The Monticellonian., 1895-01-25

IF aA tAlelae. ti NEr lHe isaW 6ats4 taflIGhu
 meHts mu>t be submitted at a general election,
 when tho candidates and questions arc so nu-
 mereus as 10 pEerlude the possibility Of giving
 the matter of changing tho constitution the at
 tentiou it deserves, and as result many
 thousands of the voters express no opinion
 upon the question, by oversight or from in-
 sufficient information as to its nature.
 For some years past the desirabtlity Of re-
 yisng the constitution has been more
 or less discussed, and many of
 our citizens rcfrained from entering up
 on the task from motives founded on
 fears Of political character merely One
 class of our fellow citizens believed that if
 such a convention were hold 1t would result in
 consolidating the state aud national elections
 Changes have taken place in the policies Of the
 national government, which not only ohviate
 ths an objection put mako the selection of
 the same day for hodihF our state and national
 elections desirable, and trust 1t will be done
 at the present session. 1 do this with the dis
 tinct reservation that should the laws of the
 general government be changed as to indi.
 cate purpose to interfere with our state
 affairs under the pretcxt of supervising the
 congressional elections, that we shall lose no
 time in riddlnE ourselves Of this m ans Of op-
 pressiou by providing a separate day for our
 state electi Il. Another class of our fellow cit
 zcns exprcs sej the b2liet that the .eallug of constitutional convention would result in placing Limitations upon the right Of suffrage.
 l think these hafo hf " become convinced that all desirable changes in this behalf arc now the
 law Of the state and that any change would be in the direction of relaxing rather than adding
 further restrictive provisions So that these two controlling reasons which opers atcd to Gcfcat the proposition to call convefl- ton when submitted in 1887 have in the pro- cess of time become ohsulclc, and will not
 now he urged. The most effective reason which now remains is that many of the fra- ! mn Gf MI prT still nltye and drc h9norCd citzeus ant officers in many instances These have the yencration for the instrument prepared by them that is usual with persons who are sharcrs eff great work, and il is hard to bring them to the belief that any Improvement can be made and that l the timo will ever come when conditions will be presented for which their work will not afford every remedy hat is desirable. But with entire difference for those learned gentle | men, venture to suggest some compensatory | Improvements may he made, and after having
 made the effort the people, having the
 power to chose, will doubtless refuse to
 make the exchange unless convinced that bet | ter results will follow
 The cost ct holding the conventionis Is the real
 obstacle.
 | But upon investigation fin practical way | this objection will loose much of its force. 1 Under nearly every plan suggested for the l membership of the convention one hundred
 delegates seem to be the proper number. | Tins will be ono member from each county, | two from each congressional district and
 thirteen from he stnte at large. It is thought l that a convention thus made mp will be suth- l cicnly large te be representative of every l interest and section of the state. and not too l large to render effective and intelligent ser
 vice A fixed compensation of $50 each, | which Is ample when paid In money, as 1t will 1 be to pay Hll expenses incident to attendance
 upon the convention for any period that it's l lab0rs are likely to continue. This is vastly
 more than members of the convention that l framed the constitution Of 1871 received. The
 service is in measure, of patriotic eharae- | ter and will enlist Tn the membership our best
 and ahcst men, and the mere place hunter will l avoid it's councils because of the limited l income attached to it. This matter will be no i loss To the state. since any person who would be induced to seek an election to such a body ] solely for the pay connected with it would not i be likely to add strength to is deliberations
 when he took his seat. Five clerks, at about | the snme pay as that provided for the mem l hers, would complete the expense of holding l the convention, except a small fund tO provide l for contingent expenses. The whole cost 1 need not exceed S350U if the work is under | taken w:th view to the good of the state. l The best men in the state have always. on l former occasions of thls character, given their 1 tune 10 the service, and can see nothing in l the present situation Of affairs which will
 warrant the prediction that convention held 1 at this time will dlner in this respect from it's
 predecessors
 l After taking steps to revise the organic law,
 one other question of paramount importance remains for your attention.
 The time has arrived when the state can no | longer honorably refuse to make prov ision for
 the payment of the current interest on the l disputed part of the state debt, With sats l factory settlement effected with the general l government, our debt in excess of that owned 1 by the state herself for the benefit of the
 school fund, is about $1,000,00o This is too
 small all amount for state of the pride and l resources o{ Arkansas to permit to pass un- 1 henored at pay day. The debt can be refunded
 without difficulty at m interest rate by which
 we can pay the current interest promptly 1 without any additional tHx levy. It ought to 1 be done The matters of difference between
 this state and the general government are
 now undergoing investig ation at Washington. | There seems to be manifest purpose to do i justice to us. and l cntertain the hope that
 upon n tut investigation it will be found that 1 the United States owe us as much as are
 now indebted to them. But at this time it can
 not be definitely aseertaned just where the
 balance will lie. Any fair and just settle i ment, which takes Into consideration all
 claims upon which we equitaby entitled
 to insist. will be accepted by the state a sat 1 isfactory and final settlement of these ancient
 differences, and we will set about 1t in good
 faith 10 comply with any duty that may be im- | posed upon LIS in connection with the adjust
 mcut.
 am sure that address a body honestly dis
 posed To limit public expenditures to strictly l public purposes. and will only add the sug-
 gestton that in this work will lend any asss- tance that may be in my power. IL may be l that the reductions can be made without im- | pairing the efficiency of the public service, and without diShonoring any just obligation of the
 state. 0i this you are made the judges The
 material interests ot the state are in badly
 demoralized condition. and the people not only 1 shall mark all expenditure of public funds. | II would be n proper and much appreciated | recognition 0f The struEcncy of the times l and the consequent great sacrifice that the peoplr are cattrd upon to make when supply ing mUncy to carry on the government, If the session could be brought 10 n close within the constitutional limit of sixty days. This sug- gestiun Is vcutnted with full knowledge that | II relates to a matter entirely subject to your control. and with which would not he un. | dcrstood ts desiring to interfere further than
 tu express the hope that you will find the
 public husnuss in such condition as to war. rant you in pursuing thls course.
 Very respectfully, JAMES r. CLARK ,YoU broughtall that beautiful china bacA Nth youf' exclaimed the caller. sDidnt | you break anythingln "Nolhiug but tie young lady, who had just returned froT' Europe. Chicago Tribune
 WE went into popular German beer gar | den, and my friend, who grows mc.o- dramatic when he IS mellow becl,oncd to a