The log cabin Democrat., 1917-03-05
profoundly stirred

| should help to formulate document which the people will approve, and
 which shall correctly express their will concerning our organic law. If the extremists who by their persist ent clamor have forced the calling of a convention elect delegates of their way of thinking, the instrument will be so radical and revolutionary that its rejection by the people is inevit- able. If the conservatives elect the delegates the modification of the present constitution will be so slight that nothing will have been accom- plished. To secure results which may be conserved, the convention should represent in almost equal numbers both the radicals and the l conservatives, so that all questions may be ably advocated and opposed and all propositions be carefully scrutinized and formulated. Then it is almost equally important that delegates be so selected that all the chief occupations and activities of our social, industrial economic and political life be represented by their ablest men. It goes without saying that score or more of the strong est, most judicious, and wisest law yers should be included. The con- vention would not be complete with out them. Indeed, without such men the accurate legal statement of many principles would be almost inn possible. Still, if all, or a large majority of the delegates, should be lawyers, it is extremely doubtful whether the resulting document would find approval. In counties en- titled to more than one delegate there should be diversity and variety. Some counties should send bright, vigorous representative of labor. Others should send up-to-date farm CTS, bankers, manufacturers, mer- chants, educators, journalists; .in- deed, while it may be practically inn possible to agree upon a plan, ab- solute fairness would give the mi nority party some representation, be- cause the convention is not an or dinary political convention. In the selection of men mere faddists, men of only one idea should be left at home. Men should be designated who will not simply attend the convention, but who are willing by extensive reading and by patient eharing of the propositions of others to equip them selves thoroughly for their task. Like the men who framed our won derful federal constitution, the dele gates should be profound students of political history. Almost every prop osition which will be considered has already in some form been tried out, and to deal with it successfully re- quires knowledge of the various conditions involved in the experiment. The legislature, in calling the con- vention, did not exclude office hold CTS, and wisely, because there might be cases where an official might be pre-eminently the man for his coun- ! ty, but a true sense of proprlety ought largely to eliminate men whose i attitude toward certain measures might be influenced by the effect up- on their future aspirations and pros poets. In voting for delegates the electors should free themselves as far as possible from ordinary polit- ical considerations. No vote should be cast simply to honor a friend un- less that friend is the most capable man. No political debts should be paid No trading among candidates should be tolerated. Each county and each congressional district will
 characterize itself in the character of it's delegates. Whether the consti- tuition is adopted or rejected, the convention will in large measure de- termine the trend of Arkansas for the next fifty years. The convention may adopt as its model the consti- tuition of Ohio or Oregon or Ollaho- ma or Georgia or Arizona; -or better it may retain everything in the present constitution which meets our needs and by judicious adaptation of different elements from various sour ces from a well-rounded instrument
 Arkansas has the progressive polit- ical instincts of the northwest, but is a genuine southern state. Much as we may admire the northwest, we must not alienate ourselves from our own section; we must not ignore the differences that cause institutions which are useful in one section to fail in others. No man who is ashamed of Arkansas should belong to the convention. The constitution which our people will ratify will not discredit our honorable past-Edito
 rial by Dr. A. c. Millar in Arkansas eMthodist.