The log cabin Democrat., 1914-11-30
DR. THOMAS ALSO OPPOSES NEW BILL 10 AMEND l. AND K. LAW SAYS OBJECTIONABLE FEA- TURES OUTWEIGH GOOD
 IN MEASURE.

In an article in Sundays Gazette
 Dr. David Y. Thomas, professor o1 political science in the University o1 Arkansas and one of the leading stu dents of this subject in the state, op- poses the initiation and adoption of the proposed amendment to the initia- tive and referendum law in this state. His article follows:
 To the Editor of the Gazette:
 A petition is now being circulated for an amendment to strike out Amendment No. 10, providing for the initiative and referendum, and sub- stitute an entirely new one Some of the provisions of this petition are good, some are of very questionable value. It allows referendum peti- tions against items and section of bills. Perhaps this is not bad, though it should not be allowed to hold up de- serving appropriations. The use of the emergency clause is limited by re- quiring a statement of what the emergency is and a three-fourths ma jority to attach it. This is not bad.
 The initiative and referendum are restored to counties and municipali- ties "as to their local legislation. " "The intention of this provision,' y says the petition, lis that when a measure has been adopted by the peo- pie of any municipality or county, it shall, as to such municipality or coun- ty, be and remain paramount to any state law touching or affecting the same matter, so far as said munici- pality or county is concerned" I have submitted this clause to lawyers, bankers, teachers and mechanics. Most of them said it would give to counties and municipalities the pow Ter to repeal any state law; others seemed to think that it meant this, but the proposition looked so incredi- ble that they said they did not know what it meant. Can one town vote to have faro banks and put them on every corner in spite of the state law against gambling? Can Little Rock then get it's Sunday baseball? If the state should, on referendum, vote itself dry, could some city then vote itself wet and open saloons? What would happen if a county should vote itself dry and city in that county shiuld vote wet? Can the miners of Prairie Creek vote to have only un- ion men employed there and so settle the difficulty? If the state should, by legislative or initiated act, pass an eight-hour law, can some county or municipality restore the 10 or 15 hour day?
 1 see no escape from this except upon some interpretation of local legislation to which counties and municipalities. are restricted. But what is focal legislation?" We have no definition. Shall the supreme court be called on to give us one?
 The petition says that there shall be no limitations on the number of constitutional amendments submitted to the people "by either initiative or referendum petitions. There can be nc such thing as referendum peti- tion on a constitutional amendment as all amendments originating in the Legislature must be submitted to pop !ular. The removal of the limitation on the number of such amendments is good, but it seems very probable that the legislature is still restricted tc three, for this is not to be construed to conflict in any manner with article 19, section 22, of the constitution providing the method of amendment
 by the legislature. If the people car