The Forrest City times., 1910-09-02

i improvements. For nearly two years the matterwas under public discussion, and finally at popular election the proposition was voted down by a large majority.
 THE INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM
 AMENDMENT AS PASSED BY THE
 LEGISLATURE.
 The interpoiated words are known in the slang of the day as "jokers''
 This was, with the exception of the
 joker hereafter mentioned, copied from the Oregon constitution, which was adopted some years ago. The fol- lowing is copy of il, the joker" be- ing printed in capital letters and in parenthesis;
 The legislative powers of this state shall be vested in General Assembly. which shall consist of the Senate and House of Representatives but the peo- pie OF EACH MUNICIPALITY, EACH COUNTY AND OF THE STATED reserve to themselves power to propose laws and amendments to the constitution, and to enact or re- ject the same at the polls indepen- dent of the legislative assembly; and also reserve power, at their own op- tion to approve or reject at the polls any act of the legislative assembly,
 It will be seen that the difference between the Oregon constitution and that of our proposed amendment is as wide as that of the poles. The for mer requires the action of a majority of the people of the whole state, whereas the other requires only ma jority of the people of any county, town or city to make or unmake any law, and to change or abolish the en- tire constitution so far as that particu- lar county, town or city is concerned, or any part thereof: so that if it is adopted we shall have instead of one commonwealth several hundred that will be wholly independent of each other, each having paramount and in- dependent rights of Self-government, and each having a different code of laws and such constitution or no con- stitution at all as it may choose. Never has any such government been in force, or perhaps thought of before, in any civilized community Itwould simply at one single step send us back to that form of tribal government that prevails among the barbarous tribes i of A frica, and among all other bar. barous tribes, because their want of intelligence does not admit of any other.
 Such a government would scarce de serve the name. One county would free itself from the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court, another would rest al jurisdiction in justices of the peace If riots broke out, and the governor attempted to enforce order, the coun ty or town could, as far as it's own in l habitantS are concerned, repeal tht clauses of the constitution creating the office of governor. If it was desir ed to get rid of some one temporarily unpopular, and probably the best mar | in town, it would be in order to repea by vote the right of trial by jury ant put him to death without trial; tht writ of habeas corpus could, of course at any time be suspended or abolished | In short, there is no crime that coult not be committed under such Sys tenn without violating any law Ou constitution requires uniformity II the laws, but the proposed and doctor ed amendment provides for eyer-in creasing diversity.
 | There is only one instance in histor, of such a government and that wa during the French revolution, wheI the law making power was for som' years completely under the direction of the Paris mob, during which, every day. crimes of every sort were commit ted at which the world stood aghast and of which we cannot read now ate more than century, without feeling of detestation and horror.
 But suppose l am wrong in my sus picions that this joker was inserte' for an interested purpose, then ho' can we account for it's appearance il the act? 1 assert that no such desola ting law was ever proposed or di' cussed by the press or before tn people before the passage of tai strange enactment that has never ha a parallel in legislation in any countr. civilized or savage. It is quite impo> sibe to suppose that the joker go in by inadvertence. There isno sue method for that. But suppose it di not get in by accident, the result the same. We know as we'll as W know anything that if the amendmer is adopted the flood gates of count! town and city bonds will be opene ,tt-tta eo ma. apd xya shall ba renew