Sharp County record., 1885-05-21
LEGISLATION.-A NEW CONSTITU'
TION NEEDED.

Though 10 less reprehensiblo perhaps
1or promises unperiorned than the legio'
.atures Of fogmer years, the work of our
late general assembly iq net likely to
prove more satisfactory to th9 masses
than have the performances Of its pFsde'
3assors, since while the farmers and
planters constitute the most numerous
and important clasg Of whom, it may be
tyuthFully paid that, though DO class Of
citizens in the state of Arkansas has man.
Tested a mosa open handed libarality, Or
has contributed moro cheerfully &c her
public improvements and her general
welfare and prosperity than they, there i9
not another oles5 Of citizens whose inter-
ssts and welfare have seemingly beea 50
2tudiously ignored in the matter of legiS-
lation as theirs. The farmers created the
demand which has neeessitated the GOA
gtruction of railroads, have freely given
the right of way through their farms to
nearly every one which has been built,
yet we find the railroads continually de-
.nanding and the Legislature often conoed'
.ng privileges, the exercise Of which dis
oriminates in favor of the corporations,
and heavily against the agrioultuTist'
And though by no means the onea most
largely benefited by their construction, it
is fact that the farmers do now, end
bavs for many years contributed nine
tenths Of all the time, labor ard expense
Of constructing, opening up end keeping
ia repair the public roads ard bridges re-
ouired for public traEo and travel.
The mortgage system, for the ills Of
which there exists no direct Legislative
remedy, continues from year to year to
breed disaster to the farming and lab0rIng
ing classes, at times threatening
to cnlmnete in complications, but little
less 90 be dreaded than open riot, yet the
remedy at hand is not administered; the
disease receives no attention, the soVer'
eign people being denied the right to rem
edy the evil because Of the inaction of
lot of pesty statesmen who, though clev-
er srouch fellows TO be elected to the
legislature Goa no further into public at
fairs than a mole sees into e milestone.
Men Of thought know that soma logisla-
tion ought to have been effected against
the present system Of unjust diseEimina-
ton by railroads; road system, placing
the burdens to be borne equally upon the
backs Of all classes, ought to have boen
enacted; a CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
should have been called, that the people
might rid themselves Of the unjust opera
ton of the exemption laws, and make
other needful changes in the organic law,
theroby starting broad gogue steto out
ca a broad gagao track and into the pros
rsrous oaaecr which is rightfally hers.
While no one is particularly to blame, the
farmers are as much to be repgahonded as
any other class, foZ in every Legislature
which hes assembled at the capital since
the birta Of the state in 1885, vary
large majority Of th2 momheEg haze been
from the farming class. But the trouble
we have not always retur I'd our ba6.
men to the legislature, men selected be-
Gauge of their fitness. This we should
do, whether our representative be farm
or. doctor, lawyer or via not.
It may seem a little + sh to mention it
thus early. but the people of Arkansas
ought ~ see 10 it that the reXt Legislature
6 all be composed Of honest men who
ave been successful to some considerable
dsgrae in vaataysr calling they have puF
nd; uen rf hroed, liberal views and
\a,,. (ayoTabla TO constitulonai
EQn.