The Van Buren press., 1912-09-21


acts will pass, the formaily OF declar
ing them part Of the law would be
simple. The returns must be can
vassed officially by the state board
of election commissioners, composed
Of the governor, attorney general and
secretary Of state. Then the governor
issues a proclamation stating that
these acts have been adopted by the
people and are laws OF the state,
These amendments will not be in
corporated in the constitution until
the legislature conyenes. The legisla'
/ ture when it conyenes in joint ses-
sion TO delcare the result Of the cleo
1 ton, will declare the votes on the
amendments also, and they will be Of
ficially adopted Attorney General
| Norwood, who circulated the petition
for the G0-day session amendment
says this will save the state 100000
/ blennially. II will be adopted by the
/ incoming legislature and viii apply to
! its session.
Attorney General Norwood declares
! that he is not sure at present whether
! the amendments must have majority
/ Of the highest vote cast for any state
! office, as he has not made a com
plete investigation. Some lawyers
hold that the amendments will require
a majority of the highest vote cast for
any state office, while others, In
Guiding Mayor Chas. +. Taylor, who
has consulted several attorneys, says
that only majority of the votes cast
on that particular measure is required,
Attorney General Norwood still
holds to his oringinal opinion, Now
ever, that Amendments Nos. IA and
Is had no place on the ballot, and are
not legally adopted, and says this
will probably be tested In the courts
by someone interested Mr., Norwood
says that the constitution specifies
that only three amendments may be
submitted at any general election,
which in this case would bar all ex'
Cept NO. IL, IL and Is.
Need Simple Counting Plan,
The first election under the initia.
tive and referendum has brought forth
many complaints about the time re-
quired to canvass the returns, and
many political economists have been
laboring upon patents to improve the
10 ,F tfnsF fln trni a
Some of these probably will be sub
mitted to the next legislature, and
some better system may be adopted.
The long time required to count the
ballots causes greater work and ex-
pense to newspapers and worry to the
b people who are particularly interested
in the measures 1t is also said to
give opportunity for fraud Charges
of fraud were made last week on some
Of the measures In which the people
were interested, but no proof was
shown.
ProhibltIonslsts Lose Ground.
The fight over the prohibition meas
ure was perhaps the most interesting
The result in many counties was q
surprise Not only did the state-wid
ers lose on Act No, 2, but q counties
that are now dry" voted wet while
only one wet" county voted dry D
The one county formerly wet and
voting "dry" is Cross. II was thought
Lee county had voted dry but later
returns indicate that this county will
remain in the wet column. Dry
counties voting for license this yeal
are; Arkansas, Bradley, Carroll, Gle
, burne, Crttendon, Calhoun, Madison
Newton, Scarcy stone, Hot Spring
Jackson, Poinsett, Monroe Woodruff
. Ionoke, POLK SEWER Miller, Ouachita
Perry and possibly Yell This will
make 80 or "a wet counties insteaC
of - rs at present although specla
acts win keep saloons out Of Ho
d Spring and Ouachl,a counties, and pos
; sibly four others, and the net result
d will probably be 10 dry counties ad
p ded to the wet" column.