The Prescott daily news., 1917-03-20
PRIMARY NOT APPROV.
 ED BY ENTIRE PARTY
Openly Condemned in Some Quarters-Secretary of State Contends that Action of Com mittee Was Not Mandatory.
By Clio Harper.

Little Rock, March 20.-The action of the Democratic State Central Con- mittee nj calling a primary for the selection of candidates for delegates to the constitutional convention on April IA, is not meeting with unquali- fled approval.
 It is being openly condemned in some qcarters, as at Fort Smith where the Noon Civics Club denocnced it as arbitrary, resulting in closing the doors to the best men of the state." The complaint is not so much against the primary, as it is the date that has been set. Had it been called thirty days before the election, or on or aboct May 26, prospective candidates woull have had an opportunity to enter the race and file their pledges under the corrupt practices 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 committee had called to primary. The news of the committees action did not reach many of the interior counties in time to en- able the candidates to act, and in con- seqcence large numbers of candidates have not filed their pledges. Some contend that this will render them in. eligible for election.
 On the other hand, some are con- tending that the action of the commit tee is not mandatory, and that the holding of primaries is only optional with the individual counties. This is the view that is held by J. G. Fergu- son, chairman of the Searcy County committee, who is himself candidate for delegate. He says that Searcy county will hold no primary.
 However, Tom J. Terral, assistant secretary of the state committee, con- tends that the action of the commit tee 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 commit tee defeated resolution offered by one of the members to make the call off primaries optional.
 This and the question of woman being permitted to vote in the pri- mary are the issues now confronting the Democracy of the state. Accord | ing to opinions that have been given by the attorney general and others, they cannot vote, at the approaching primary, but others hold an opposite view, and are contending that a pro- per construction of the law will en- able them to cast their first vote at the primary on April l4, provided they possess the other qualifications. This is especially true of those who have become of age, 21 years, since the last time for the assessment of taxes. A liberal construction is be-
 ing placed upon this provision by some who contend that all women, whatever their age, have become of age since the passage of the law by which they have been partially en- franchised. So far, nothing has de- veloped upon which it seems probable that a test case can be predlcated, 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 the average, and those who had feared the reverse are admitting their error. Many men are offering themselves ase candidates to whom the s4 per diem could be no induce ment.
 Comparatively few members of the legislature are candidates for delegate A,.,,,,c. thosa ,yho have announced are