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Proposed New Constitution
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»
Synopsis and Comments on Improvements Made Over Old Constitution of 1874
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; all proposed amendments shall be
published weekly for thirty days, the last pub
lication to be at least sixty days prior to the
election; a majority of those voting at an elec
tion is necessary for the adoption of an amend
nient.
While more latitude is given, it will con
tinue to he a somewhat difficult matter to
amend the Constitution. No limit is placed up
on the number of amendments the people may
submit under the Initiative and Referendum,
but the General 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 bi
ennially on account of the election of members
of Congress. Considerable saving is provided
in the cost of publishing proposed amendments,
the time being reduced from six months to
thirty days. By providing that the final pub
lication 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 cir
culation of the proposed measure, and for the
voters to familiarize themselves with its provis
ions.
QUADRENNIAL ELECTIONS
Art. Ill, Sec. 12, provides that “the general
elections shall be held quadrennially, on Tues
day following the first Monday in November,
from and after the general elction held in the
year 1920.” Other provisions fix the terms of
the various Sta*e, district, county and township
officers 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 connection with Sec. 1, Art. VI.
which provides that no one of the state offi
cers “shall be eligible as his own successor, nor
shad 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 some years there have been as many
as nine elections—primary, general and special
—and the people have been kept in an un
necessary political turmoil. There was some
body constantly “running for office.” An of
ficer was scarcely more than inducted into one
office than he began pulling the wires and
ounaing ms tences to succeed himsell or to be
promoted to some other. It was not the fault
of the man but the system This has had a
tendency to build up political machines and
perpetuity in office-holding. This will be im
possible under the new provision. A state of
ficer 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 officer. The prohibition of succes
cession and becoming a candidate for any oth
er office does not apply to county officers.
The chief advantage of the new system will be
that one-half the expense and worry of fre
quent elections will be eliminated, and politi
cal machines will be remi ved as a menace to
good government.
MINORITY REPRESENTATION
Art. Ill, Sec. 18, provides that one mem
ber of the State Board of Election Commission
ers, and Art. XX. Sec. 25, provides that on aU
public Boards and Commissions appointed,
there shall be at least one member of the most
numerous minority political party.
Jhis is an assertion of political justice in
keeping with the spirit of genuine democracy.
It recognizes citizenship above partisanship.
It is just and tair to a large element that
would otherwise be denied participation in the
conduct of state affairs. The doctrine that
official salaries are political spoils and that all
appointive officials and clerks are political
spoilsmen, is vicious and dangerous. Demon
strated 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 justices
| shall be elected at the first general election af
ter the ratification of the Consitution. Their
term shall be eight years. Other sections pro
vide for the complete system of Circuit, Chan
cery, County, Municipal and Juvenile Courts.
1 he busines ot the Supreme Court has
more than doubled in fifteen years. About GOO!
i
eases is the courts annual capacity under high
pressure, and the judges have found it impos
sible to prevent congestion, even by working
day and night. The plan has been in operation
in California for twenty-live years, and its j
adoption is recommended by the Arkansas Bar
Association. The article, framed by some of j
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!
said that a judge is supposed to be a judicial
(race-horse, having to keep up with the docket
regardless 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, while the five Arkansas judges!
write an average of 125 each, anuually. Life,;
liberty, property and reputation are all in their
hands. Their opinions become fixed rules and
precedents for all 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 manner that com
ports with the dignity and responsibility of a
tribunal from whose decisions there is no ap
peal.
INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM
Art. V» Sec. 1, provides for the initiative
and Referendum for the State and municipali
ties. Eight per cent of the legal voters may
propose a statute and 10 per cent a Constitu-1
tional amendment. The proposed measure
shall be published thirty days before fil* j
ing with the Secretary of State, which shall be
four months before the election. Six per cent
of the electors may order an election upon any
general act, the petition to be filed within nine
ty days following the adjournment of the Leg'
islature.^ A majority of votes cast on the sub
ject shall be sufficient to enact or repeal an act
but a majority of all votes cast at the election
shall be required to adopt an amendment.
Two'thirds of each House may declare any act
an emergency measure effective at once. The
previsions apply to municipalities as well as the
State, but no measure may be iniated in any
municipality unless the law-making power has
first refused to enact it. The Governor or May
or can not veto initiated acts. The law is self
executing, and no law may be passed restrict*
ing the people’s rights thereunder.
This is tht* Oregon system, with some im
provements dictated by experience. It makes
a long step forward in popular control of legis
lation. It is a great improvement over the* old
Constitution. It removes present restrictions
which limit the number of Constitutional
amendments that may be submitted at one el
ection to three, and allows the people to initi
ate any number. It is safe and sane, and g’ves
ample protection and safeguards to the rights
ot 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 iConstitution.
Prosecuting Attorneys, hereafter to be
known as District Attorneys, are to be placed
on a salary in lieu of the present fee system.
Dead Right
Here lies the body
Of William Jay,
Who died maintaining
His right of way.
He was right
As he sped along,
Hut he’s just as dead
As if he’d been wrong.”
-o
Keep on Keepin’ on
If the day looks kinder gloomy.
And your chances kinder slim,
If the situation's puzzlin’
And the prospect’s awful grim.
And perplexities keep passin’
Till all hope is nearly gone,
Just bristle up and grit your teeth,
And keep on keepin’ on.
COST OF PLOW INC.
WITH FARM TRACTOR
Fayetevillc, Dec. 2.—In or
( t-r to determine the actual
cost of plowing land with a
tractor in Arkansas and in or
der to test the efficiency and
staying powers of the engme,
the College of Agriculture of
the University of Arkansas
recently conducted a plowing
test for 32 1-2 hours. Some
what more than .'14 acres ol
land were plowed. The exact
cost per acre was found to In*
about $1.
