The Harrison times., 1917-10-06
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
Equal Suffrage and Statewide Prohi,
bltion Will Be Written Into
Organic Law Which Will Be
Generally Conservative
Otherwise.
(By Clio Earperl

OtherWlSe'
(By Clio i.arperl
Little Rock. Oct. 3.-The COnstitu-
tiOnal Convention ot 1917 Is rapidly
approaching. Seven weeks from TO-
day neon il will be called to order ID.
the hall of the House of Representa-
tives by Secretary of State Tom J..
Terral.
But there is no preliminary discus.
sion about its work. The newspapers
are not indulging in any consideration
of the things it should and should not
do The delegates are Withholding
their views for expression in the con
yenuon itself, rather than discussing
their views with the people And the
people apnear to be Rpathet.c or at
least Indifferent.
Under normal conditions. when q
Texas Iyuching was given as big head
lines as the destruction of a German
division. all public forums would have
been oFer.uu with suggestions. and
debates and propaganda for the an-
pra.autrg convention But now tt ap-
pears that vefgHrier matters are en-.
gagirg The public attention. The wor
and IT'S effect upon the future, and its
immediate effect upon the people are
of ua mos, vital interest and yet the
making of a Constitution by which the
state shall he governed for genera
tioAs-the present one ba. been in
active use Tor IS years-is surely a
matter Of equal importance to the peo-
pie Of Arkansas.
There are many things to consider,
and discussion may come when the
convention actually gets down to
work. The agitation of last summer
for the postponing of the convention
did not make much progress, and now
very little is heard on the subject.
There was undoubtedly some senti-
ment-and is yet--for a postpone
ment, but it is not by any means gen
eral The prevalent Opinin appears to
be that this is just as Opportune a
time for the writing of a constitution
as next May or next August, and that
nothing would be gained by delay.
With the exception Of a few who are
cOmmittedd to a policy of delay, the
delegates are coming with the inten-
ton of entering upon the task for
which they have been chosen with the
determination to do their utmost to
write an instrument that will be a
model and that will enable the state
to make greater strides in the things
worth while.
A survey Of the personnel of the
convention cOnvinces an observer that
the fads and impracticable fancies of
idealists and radicals will have very
little standing among the members
The new constitution must not be
made patchwork of freak legisla.
tion, neither must it contain reyolu-
tiOnary provisions, or it will not be
ratified by the people The oklahoma
constitution is an illustration-it is
too extremely socialistic to be a strong
and forceful document upon which
material permanent growth may be
based.
There are two propositions that are
certain to attract a great deal of at |
tention, and that will doubtless be the
subject Of bitter forensic debates.
These are equal suffrage and prohibi- |
ton, That both will be written into |
the constitution is almost a certainty. |
Partial suffrage for woman has been
practically applied in Arkansas, and |
the women will have their first op-
portunity to exercise the cherished !
prerogatiye in the ensuing municipal /
primaries, But even this partial suf
frage has thoroughly established the
principle, and it is not probable that
the convention will take a backward |
step in the face Of the inevitable |
Suffrage for all classes, men and wo-
men, is essential to the perpetuity of .
our free institutions and the making
Of the world safe for democracy
Another certainty is that there will .
be written into the constitution that |
which has been attained by statue
the statewide prohibition Of the sale .
of intoxcants, This, too, has been 50
thoroughly demonstrated as an eco
nomic necessity, to say nothing Of It's
moral aspects that the supporters of
the whiskey regime are being rapidly
outdistanced. The people do not want |
liquor traffic brought back into the
state. There will be a small and noisy
element insisting that the convention |
shall not adopt a statewide prohibit |
ton plank, but it requires no prophet
to foresee that they can not expect