The Forrest City times., 1910-09-02

antees Of liberty, pulling down the | temples of liberty about our own ears. | It seems strange that while backward | countries like Turkey, Russia. Japan | and China are adopting constitutional governments, we should have to dis | cuSS now proposal in this state tol bid constitutional government, with all its guarantees last adieu.
 It is plain that after the decisive popular vote refusing to authorize the issue of county and municipal bonds no member of the last legislature would have knowingly voted to thwart the popular will by any proceeding looking to it's reversal or for any such reckless plan as is here presented. It k equally certain that this joker
 was never discussed anywhere. ln- deed, ii was only discovered and men, ti0ned in the Gazette for the hrst time few days ago. There has been an ominouS secrecy about this measure which, if successful, will effect reyo- lution far more radical than ever here tofore proposed. It may be that there are men who are now trying to rush this amendment through who are will ing to overturn our whole system Of government by the plan they have fa vored; the prime object being to get the bonds come what may. the result being that every inhabitant of the state will be burdeued with taxes from the word go for tine payment Of accruing principal and interest, which will continue to weigh on his children long after he is dead. But the people have said that they do not want to be thus burdened and we may take them at their word We certainly should
 pause before taking such blind and reckless step. Confessedly the mem- bers of the constitutional convention of 1874 were the ablest body of legisla tors that ever met in the state Their solemn conviction was that the evils arising from the issue of bonds exceed ed all benefits to be derived therefrom. | For 36 years we have lived and pros pered under the restraint; surely we can stand it for two years longer and until we can get an amendment for the initiative and referendum that has no joker in it, and that will present the question honestly and without the slightest taint of subterfuge.
 TOO MUCH POWER GRANTED TO ANY MAN OR ANY SET OF MEN IS GER TAIN TO BE ABUSED.
 This is very old saying that has been demonstrated by thousands Of ex- amples. To prevent this result has l been the patriotic task of the great est statesmen that have lived for gen. erations past. We have embodied in our present form of government all the
 principles as yet discovered, best
 adapted to maintain and guard the fundamental rights of the citizen,
 principles tried in periods ofcalm and of storm and never found wanting. 1 The initiative and referendum may be valuable addition to these. l
 have no animosity to it, never Laying
 seen it in operation. But the least
 part of the proposed amendment No.
 10 is the initiative and referendum;
 the most important part is in the
 joker which proposes to revolution
 ize our government from top to bot
 tom in entire distinction from the
 Oregon plan, the Oklahoma plan, or
 any other plan previously favored. Our constitution wisely limits the ex-
 ercise of power. The two houses of the legislature are checks on each
 other, and all the sources of power are strictly limited in definite language.
 The principal rights of the citizen
 are included in the bill of rights and
 are protected against the legislature
 and all the powers of government,
 such as equality of citizens before the
 law, the right to bear arms, the right
 of petition and assembly, the liberty
 of the press, right of habeas corpus,
 the right to public trial for criminal offences, protection of life, liberty and
 property, with other fundamental rights, with which the legislature,
 the governor, the judges, nor all of
 them put together can interfere.
 Now this proposed amendment con-
 fers all these powers thus withheld
 and all other governmental powers on counties, cities and towns, ward poll.
 ticians and ward heelers, without the
 least restriction or protection what ever. l deny that any such wildcat legislation has ever been previously
 submitted for adoption in any com
 munity having the least pretension te
 civilization or anywhere else. IT car
 ried out as proposed, we shall have
 bartered our immortal liberties won al
 the cost of much blood and treasure
 the dearest of all our possessions, foi the privilege of going in debt and is- 1, suing bonds with which we are to
 burden ourselves and our posterity
 We shall, moreover, divide the state
 into factions, organize perpetual an archy and confusion and conflict, here tofore unknown, and shall make ol ourselves the laughing stock of the universe.
 Finally, the constitution of the United States guarantees to each state republican form of government. A
 republican government means repre- sentative government, based on tht will of the people. President Madi son wrote:
 We may define a republic to be ; , government which derives all its power directly or indirectly from tht great body of the people, and is ad
 ministered by persons holding thei! office during pleasure for limited period or during good behavior. "
 Compared with the present bond-is
 suing scheme the government estab lished here by Thad Stephen and ;
 feyv nj her fanatics in 1868 would b