Following the .'12 1-2 hours
of actual work the tractor
was run for 1 3-4 miles. Al
ter the engine had been run
ning for 4b hours it was still
cool.
ELECTION PROCLAMATION
I, Lawrence Rudclell, Sheriff
of Independence County, Ark
ansas do hereby proclaim and
make known that in accord
ance with the day designated
by the Constitutional Conven
tion, there will be a special
election held in the several
townships of Independence
County, Arkansas, on Satur
day, December the 14th, 191X,
for the purpose of voting for
or against the said new Consti
tution.
The election will be held at
the following places in each
township:
Ashley, at Brewer's School
House.
Barren, at Hickory Valley.
Big Bottom, at Newark.
Black River, at Cord.
Christian, at White School
House. __
Craig at Mountain Gap
School House.
Cushman at Cushman.
Dota at Walnut Grove.
Fairview at Pleasant Plains.
Gainsboro, at Ham School
House.
Hill, at Bailey.
Jefferson at Alvis.
Liberty at Floral.
Greenbrier at Desha.
Greenbrier at Jamestown.
Logan at Logan School
House.
Magness at Magness.
Oil Trough at Aydelott’s
Chapel.
Relief at Coverston School
House.
Rosie at Rosie.
Ruddel—First Ward at
Court House; Seond Ward, at
place to be designated ; Third
Ward in West Batesville.
Salado, at Salado.
Union, at Salt Peter School
House.
Washington, at Bethesda.
White River at Sulphur
Rock.
Wycough at Lebanon.
Polls will be open from X a.
m. and close at 6:30 p. m.
LAWRENCE RUDDELL,
Sheriff Independence County.
-O
See The Journal for good printing.
SPANISH INFLUENZA
Do Not Fear When Fighting a
German or a Germ!
P.y Dr. M. COOK.
The cool fighter always wins and so
there is no need to become panic
stricken. Avoid fear and crowds. Ex
ercise in the fresh air and practice tile
three Cs : A Clean Mouth, a Clean
Skin and Clean Bowels. To carry off
the poisons that accumulate within the
body and to ward off an attack of the
influenza bacillus, take a good liver
regulator to move the bowels. Such a
one is made up of May-apple, leaves of
aloe, root of jalap, and is to be had
at any drug store, and called "Pleasant
Purgative Pellets."
If a bad cold develops, go to bed, w rap
np well, drink freely of hot lemonade
and take a hot mustard foot-bath.
Have the bedroom warm but well ven
tilated. Obtain at the nearest drug
store "Anuric Tablets" to flush the
kidneys and control the pains and
aches. Take an "Anuric" tablet every
two hours, together with copious drinks
of lemonade. If a true case of influ
enza, the food should be simple, such as
broths, milk, buttermilk and ice-cream;
but it is important that food be given
regularly in order to keep up patient's
strength and vitality. After the acute
attack has passed, which is generally
from three to seven days, the system
should be built up by the use of a good
iron tonic, such as "Irontic” tablets, to
be obtained at some drug stores, or
that well known blood-maker and
herbal tonic made from roots and
barks Of forest trees—sold everywhere is
Dr. Pierce’s Gulden Medical lhscovei/.
Children Cry for Fletcher’^
The Kind You Have Always Bought, and which has been
ia use for over over 30 years, has borne the signature of
- ^ and has been made under his per.
sHfl sonal supervision since its infancy.
'C^Allow no one to deceive you in this.
All Counterfeits, Imitations and “ Just-as-good ” are but
Experiments that trifle with and endanger the health of
Castoria is a harmless substitute for Castor Oil, Paregoric,
Drops and Soothing Syrups. It is pleasant. It contains
neither Opium, Morphine nor other narcotic substance. Its
age is its guarantee. For more than thirty years it has
been in constant use for the relief -f Constipation, Flatulency,
Wind Colic and Diarrhoea; allaying Feverishness arising
therefrom, and by regulating the Stomach and Bowels, aids
!he assimilation of Food; giving healthy and natural sleep.
The Children’s Panacea—The Mother’s Friend.
(GENUINE CASTORS A ALWAYS
in Use For Over 30 Years
The Kind You Have Always Bouq«i?
T H K CI N T A U H CO MI'ANY, nr »» -» • » X 1 T v .
WIRE FENCING
PAYS
When You Put Up a Fence ^ on want
one that will stay—you don’t want to have to do
the job over again next year. Wire fences look
better last longer and cost less. You can’t tear a
rail down or knock a paling off a wire fence. We
have just received a carload of wire fencing of
every description and can take care of your needs.
Nowr is the time to build the fences you have been
planning and it will pay you to come here for your
wTire.
VC lien You W ant Furniture
Get Our Prices First
NEWARK LUMBER CO
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
ADAMS BROTHERS
Cotton and Corn Buyers
General Merchandise
To the Farmers: —We want your produceand will
pay the highest market price in cash or trade
NEWARK, ARKANSAS
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J. H. Boles. Prop.
Sharp razors, clean
towels, and first class
barbers. Your
p a tronage respect
fully solicited. Clean
ing and pressing
promptly done atreas
onable prices.
Journal Building
Main Street
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Ruy War Stamps and help
| the boys go on to Berlin.
•!••••«)••()««•
• •
• Used 40 Years |
CARDIli
• The Womans Tonic £
^ Sold Everywhere ^01
r. o W
Colds Cause Grip and Influenza
LAXATIVE BROMO QUININE Tablets remove thi
cause. There U only one •‘Bromo Quinine '
W. GROVE'S signature on box. 30c.