The Springdale news., 1917-03-23
tBy Clio Harper1

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 Little Rock. March 20-The action of the Democratic State Central Com mittee in calling a primary for the selection of candidates for delegates to the Constitutional Convention on Apfll II, Is not meeting with unqualI~ fed approval.
 It IS beng condemned in some quar- tefs, as at Fort Smith, where the Noon Civies Club denounced it as ar bltrary, resulting in closing the doors to the best men of the state" The complaint Is not so much against the primary, as 1t is the date that has been set. Had it been called thirty days before the election, or on or about May 26, prospective candidates would have had an opportunity to enter the race and filed their pledges under the Corrupt Practice act, which requires that they be filed not less than thirty days before the election. As It Is, only one day was given for the filing of pledges after the Com mittee had called the primary The news of the Committees action did not reach many of the interior coun- ties m time to enable the candidates to act, and m consequence large num- bers of candidates have not filed their pledges. Some contend that this will render them ineligible for election.
 On the other hand, some are con tending that the action of the Com m'ttee Is not mandatory, and that the holding fl primaries is only optional with the individual counties. This Is the view that Is held by J. G. Fer guson, chairman of the Searey Coun- " committee, who is himself. a can didate for delegate He says that Searey county will hold no primary.
 However, Tom J. Terral, assistant secretary of the State Committee, con- tends that the action of the Comm ittee was mandatory, and that the County which fails to hold a primary may find itself without a delegate, or represented by Republican. He calls attention to the fact that the Committee defeated a resolution off erea by one of the members to make the call for primaries optional.
 fhs and the question Of women being permitted to vote h the pri- mary are the issues now confronting the Democracy of the, state. Ac- cording 10 opinions that have been given by the Attorney-General and others. they cannot vote, at the ap- preaching primary, but others hold aH opposite view, and are eontending that a proper construction of the law will enable them to cast their first vote at the primary on April II, pro- yided they possess the other qua!iti- cations This Is especially true of those who have become of age, 21 years, since the last time for the as sessment of taxes. A liberal con struction Is being placed upon this provision by some who contend that all women, whatever age, have become of age since the passage of the law by which they have been partially enfranchised. So far, nothing has de- veloped upon which it seems probable that a test case can be predicated, and developments must be awaited.
 In the meantime, new candidates are coming out daily, and taking the state at large the average of the men grades rather high. The indications are that class of men will be chosen to constitute the convention that will be above theaverage, and those who had feared the reverse are admitting their error. Many men are offer ing themselves as candidates to whom the S4 per diem could be no induce ment
 Comparatively few members of the Legislature are candidates for dele gate Among those who have an- nounced: Representative Joe Hard age, of Clark county, one Of the lead CTS of the Economy Squad, and Re- presentative "Bill7 Waggoner, of LoS noke county, who was also a captain in that organization, are candidates. Mir Hardage for the Sixth district, and Mir. Waggoner, for his county.
 In the Fourth District, Representa- tive .Io Johnson, of Fort Smith, from the north end of the district, and Jas. D. Head and W. II. Arnold, from the south end, are candidates for district delegates, of which two are to be elected.
 Mr Johnson filed his Corrupt Prae- tice pledge, also his affidavit under the WAggoaer- Holloway Act, within the required time Incidentally he affirms that he has no connection whatever with any corporations. He was one of the most active members af the last House, was a floor lead er fer the equal suffrage amendment ln 1915, which lost through a tech nicality, and was also one of the chief advocates of the Riggs bill passed by the last Legislature, winning clean cut victory although opposed by some of the strongest members on the floor His election as a delegate would give the cause of suffrage one of it's strongest supporters in the conven- tion.
 
 Sfu Other Indictments Com;ng