The Forrest City times., 1910-08-26
PROPOSED AMENDMENT NO. I0| Is Cunninely Devised and in its Present Form Most
 Dangerous to Adopt LANGUAGE IS AMBIGUOUS
Sweeps Away Safeguards of the Consution--Lets Down Bars to Issuing Bonds and Increasing Taxes--s Not Proper Initiative and Referendum
 Measure and Should be Defeated

none can truthfully say that IL has ever been derelict in it's duty 10 or advocacy of measures which have for their object the best interests and up building Of the State of Arkansas, St. Francis county, and Forrest City in particular.
 We have issued two great souvenir editions, the latter taking most of our time for nearly year and in pre- pairing which We burned the midnight oil, and on both of which, though we feel that the people did their full duty in liberally patronizing them, We lost hundreds Of dollars, and dc not regret it one iota or for one moment. Both were Tabor of love, and prompted by our great love for this people and earnest desire to show to the world the great natural resources and ad- vantages of this great county, of which we are proud to say We are a citizen. We have lived here for a quarter of century, and have hon. estly tried to do everything we could to build up this section, and adyo- cated the adoption of every measure that would rebound to the best inter- est of our fellow citizens
 The prosperity, peace and happiness of our fellow citizens is bound to pro- mote our own prosperity, peace and happiness, and vice versa. There is that much of seltishness in our ad- vocacy of such measures and our opposition to other measures which we believe will result in harm to the prosperity, peace and happiness of our fellow-citizens. But the main point is, to make you understand that this must be true. It cannot be other wise, and every sensible man or wo- man must realize that We could not afford to advocate measure that would be hurtful to the people of this state, county or city; and that we cannot afford to oppose measure that would be beneficial to them, and we would be traitor to the best interests of our fellow-citizens and to our own best interests if we did either.
 With this point firmly fixed in your mind-that your interests must be our interests-we ask 10 be heard on the proposed Amendment to the Consti- tuition of the State of Arkansas, No. 10, known as the Initiative and Ref. erendum Amendment. We regret that We have not given this proposi tion more study and discussed it in these columns earlier. but like you ands of other good citizens, although we printed II week after week. We never seemed to have the time, just as you probably never seemed To have the time, or inclination, 10 give il that attention which We now see il very greatly deserves and requires and (which k most important. In fact more important than any propo- sition in the law making branch of our government than any other that has ever been up before the people for their consideration and adoption or rejection. We, too, have been in had health, and that has also been d req son that We have not hitherto given ft that consideration which every good citizen who wishes 10 see his state. county and city prosper and progress should give to all measures affecting their peace, happiness and prosperity.
 Again, we have seen ill the papers that the governor and other men high in the esteem and confidence of the people, have been advocating the adoption of this dangerous amend ment, We understand. too, that the Farmers Union. as an organization. is advocating it's adoption. and having confidence in their judgment, and wishing to be friendly 10 anything that would seem To benefit them, We just went along neglecting 10 study 1t, and thinking that it was perhaps good thing, OF al least that it would do no harm to try it. We clearly see our great mistake now. when 1t k perhaps too late to discuss it, because we presume that most voters have already made up their mind whether they will vote for its adoption or not.
 It is cited by the friends of this proposed freak amendment, that the initiative and referendum and recall amendment is working alright and very satisfactorily in Oregon, Okla homa, and perhaps other states, but this is not altogether true, and the people are deceived, we do not say purposely, but nevertheless truly, for the reason that the proposed Ark ansas Amendment has some very un. wise and really dangerous provisions which the laws of these other states do not have, and the proposed Ark