The Monticellonian., 1895-01-25
INAUGURAL ADDRESS.
Gosernor-Elect James P. Clarke Gives the Assembly His Views on
 Needed Reforms.

'NOCoCd HIS.
 To THE GENERAL AssEMBLY-It fs not to be denied that l, and those who are to be my as- socates in the administration of the state government for the ensuing term assume this responsibility under circumstances somewhat aess favorable than any of our predecessors since new era In our public affairs was in. augnrated, now some twenty years since A Slghting depression pervades all classes Of our fellow citizens and all the industries which Go 10 make up the fabric Of tho commonwealth atfe demorailzed to degree which will tax all our powers to suggest remedy for their Stofat'on to condition approximating their former prosperity In this state Of affairs il will become those into whose hands the people have placed official authority to employ 1t in an intelligent aud conscientious enort to pro mote Inc prosperity and happiness Of the peo pie as iaI as this may be possible under the changed conditions and systems made mper. hllFe ov our present surroundings.
 BETTER METHODS.
 Agriculture tue corner stone Of civilization oi the ages can no longer be relied upon solely to sustain the state in supplying employment Tor the body of her people and furnishing a basis for her commerce Changed and better methods in the prosecution of this industry and the development Of the other boundless and valuable resources Of the state must be ehe means by which We are to establish the right Of our state to take the front rank as one of the proudest and most prosperous of the union.
 But the causes which have led up to this gloomy condition of affairs have not been con. lined in their baleful effects to our section and our products alone. The northwestern part of +he conntry has suffered more greatly from these causes than VIC have. The destruction. by the operation of unwise taxing laws. Of Inc commercial value Of their staple products ad. ued to the hardShips of an unfriendly climate. the effects of which on the basis Of their re duccd income they were unable to properly protect themselves against. has induced many oi the thrifty citizens of this section 10 seek homes in our state within the past few months. Those who have come among us, and the thou sands who ought to follow, should have the as suranee that II IS our purpose 10 furnish te them in common with, ana part ot our selves, an enlightened and efficient govern ment and at minimum cost to the property and people ot the state
 NEW CONSTITUTION
 In my humble judgment the most advanced step that could be made in the direction of im- proving our condition, on lines where laws can be effective in this behalf IS to call a conven- ton 10 revise cur constitution Whilst nowledging the great debt Of gratitude which civilization owes to the master minds who framed our existing constitution, and accord ing to them all the praise that could be due to those who had correctly apprehendcd the dangers Of an occasion and successfully pro vided against thom yet venture to suggest that the conditions with which they dealt were Of such unusual occurrence that society under peaceful and normal conditions must presently grow away iron them, and has 50 far grown away from them as to make 1t evident to all intelligent observers that we are fettered with restrictions which are not com pensated by knowledge that through these incenvenienees We escape dangers frauEht with the most disastrous consequences. The business of government Is intensely prac. tical affair and there is but limited scope in its operations Tor the display Of merely senti mental attachments. There is more reason why new and improved methods should not be introduced in q constitution than why such Improvements should not be Incorporated in our statutory system The people are no more affected by law enacted in one form than in another Whilst l maintain that it would be greatly 10 the interest Of the state to revise the constitution, | must not be under stood as insisting that Il is bad in all its parts Such Is not the case
 On the contrary assert 1t as my deliberate judgment that any constitution which does not contain many ot the provisions of the present instrument will never meet the approval Of the people Of the state. With all the good in the present constitution preserved and there is no disposition so far as l advised to dispense with anything Of this character, there remain many particulars in which our constitution must be changed if we would increase the flt'HEli anu tlltltuGN di It9llCe anu tQuailZB the burdens Of maintaining the government. Without attempting to st forth in detail all Of the changes which l would introduce in re- visision of the constitution l will extend the limits Of this address on to enumerate a few Of those which appear to me 10 be among the most important
 At the time the present constitution was framed we stood in the darkness and doubt of the reconstruction period. and consulting the demands of personal liberty desperately as sailed we moulded it's provision as if the gov erament might at any time be taken from the bona fide ctizens of tho state and turned back to those who had shown that they were want ing either i'll capacity or inclination to aimnis ter it for the best interest of the whole people To provide against such a direful contingency provision made to popular2e every fuuc- tion and prerogatiye Of the government, and to accomplish this it required that frequent resorts to the people should be made to fill all regular terms Of office and to ill vacancies To escape another vicious effect Of reconstruction measures, it became necessary to still further subject the people to harrassment and expense by holding separate elections for the election of members Of congress- At a time of public peril the people will carry out the spirit of prudence which prompted the holding Of so many elections, but when normal state of affairs is assumed these frequent invitations to visit the ballot box become irksomc, because thought to be unnecessary.
 l favor the election of state and county officers for terms of four years instead of two as at the present time The people have in a practical way condemned our two year term of oficl- by establishing a custom, rarely departed from, Of rc-eecttng, d. ~ course, for second term all our officers. As part Of the proposi- tion to provide four year terms for such officers l would limit the right to hold any given office to a single term.
 Being relieved Of the necessity of undergoing the expense incident to reelection, tlc in. cumbent would find the net revenue Of office holding much increased, aud by removing from him the motive for longer continuance in the public service consecutiyely his independence would be greatly promoted, and feel sure would manifest itself in more satisfactory di charge of his official duties I know this would result in the cases Of prosecuting attor news and sherns. In connection with this change in the length of official terms the ses- sious of the general assembly for legislative purposes ought to be held every four years, with short session intervening of not greater than thirty days duration unless under cxcep tienal circumstances, for the purpose Of mal<- ing appropriations and Investigating the ac- counts and affairs Of state officers. We could then provide ourselves with com pact and harmonious code of laws, spe- callV adapted to wants and sit uatjon, prepared for legislative adop tion by persons skilled in the line of such an undertaking, and thus be rid Of the present cumbersome system of printing compilation Of all the laws that have from time to time been enacted Such course would greatly reduce the volume and infinitely promote the certainty as To what the law Of Arkansas really is As cated to the question of the dispensing with the personal sureties on bonds, ,u whole or in mart Personal bonds are rarely