The Green Forest tribune., 1910-12-09
LEGISLATIVE DOPE.
Progress Editor Interviews Repreacnt-
 atve A. j. Russell.
From The Carroll Progress.

fHGH IAG Carroll Progress.
 The editor of inc Progress called at the office of Representative A. ]. Russell in the Carroll County Bank building and found him busy over q large volume of mail He is the recip- tent of all kinds of requests fer support in the organization of the next house. Mr. Russell says he has not pledged his support to any candidate and will not do so until he has had an opportunity to consider the claims of all candidates.
 When asked if his party would have ] any candidates for positions in the house, he replied that no Republican member of the house would ask for official honors, but that he presumed that the five Republican members of i that body would be free to go into the caucus of any Democrat he should choose to support.
 | MT. Russell further said that his vote would be governed largely by what the i people of Carroll county want, but that in no case, if he knew it. would he vote for any man for any position who does not believe in giving proper recogni- ton to the minority party.
 When asked about the Legislation which he wci;ld champion, Mir. Russell said that he had been beseiged for q stock law. Personally he favored 8 Il general stock law for theWhole county, but says he must know that the farm CTS of the county want such law be- fore he would attempt to pass it. However, among the many who have spoken to him on this subject, only one farmer has been opposed to stock law
 He believes that the people want more stringent game and fish laws and says he believes a law should be enact ed making it an offense to kill quail at any season of the year for period of five years.
 As a general proposition he is oppos- ed to special acts. He says that our best lawyers hold that atleast seventy five per cent of the special acts passed by our legislature are uncorStitutionaI for the reason that the constitution says that nc special act shall ever be passed when a general law will apply. If each of the one hundred represent atives and thirty-tnree senators should pass as many as four special acts, a book containing them would t. irref than Kirby's digest
 He proposes to favor many general laws, such as a sensible, feasible road law, and an act by which the legsla- ture makes start to eviSe our school system along the lines recommend | by the educational commission. t.e , says there is no sort of question but that Arkansas should have consoiidat- ed elections. Other states have them and it is his opinion that prejudice and , mossbackism now prevents our state from holding it's election on the first Tuesday in November instead of the second Monday in September The re- cent congressional election in which less than forty per cent of the white voters participated is sufficient argu- | ment itself to say nothing of the hun } dreds of thousands of dollars that would be saved the state Speaking further on this point, he explained that , the Democrats have more to gain by : consolidation than have the Republi- cans. He pointed out that had his party exercised a little more energy they could have elected MT Granger to Congress, whereas with consolidated elections they would have no more chance to elect Congressman than they would to elect a governor of the state.
 Knowing that the question of taxa tion is one of the livest issues in the state, he has been studying the matter and believes that all our property should be placed upon the assessment books at fair market value, and then have the rate decreased. He fears that the present 50 per cent basis will be unpopular and work a hardship on some counties.
 He is especially opposed to a long session and believes the legislature can transact it's business in sixty days and adjourn, as the salary of only S6 per day is no inducement for man to stay longer than he can help.
 Mr. Russell expects to have his busi- ness in readiness to go to Little Rock 8 rev days before the opening of the session, which is the second Monday in January. He will go as the Represen- tative of Carroll county, expecting to lay aside all partisonship, and work fol the good of his constituents, and the people of the county should accord him their loyal support in all legislation which he proposes for their good. STATE or OuIo CITY ov ToIEpo,
 LUCAS COUNTY. f99'
 Iu,,EI, CuEsrv1 makes noih that be is