The log cabin Democrat., 1914-06-11
4 SENATORSHIP.

By action of the Democratic state convention at Pine Bluff yesterday Senator Clarke will become the can didate of his party for seat in the Unlted States senate, now held by him, and his election, in the fall, is 8 foregone conclusion.
 We venture to say that he never will be candidate again for this office. There may be other reasons now or later, but the chief one Is and will be that very large part of the people of the state believe either that he was not fairly nominated in the primary, or that he did not play the game fairly by cooperating to clear the nomination from the charge of fraud.
 The Times Record never has claim ed that the nomination of the senator was the result of fraud or that Sen ator Clarke was party to it-lt be- lieves the contrary as to the senator, but it has said, and says again, that justice and personal and party honor and regard for the free and unham- pered citizenship of the state de- manded that the charge of fraud be sifted to the very bottom. The Poin- sett county affair came on top of long list of similar cases, in none of which was there permitted to be made a thorough investigation. The de- mands for such investigation always were choked and throttled in one con- yention or another controlled by the partisans of the man in whose inter- est the alleged frauds were commit ted. The recent convention was pre- sided over by man who had hardly taken the gavel before he broke out in partisan tirade that must have shamed even Senator Clarke himself, for we credit him with the finer feel ings that animate man. "Thls IS Clarke convention" shouted this man chosen to preside with impartiality over the highest assemblage of his party in the state. 1t was the duty of this chairman, no less than of the convention as a whole, to give to the individual complaining a respectful hearing, and, as before said, party boTor required a searching investiga- tion. The chairmans statement was a declaration that the convention was not. as it should have been, a body to deliberate upon and declare the poli- cies and will of the party, to be in fact, the highest party council, but,
 Xl. o4L to try a case, not on the law and evl- dence, but on the partisan passions of the majority.
 The party is dishonored by having forced upon it nomination upon which rests a charge of fraud that is not disproved and to prove which no opportunity was given. It IS de- plorable state of party morals and, II the course is continued in, must re- suit in such party disruption as has been seen in Kentucky and Tennes- see
 The chairman of the recent conven- tion is quoted as saying that politics in Arkansas is no worse than has been the case in other states That IS a very poor recommendation; If that is the best he can do, he might better have not attempted defense, for politics in some other states cannot be termed other than rotten.
 There was one hopeful sign, and that was the appointment of com mittee composed of some of the best citizens in the state, to draft cor rupt practices act to govern primar- ies in future, the draft to be present. ed to the next general assembly fo1 adoption and enactment.-Fort Smith Times Record.