The weekly soliphone. (Paragould, Greene County, Ark.) 1907-1918, 1915-03-19
SAYS GOVERNOR IS
PLAYING POLITICS
This Is His Only Reason for Veto
ing St. Francis Levee Bill, De-
clares Mr.. Robertson.

Little Rock March 15.-That the
ground upon which Governor Hays
vetoed the Robertson bill provid-
ing for the election of directors for
the St, Francis leyee district and
reducing the number from "a to
16 is untenable and that in veto
ing the measure he decided that
the board should continue to hold
the balance of power in the prima-
ries, is the reply of Representative
Robertson, author of the bill, to
the reasons assigned by Governor
Hays for his veto.
Il do not think the ground up-
on which he disapproved the bill
chat it would invalidate the bond
issue authorized in another act of
the legislature), is tenable," said
Mr. Robertson Saturday night. u
consulted a recognized authority on
bond matters, who is a member of
a Little Rock law firm of national
reputation, and he informed me
that fhe were a member of the
supreme court and was called upon
to render a decision in the matter
he would undoubtedly decide that
the act vetoed Friday would have
no detrimental effect on the bonds
provide for.
THE reason given for the veto
of the bill is that it would not
leave a full quorum of members OF
the board for a period between the
expiration of their terms and the
election of the new board. This
reason is groundless because an ap-
pointed officer always holds until
his successor qualities and because
the act would not limit the ap-
pointing of other members of the
board before it went into effect
The attorney | consulted agreed
with me on that point and declar-
ed that no court would hold 9TH
erwise.
when Senator Going and myself
were discussing the matter before
Governor Hays Friday morning he
said he could not act on the bill
until he had secured a statement
from the bond attorney with whom
| had talked as to it's eject on the
bonds. He vetoed it within 80
minutes and the attorney inform
ed me he was not consulted in the
matter.
Il am satisfied Governor HAYS
made mistake in vetoing the bill.
In doing so he simply decided that
the st. Francis leyee board should
remain in politics, holding the bal
ance of power in the democratic
primaries and by so doing select the
important officers of the state. The
veto of the bill simply continues
the political power of the board.
"The board was organized in
1893, and for the last II or IA
years the members have exercised
so much interest in politics that it
mas become extremely Objectionable
to people in the district and
throughout the state. To remove
this objection repeated efforts have
been mad in former legislatures
to pass a law providing for the
election OF the directors by the
people in order that the influence
OF the board as a political machine
might be destroyed Under the ex-
lstlng law the board, usually
through one of its members. has
been able to dictate appointments
by the governor in the several
counties of the district. The board
IN this way controlled the ballots
OF the counties in the district and
the Juries in the courts comprising
the district, whenever necessary to
influence the governor in making
appointments in which it was in
terested."