The Forrest City times., 1896-10-02
CLASS LEGISLATION.
The Interests of Arkansas Paramount
 to All Otker Interests.
A Law Which Encourages the Building of Cotton Mills, Wagon Factories. Etc, Does Not Fall Under the Defni-
 tion of Class LegislatIon-

The object of this article is not to give advice, but rather to awaken thought in certain line and let read CTS draw their own conclusions as to what extent they have been misled by the influence and teachings of poli- ticians. Our peculiar form of govern ment. in which every citizen is polit- ical factor, calls for the agitation and discussion of political questions. In Europe, no person is expected to pass judgment on financial topics excepting tinanciers and economic students who have given profound attention to the problem and worked out interesting conclusions. So of tariff and other public questions for legislators to deal with. In this land of free speech and demo- cratic rule, where every man has polit- ical convictions and sovereign rights, all citizens discuss and pass Judgment on current questions at issue and, as they believe, vote intelligently. There are but few voters who would not in- dignantly resent the imputation that they are either misguided or party blind at times and cast ballot often at variance with their own interests. 1t is matter of regret that too many voters receive inspiration and instruc- tion from stump orators who have self ish rather than general interests at stake. No country can boast of farm CTS possessed of a higher grade of intel ligence and broader conceptions of questions and measures of public inn portance than those of the American republic. Yet it must be admitted that party leaders have at times. by false statements and appeals to prejudice misled them. There is no possibility that the stock of selfish partisans will ever become exhausted, but there is a hope that their power will in time weak en to certain degree There is much misconception in regard to what is termed class legislation by congress Let us think for moment how class legislation can be accomplished. By class legislation it is meant such en- actments by congress as will benefit a certain class at the expense of the masses. Now, as the government is not and never can be in the hands of legislators enlisted in the support of any section or class, but constituted of representatives of every congressional district, how is it possible that laws are made which bear unequally upon the masses? All laws are general in their effect. If not, who is to blame? Each congressional district has rep resentative to guard its interests The internal increase of wealth in the New England and middle states, it has been alleged, is due to class legislation. With a preponderance of western and southern legislators in congress, how copld laws be passed favoring the sec tion having the minority representa- tion9 Certain tariff enactments have been held up to view as class legisla- tion. A law which protects an indus try in one state protects it in all states, as a rule. There are exceptions. how ever. For example, sugar cane cannot be produced in Wisconsin nor silver in Louisiana. Therefore, bounty on sugar and law which appreciates the value of silver may be defined as dis eliminating enactments, while a law which encourages the building of cot ton mills, wagon factories and manu- factories in general, does not fa,, under the definition of class legislation, as all states have facilities for these indus, tries. It is true natural advantages are not evenly distributed, though op- portunities are equal. Arkansas has ...
 favorable for the growth of varied manufacturing enterprises than any other state in the confederation. as here all the elements exist necessary for the production of every article pro- duced in the United States. All that is lacking to transform the vast quan- titles of raw material into manufac- tured products is machinery and arti- sans. It is not the purpose of the writer to tell why capital and mechanics have remained away. Our own people have expended their energy in developing agricultural interests, which accounts for their inattention to other indus tries. From all parts of the state come utterances, intelligible and emphatic. and with q general recognition of the fact that something must be done to supply the great want of Arkansas: that is, the establishment of diversified industries We all know what is neces- sary to be done. What else is necessary Is to know how to do it. The office hunter who canvasses the state in his own special interest discoursing upon class legislation has never told us to do anything to advance the interests of the state except to vote for him. We have voted for him, and we are becom- ing increasingly alive to the fact that the great want of the state is something different than the string of rhapsodies about my fitness and qualifications for the office to which 1 aspire" fol- lowed by a vigorous assault against "class legislation" In plain words. we have become convinced of the fact that we must expend less time and thought in the interests of office hunters and more in the interests of Arkansas.
 Arkansas has 2l6 square miles of zine fields, samples of which took first prem Al