The log cabin Democrat., 1914-03-19
WRITES HISTORY OF |L.& R. IN ARKANSAS
DR. DAVID '. THOMAS
HAS INTERESTING ARTICLE IN POLITICAL SCIENCE
 QUARTERLY.

An interesting history of direct leg islation in Arkansas, written by Dr. D
 '. Thomas, professor of history anC political science in the University o1
 Arkansas and former member ot the faculty of Hendrix College, ap- l pears in the current number of the Political Science Quarterly, a copy ot which was received today by the Log Cabin Democrat
 Briefly recounting the history o1 legislation in this state since the ! adoption of the constitution of 1874 Dr. Thomas discuss the growing dis. trust of the general assembly by the people and their discontent resulting
 from it's wasteful and unproductive sessions. Until 1909, however, this discontent lacked organized and con- structive leadership, but the senti- melt grew to such an extent that the passage of the Arnold resolution pro- Vldlng for the exercise of the initia- tive and referendum was passed in the legislature and adopted as Amend ment No. 10 to the constitution by a vote of 91 ,367 to 39,I11.
 Dr. Thomas then recounts the varied litigation which grew out of differences in the interpretation of the amendment and factional strife. Ir concluding his able contribution, he summarizes the present situation as to direct legislation as follows:
 'The present situation may be sum- med up as follows. Within three years after the adoption of the in itiative and referendum, the supreme court has handed down seven different decisions involving eleven different cases These decisions have so inter- preted Amendment No. 10 that it applies to statewide measures only. The legislature of 1913 provided by statute for the referendum of ordi- nances of town councils by petition, but did not provide for the initiation of such measures in the same way The same session re-submtted one Of it's own local laws to the voters of Hot Springs county. An indefinite number of acts may be submitted at one time, whether referred by the leg islature, by petition, or by the in- itiative, but only three amendments to the constitution, whether origi- mated by the legislature or by the in- itiative or by both. The legislature may prevent the reference of it's acts through petition by simply adding the emergency clause, and this may be done even though the operation of the acts be postponed for year or more from the time of enactment. The Legislature manifested a strong ten dency to prevent reference, though it is hard to discover any fixed principle in the use of the emergency clause For example, it was attached to acts requiring railroads to screen their cars, enlarging the powers of the board of health, regulating the prac- tice of trained nurses, the blue-sky law, acts requiring employers to pro vide for female employees, to prevent corrupt practices, and to provide 8 bureau of labor. It was not attached to statutes regulating campaign eX- penses, regulating water-power rights l acts to prevent fraud in bulk-sales
 and to provide for the taxation ot certain puplic utility corporations Two important questions raised by the recent litigation have not been settled, namely, whether the method of advertising measures prescribed in the enabling act applies to amend ments submitted by the legislature as we'll as those originated by petition anG whether an amendment, to be adopted, must receive a majority of the total vote or only majority of the vote cast on 1t.
 But the initiative and referendum is in active operation. AS already in- dicated, a constitutional amendment originated by petition is now pending The legislature shows some disposi- tion to refer local measures of its own. Initiative petitions are now be- ing circulated, one of them to provide child-labor law which the last leg islature refused to enact"