The Harrison times., 1914-07-25
STATE NEWS LETTER
Important Election Law-Fort Tmith
Goes Dry--Other interesting
State News.
LITTLE Rock, July %.

The new state election law, which
is being prepared by the committee
appointed by the State Democratic
convention, will be tight as a drum
head and will be able to stand
alone, according to Judge Joseph NJ,
Hill, one of the committee Each
member of the committee, of which
Stephen Brundidge is chairman, is
now making a rough draft Of the
sections he thinks should be i'm
bodied in the new law, and there
will soon be a meeting at which the
best of these will be selected, and the
work of framing them into a bill will
be assigned to one member of the
committee,
According to Judge Hill, the bill
must contain clause which will
forfeit the nomination in case a con.
test is sustained, and ways will be
devised to provide a tribunal for the
hearing OF protests, where the con-
testant will have ample protection,
The members of the committee are
convinced that the people want an
election law that will force absolute
honesty in elections, and that they
will insist that the legislature adopt
the report of this committee, if it
is drastic enough 10 insure the can
didate receiving the highest number
of legitimate votes, the nomination,
Within ten days Fort Smith will
be added to the "dry' towns of
Arkansas, unless some legal step can
be takepby the attorneys represent
ing the liquor interests Of the Border
City, which will permit the saloons to
remain open With court order to
close on August lst, the saloon men
will not admit that they are going
out of business on that date, though
many of the saloon keepers are
closing out their goods at remark
ably reduced prices,
Among a number of the Fort
Smith saloon men, there is the i'm
preston that they will be bene'
factors through public sentiment
being in their favor, and though it
be in violation of the law, that they
will be permitted to continue in
business during the year 1914, AS
in many towns where blind tigers
are operated because the people are
not really in favor of closed town,
the saloon men of Fort Smith hope
to operate, Few outside the saloon
business take this view Of the matter
however, for they expect the law 70
be enforced,
The saloon men Of Fort Smith filed
a petition under the Going act,
which was acted upon favorable to
them by the county Judge, and
licenses were granted, An appeal
was taken by the prohibitionists,
The signatures on the liquor
petition were attacked and census
of the city was taken by both sides
70 see if the petition contained a
majority of white adults, Judge
Daniel Hon, in circuit court, over.
ruled the action Of the county court
and ordered the saloons 70 close
August |,
As the saloons have paid license
for the year, TO state and county il
is claimed that if the saloons can
secure city license they will be able
to run in spite Of the ruling Of the
circuit court, from which an appeal
has been taken to the Supreme
Court Of Arkansas,
one bin will come before the
legislature in 1915 which has been
there several times before, but It will
not be treated like a bloomcr when
i il returns this time This is tho
Woman's Suffrage question The
bill, providing for a Constitutions
amendment to be submitted 20 tho
people, will be one Of the early
measures Of the session, and from
! the momentum the cause has gaineC
! in Arkansas. and the powerful lobby
Of willing workers chat is sure to be
snatching button holes about tn,
legislative chambers, success seems
assured If the bill is put through
u campaign eelipsng anything
staged in the Southwest, may be an
tieipated The goyefnatorial con
tests Of Texas and Oklahoma ant
the senatorial battles of ArkOnsa'
and Louisiana will fade into IN
significance in comparison 90 th,
stumping the woman orators wonlt
| do, In addition 60 these willing
speakers, many Of the lcudinl
men Of Arkansas are aligned viii
the movement, and they have eS
pressed a Willingness TO speak when
ever called upon,
The leaders Of the politiea