The Green Forest tribune., 1912-09-06
ROBINSON PLAYS
 NEW ELECTION LAW
Scores Act Number 3 Which He Declares Can Result On-
 Iy In Corruption.
HE ALLEGES TYPO RISY
Declares for Woman's Suffrage if Women Want it and Discusses
 Other Issues.

MT. Robinson had fine and atten tive audience to hear him on August 18th at Walnut Ridge, Lawrence coun ty. He made a great speech. Dwell ing upon the changes in the State election laws, contemplated under
 Proposed Act No. 3,
 which was initiated under process ot Republican petitions, MT. Robinson said:
 "The Republican platform declares for Act No. 3, and MT. Roland, the Republican nominee for governor strongly urges it's adoption. I am UT qualifiedly opposed to the passage o1 this measure. Whatever may have been the purpose of those who init lated it, it's adoption will be menace to fair elections in Arkansas, and, 1T my judgment, it will invite and en courage the grossest frauds. Let me expose one feature of the bill that no fair-minded man can approve.
 Proposed Act 3 requires that the State Board of Election Commission CTS shall choose the County Election Commissioners from lists of three names each furnished by the chairman of the Democratic State Central Com mitte and the chairman of the Sta z Republican Central Committee. Ii also provides that the County Election Commissioners shall select the cleo tion judges from similar lists fur nished by the chairman of the Coun ty Republican Central Committee Where there is no county organiza tion, the State chairman will furnish the list of judges for his party.
 "This clearly places the power ot appointing the election officers in the chairmen of the Democratic and the State Republican Committees and ol the corresponding officers of the re spective county committees for said parties. The only discretion allowed the State Board of Election Commis sioners is a choice from the lists oi three names each furnished by tbf respective chairmen. The proposed act does not require that the chairman furnishing any list shall be sworn It imposes no obligation on him wha. ever to act fairly or honestly. If he acts otherwise, no penalty is pre- scribed and none can be imposed The opportunities for fraud which this act affords are. unlimited. Many i'm portant questions aside from the choice of officers will be determine ed in the September election and in al general elections hereafter. Concern ing some of them, fierce contests have arisen. Great interests are in volved. Under such circumstances il is inconceivable that any intelligen; person would favor Act No. 3, which will deliver the control of elections to those party representatives who are not officers that are sworn before assuming their duties to select of ficers to hold the election. Let me illustrate: If Act No. 3 were in force the State chairman for the Democrat ic party and for the Republican par ty COulo SSt d lol tlllS lOl PSi someone interested in the passage ol defeat of the Turner-Jacobson bill, O, the passage or defeat of Statewide Prohibition in return for the privii ege of suggesting the County Election Commissioners, and no offense woult be committed under Act No. 3, if this were done. The same would be true as to the selection of judges. Re sponsibility would be divided and cor ruption would become inevitable.
 ''The Democratic party has enacted election laws which, in the main, are fair I said in the campaign prelim mary to the primary, and I repeat | now, that our election laws should be amended at least in one particular The State Board of Election Commits soners should be organized so that no officer who is a candidate IT ay have the power to participate in nam ing the election officers who hold the elections before which he is 3 candidate. The present method in this particular unquestionably affords op rortunity for frauds and combina tons, both in the primaries and ir general elections, and should be amended.
 Representatives of the Republican party are hypocritical when they pre- tend to favor fair elections. They have deliberately committed frauds in State and National elections throughout the history of the Repub lican party.
 'In 1871 the Republican party passed an act in this State which was the means of more corruption and op pression during the few years that il was in force than has occurred under Democratic administration since Ark ansas was admitted to the Union.
 Under the Republican election law for Arkansas, the County Assessor prepared the registration list and ad mitted such persons as he found qual flied, denying registration to all ex Confederates. The governor was em powered to set aside any registration