The Green Forest tribune., 1911-06-30

bill in the Senate, Representative An drew j. Russell of Carroll county offer ed an amendment providing that the Boards of Supervisors of Assessment created by the bill should not be all of the same political party.
 During an effort to table the amend ment, Mr. Russell secured recognition and his speech below was reported in the State Republican of June 9.
 MT. RUSSELL said:
 'Mr. SPEAKER: | am surprised that this house did not table this amend ment and thereby cut off all debate. as that is the disposition you make of every attempt that the Republicans made during the regular session to se- cure minority representation of their own choice, on the various election boards, and by so doing you continued in our code of laws the most unjust, the most unfair and the mos supreme Iy inquitous election law to be found on the statutes of any state in the Ameri- can Union.
 The amendment that 1 here offer to this bill provides that the members of the Board of Supervisors of Assess ment for each county shall not all be of the same political party. This is an amendment of more importance than most of you think. In fact, you do not think about such things at all. l dare say that such an idea never once enter ed the minds of my good friends, Messrs. Simms and Thweat, when they prepared this bill, or when they had it prepared. Men governed, controlled and actuated wholly by political preju dices can not and do not weigh such matters as this as broad American citizens, but look at them as do narrow minded partisans.
 You say you want to pass arevenue bill that will have the approval of the people, one that will meet the approba- tion of a sensible business community. 1 say to you that the Republicans come in these classes, and in every commun- ity in the state you will find that Re publicans are among the heaviest tax payers. They pay fifty per cent, if not more, of all the taxes paid in the State. Don't you know that the law creating boards should be based upon that principle of political economy that men of different ideas, and men repre- cnf diff i,,fA cton pose the boards? All that we ask is minority representation, not on the principle of sharing any of the political pie, but on the higher principle that all just powers are derived from the con sent of the governed.
 "This Democratic legislature has dem- onstrated the fact that it is wholly in- capable of being equal to the situation, the people throughout every nook and corner of the state are saying so in thunder tones and you know it.
 ''I will go further than that: The Democratic party of Arkansas has shown it's inability to properly and wisely administer the affairs of the state
 The deplorable condition of the states institutions; with governor handicapped at every turn, necessitat- ing an extraordinary session of this body immediately following the longest and most expensive session in the his tory of the state; and worth an ab- solutely empty treasury; all this is ample proof to suttain the charge ] make.
 Here the speaker was interrupted by a Democratic member who asked if he did not know that his remarks criticis- ing the Democratic administration would tend to drive Democrats into line and cause them to vote against anything that the Republicans wanted.
 Continuing Mr. Russell said: ''I only fear that which you say is true; but, sir, if it is true; if your party has no higher conception of it's duty as Amer ican citizens, as patriotic citizens of Arkansas, than to absolutely refuse to recognize the rights of the minority simply because we call your attention to your narrowness, to your short-com- ings and to your lack of fair dealing, then sir, this alone is one of the best arguments 1 could possibly make in support of my contention that the Democratic party, as dominated in Ar kansas today, is wholly incapacitated to justly and wisely administer the affairs of state.
 Y ou talk about tax dodgers! What is it that tends to make tax dodgers? When you say to men who pay fifty per cent or more of the taxes that they cannot be allowed even to suggest, help, aid, or assist or in any way par ticipate in determining tax values; when you say to them you have to pay taxes, you have to do what we say; we will not even let you have one rep resentative on any one of the boards; then, don't you know you create in these men resentment and possibly disrespect for any such law? No won der the laws you make do not, in many instances, command the respect of the taXpayerl No wonder Arkansas is now assessed at only $371, 900, ,000! Why, 1 was in Birmingham, Ala, the other day and l found that that city, just one of the many cities of that state, had an assessed valuation of $178, 900, GOO, or nearly one-half the whole state of