The Harrison times., 1917-04-21
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION.
Primaries are over-Eleetion June 26
and the Session to Begin on
November 18th.

Another step has been taken toward
the writing of new constitution for
the State of Arkansas. The people
by their ballots have given expression
to their choice of men who are to
draft the new organic law. An analy-
sis OF the results should convince the
doubters that they were mistaken
when they declared that the people
could not be trusted to select men to
draft a new constitution. They have
shown great discrimination in their
choice of delegates, and the men chos-
en- are as a rule, representative men
of he various communities. There
are in the list number of men who
have had legislative experiences, and
will bring into their new office a we'll
trained ability to cope with the mo-
mentious questions that are to be pre-
sented.
AMI they must realize that extreme
care must be taken in the drafting of
the constitution, for it will not become
a law until it has been ratified by the
people at special election to be call
ed for that purpose. Extremists and
faddists, whether for the masses or
the classes, must be given slight rec
ognition if the document they have
drawn is to stand the acid test OF pop
ular scrutiny.
There will be in the body one of
the delegates who was a member of
the Constitutional Convention of 1874,
Judge Joseph w. House, Of Little
Rock, who will be one of the delegates
from the Fifth Congressional district.
There are only three or four members
of that body still living.
Already discussion is being heard
about the organization of the con-
vention. 1t is agreed that the strong
est man in the delegation, and one
with the ripest experience, should be
selected as president. One who is
mentioned most prominently in this
connection, at this time is Honorable
Thomas c. McRae, of Prescott, who
was a member of congress from 1885
to 1901. Since his retirement, Colonel
McRae has taken an active interest in
public matters, and has kept in close
touch with all public questions. He
has not, however been an office seek
er although for many years cOnsid-
cred one of the states strongest men
for governor. All agree that should
he consent to become a candidate for
president of the senate, he would be a
most formidable contender and if
elected, would be power in the de-
liberations of the convention.
More than ever before in the his
tory Of Arkansas politics, the office
this time has sought the man rather
than the man the office. Some of the
states strongest men yielded to the
call of the people to become candi-
dates for the office, acting largely
from a sense of public duty, since the
emoluments of this office are too
small even to pay the expenses Of
the members. This was the purpose
of those who framed the bill, to place
the per diem at s4.OO, so low that
those who seek office only for what
there is in it, would not be inclined
to become candidates.
The next chapter in the convention
program is the election on June 26,
and the convention will assemble in
the hall of the House of Representa-
tives November 10.
There is much speculation as to
the length or the session. Some think
the work will be finished in 80 or 40
days, others that it will last three
or four months.
The convention of 1886 had 81 del.
egates, and was in session from Jan
uary to January 49, That of 1851
had rs members and was in session
March to q and May 6 to June 3.
That of 1854 had 40 members and was
in session January 4 to January 90.
That of 1868 had rs members and was
in session from January to February
IS. That of 1874, which wrote the
present constitution, was in session
from July Ia to October 81, nearly
four months.