The weekly soliphone., 1915-06-25
The Investigating Committee.


known to a democratic form of government IN an en-
Eobtaned community and civilized age is an nVesgat
mo committee clothed with authority to employ expert
accountants to 90 nOsng about among records ana pup
lie documents in quest of facts and figures
That a live energetic committee composed OF IN
telirent citizens should be directed TO go 10 Ue ste
cantol and NEEDLE with Earle Hodges improved meth
ode or comment upon shortcomings discovered in the
office Of the state superintendent of public instruction.
or elaborate upon socaled impropnetes regarding the
official acts of the attorney general, is dlsgracelu III
the extreme and constitutes Indictment against the!
late lamented legislature that would forever damn that
august body in the sight of hghminded patriots were 1t
not for the fact that have been SO oppofuney
found for capping quoting gag into the possibility OF
fre reports which might reflect upon the honor OF our
distinguished servants who just now devotlng their
time and talents to the task Of beerng conditions IN
dear old Arkansas.
The thought that an investigating committee should
he permitted to push its inquistona nose into the OIL
cia work of Hodges pains deeply and stlngs ones
pride in state affairs like the prick of needle IN the
nervecenter of human heart But now, that the clouds
of uncertainty have been estcay dissolved by the
verbal palliative of the secretary Of state who with his
own ps gives that all is we'll and that ne mas
personal knowledge of the immaculate condition OF his
office all can breathe sigh of relief and thank KIND
Providence that the iniquitous committee has been
placed in its correct light before the people who were re-
sponsibe for it's creation For know, never
before that the secretary of states accounts straight
as single and that the official personally is as vrtl
o,1s as an ukissed maiden. We know that close asso
citation with prosperity has not corrupted him, but that
instead it has assisted to develop his wonderful brain
and make of him fit timber for chief executive OF Arkan
sas That an auditing committee should ever have
thought it necessary to investigate this office is pre-
sumption necessarily born of malice and hatred and we
feel that the committee should forever seek quiet corners
whenever and wherever possible and hide its face inI
shame for permitting such thoughts to arise
We are the secretary of state has rendered the
voters of Arkansas service that will rebound to his
everlasting credit in stopping, he expresses it, this
political farce inaugurated by the legislature when 1t
concluded that state institutions should be checked in
thorough-gong manner and comprehensive statement
of these findings filed with the governor 1t is grotesQue
to that anything savorng of graft exists in the
various departments for have they not been manned byI
ree-takng patriots since the evening and the morning
were the first day of political grace? Has not been
the rule since the thoroughbred Heck first opened her|
eyes to the delightful surroundings of puppydom that
but tried and trained business need seek pOE
zeal prefement in this grand old commonwealth? And
has not always been the non-reversibe rule of the
electorate to turn deaf to political bushWhackeIs
who would fegn steal the confidence of the boys in the
trenches in the name of much noise? Surely cannot be
said with small degree of TRUTH that the public
offices have not been filled by selfsacficing men
whose only thought has been to push the old ship of
state peacefully and consistently along through the dan
gerous shoals until the deeper water Of quiet ha1bor
reached.
Knowing, all know, that in Arkansas public
office has only gone to patriots is indeed amazing
to observe the cruel in which the investigating
committee has pursued the tenor of it's way cary
ing occasionally, slice of political ambition off the
breast OF the states renue Of sefsacrificing sons who
for patriotic alone have permitted the seats of
their pants to adom easy chairs in a Welknown struc-
ture at Little Rock One hardly imagine how far
this political farce" might have gone had not Hodges