The Springdale news., 1916-01-14
POLITICS HOLD FULL SWAY
Waakly News Letter From Capitol
City Gives Interesting News.
(By Clio Harper.


the weather and that is Arkansas
Rolhics.
Six months ago, and later, no poll
tician was in style unless he Was be
ing mentioned" for Governor. The
wedding out process continued until
the field was narrowed down to a
possible seven or eight and finally
aus late as last week, there seemed
40 doubt whatever that four names
would he submitted to the primary
But Dame Politics proposed a more
exclusive game even than that, and
one morning the Democracy awaken
ed TO find that ii must choose its
next governor from three candidates,
former Congressman Thos. c. McRae
having withdrawn. 1t was the big
gest surprise of the whole campaign.
and the first development since
Yves" Crockett announced that he
would not make the race, but had
accepted the position Of Secretary
Of the Rivers and Harbors Committee
of Congress.
The dope sheets are being revised
in consequence, and the strength OF
Col McRae being apportioned out
among the three remaining candi-
dates. Each claims the retirement
Of the Prescott statesman will help
his cause cause. DR.. Brough and Mr..
Hodges are especially optimistic, and
are preparing to make the next three
months the most vigorous campaign
that has been waged in years for the
guhernator:al nomination. Campaign
headquarters are open with staffs OF
managers in charge, and while the
chiefs are stamping the state, the
headquarters are sowing the state
thick with literature. Judge L. c.
Smith alone has rot opened head
quarters in Little Rock, declaring
that he does no. see the necessity Of
doing so, and that he will conduct
his campaign from his office in De
Witt.
The statements issued by Senator }
NJ. Futrell. Gov. G. w. Hays and
Col McRae, i'm declining to enter or
retiring from the race for governor
have contained much food for earnest
thought on the part of the people
Mr. McRae and Mr.. Futrel have es-
peciaHy condemned conditions whicl
have arisen during recent years MAX
inc it practically impossible for a
candidate to make race for gov
ernor and stay within the limitations
Of expense fixed by the Corrupt
Practices Act In this respect, the
direct primary system does not seem
TO have given much in the way Of
Improvement over the old convention
system. In fact, there are some
good Democratic leaders who, just to
themselves would be in favor OF re
turning to the convention system.
But that viii never be done, fer the
pendulum is swinging more and more
toward the completest displacement
Of delegated power that can te ex=
ercised by the people direct.
Now that the Jeff Davis machine,
for years one Of the most powerful
factors in Arkansas politics, has been
shattered other machines are in the
process Of building. Whoever wins
this contest viii have among his
friends who elected him the elements
of a machine that will dominate the
politics of the state for at least the
next four years. A machine can be
only as strong as its engineer. The
supporters of Mr.. Brough, or Mr..
Hodges, or Mr.. Smith, which ever
wins, will become the nucleus about
which the new machiae viii be built
up,
Machine politics. while too often
manipulated for the advantage of
~ few, is not necessarily malignant
just as a celebrated economist said
there are good and bad trusts" so
are there bad political machines
soaking only individual gain, and
good political machines that effect
ually organize the beneficent element
in society for the advancement of
the public welfare. 1t must be adj
mitted however. that the good po-
ltieal machine" is largely a fig
ment of an idealists imagination
The people of Arkansas are anxious
ly awaiting what the next year may
bring forth
In the meantime, new alignments
are in order No other change is
expected in the present line up
that is, NOT today, no one knows
what tomorrow or next week may
produce.
The race for governor naturally ov-
ersihadcws the other contests, but
some interesting races are On the
card, i'm nearly all there being only
two entries. In most Of the coun-
ties there are local contests being