Oregon system, with some improvements dictated
| by experience. It makes a long step forward in popular control of
legislation. It is a great improvement over the old Constitution.
It removes present restrictions which limit the number of Con
stitutional amendments that may be submitted at one election to
three, and allows the people to initiate any number. It is safe
and sane, and gives ample protection and safeguards to the rights
of the people. It embodies the best experience of the country on
the subject and will doubtless prove to be one of the most popular
provisions of the proposed Constitution.
♦ * 4 +
Prosecuting Attorneys, hereafter to be known as District*
Attorneys, are to be placed on a salary in lieu of the present im
system.
Advertisement.
Howell's Bitter Tonic at Red
Cross Drug Store. Advll-15tf
-—Give-A-Bushel
Mr. and Mrs. E. H. Earley,
of Enid, Okla., arrived
Wednesday and are the guests
of the former’s brother, Mr.
G. T. Earley and wife.
Coupons, bonds o f the
Fourth Liberty Loan have
been received by us and are
NOW ready for delivery. All
who subscribed to this issue
are urged to call at ONCE and
receive their bonds.
BANK OF McCRORY.
Look out when having your Ford car re
paired that the genuine Ford parts or ma
terials are used. There are many “bogus,”
imitations, or counterfeit, socalled Ford parts
of sadly inferior quality
NO BOGUS on the market. Be warn
ed against them. Buy
FORD PARTS. - Ford parts and have your
Ford car repaired by the
HERE authorized Ford dealer as
this is the only way to
guard against “bogus” parts. Bring your car
to us for service. Come to us for Ford parts.
Ours is an authorized Ford place.
RIGGS BROTHERS, McCRORY. ARK.