Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-08-28
Indications Are Delegates Will Make Effort To Do
 Best Work Quickly.
SEVERAL MENTIONED
 PRESIDING OFFICER
John Ike Moore, Tom Mehaffy, J. V. Walker, Q. H. Wilson and T. c. Me- Rae Are Among Men Likely To Be
 Candidates for High Honor.
lBy Clio Harper.)


 al convention politics is beginning to come to the front Wars may come and wars may go, but the ArkansaW political game is sort of endless chain affair a workable device III perpetual motion that cannot be pat ented
 The convention drews on rapidly. It is now less than three months until it convenes, on Nov. 19.
 One thing that even the friends of a new constitution do not deny, is that if the question were left to a session of the legislature meeting now, it would not be called. The need is just as great, if not greater, but the temperament of the people is not so strongly in favor of tampering with the states organic law as it was before we became involved in this war.
 But now that it has been called, and the delegates have been elected, it is the part of the wisdom to get out of it the very best constitution which can be written by the men composing the body. And it is admitted that the average caliber of the delegates is little above the ordinary. There are many strong, progressive men among the delegates, and they can be relied upon to do that which will redound to the honor of the state.
 A few months ago there was more or less agitation against the holding of the convention at this time. but c cnvdnn1 heard any more. It is one of the car dinal reforms that has been advocated all along by Gov. Brough, and he has at all times been unwilling to yield to the opposition, believing that great and important measures will come from the deliberations of the conven- tion. Some delegates have said that they will propose, to meet, organize, and adjourn to some fixed time, in the hope that conditions might become more satisfactory. This, however, would probably defer it to the midst of the next state political campaign. and there would be very serious con fiict. And if they kept adjourning long enough, it might run into the next legislature, which could repeal the whole thing, if it wanted to, and there you are. So it is very probable that when the no delegates assemble in the hall of the house of repres- entatives November 19, they will pro ceed to write constitution, and make an effort to be so careful in its construction that the people will ratify 1 it when it is submitted to them. There promises to be an interesting contest for the presidency of the con- vention. Among those already avowed candidates or prominently mentioned Ike Moore of Helena. Judge Tom M. Mehaffy of Little Rock, Hon. J. V. | Walker of Fayetteville, O. H. Wilson of Pope county. and former Congress- man T. C. McRae of Prescott Others may develop. Any one of these men would make an excellent presiding of- ficer, some better than others-take your choice. There will not be so many clerical positions as there are in the legislature, but there will be a few, and there will be no lack of app plicants. Harvey G. Combs and Jim Higgins are most prominently men, lAOHCO III SOuuCSlAoA WAtA luC OlAiSO of chief clerk
 Making An Army.
 Those who used to oppose, on prin- ciple, the standing army. declaring that should occasion require it for the repelling of an invasion or the pro- tectlon of our homes, the people would arise en masse and we could have an army of any required number of mill lions overnight, fully drilled and equipped, are probably changing their mind about it now. This making an army is one of the biggest jobs ever undertaken. Ninety days will have lapsed from the time of the draft, until the first increment of five per cent of the 6S7,000 men reports on Sept. 5. And that is only the begin ming It is costing the government five or six million dollars to build quarters for them, and tremendous problems in connection with the new National Army are confronting the city and state as we'll as the nation. On account of the large percentage of exemptions that have been claimed, the exemption and appeal boards are |