The log cabin Democrat., 1910-08-30

|
likely to do.
1t is also urged that if the 'joker"
| stands, some cities or counties may
take advantage of it and vote to is
sue bonds for the construction of pub
lie improvements. Are the people
afraid of themselves? The amend
ment itself does not provide for the
issuance of bonds by cities or counties.
| If the amendment is adopted it may
be held-and we sincerely hope it will
be hed-that municipalities and coun-
ties have the power to enact legisla-
ton which will give them the right to
issue bonds for public improvements.
Then we could do away with the cum
bersome improvement district system
and build our improvements without
paying such an exhorbitant rate of in
terest as the system now demands.
If there is one thing more than an
other which has held Arkansas back
in the progress of the states it is the
prohibition in the constitution of 1874
against the issuance of bonds.
If the voters of a municipality or
of county have not sufficient sense
to enact local legislation, how shall
we secure our local legislation? We
hear a great cry against the evil of
local egislatiOn at every session of
tie general assembly and 95 per cent
of that body's time is devoted to this
class of work. How are these local
acts passed? Is the will of the people
affected ever ascertained? In far too
many cases under the present system
some interested person quietly intro
duces a representative to introduce
local bill. The constitutional provls-
ion requiring notice to be given of
application for special or local act
has 7ong since been forgotten. The
bill being of minor Importance to the
state at large, is perhaps never men
toned in newspaper reports of the
proc. edings of the legislature. The
first thing the people affected know, it
has ecome a law and it is too late to
rope | it until the next session. Can
it be said that this is better system
of Il ,al legislation than it would be
unde' the initiative and referendum,
where eight per cent must petition
a lay, and after due notice by pub
licatlon, majority must vote for it
before it goes into effect?
If the principle of the initiative and
refel endum is good, and if it is good
for he state as a whole, then If 1t
may be applied to cities and counties
il is just that much better-and the
sour of regret should be not that
tie Joker" was interpolated in the
amendment, but that its Technology
was not made clearer, so there could
be no question ths it would be apph-
cable to the minor political divisions
OF Il state.
If the cocker" is the only objection
i'll l IL Is ill lik-tG has CNCl bSCii VI
fereG-to amendment No. 10, and if
there are no reasonable grounds for
objection to the Joker" the conclu-
sion seems clear that an overwhelm-
ing majority of the people should vote
for it's adoption-"joke and all.
But if any further reason for favor
ing t is necessary, a glance at the
lineup for and against it should be
suffic ent Who have expressed them
selves unqualifedly in favor of
Anne Moment No. 10?
The Democratic party.
Tns Republican party.
The Socialist party.
Ms Anti-Saloon League and the
lessG.lg temperance advocates OF the
state
William j. Bryan, who is coming to
Aka rtsas to plead for its adoption.
The Farmers Union.
EV cry labor union.
Three fourths of the newspapers.
Who are leading the fight against
Amendment No. 10?
The Arkansas Gazette.
Several lawyers, mostly with cor
pOrate affiliations.
A few professional politicians.
The whskey dealers, the railroads
and the big corporations have not
vet voiced their sentiments. These
are the interests that have long held
the power of initiating legislation
and have seen that the referendum
was confined to the hands of a chosen
e IL Ii w r,.1fn