The Pulaskian., 1917-01-12

vital concern to the governor than ,a
 ing of the Mississippi river and its trss. taries Hloa-
 Moral Reforms
 'No people rise higher tho. ideals Arkansas has been practirai, 'elr .lr deemed, regenerated and disenthrs1les,s re- the degrading influences of tho Iir,,e rom fife by the passage of state wide ,,rt.si tiSi- ton law and by the defeat in the reeen+ ai tion in unmistakable terms of Al SIoc sioc- which would have meant not the restoratt. of local option, about which Rood na differ, but the introduction of a sst,,gpps tps of license and immortality such as tha sttA has never witnessed. But heavy intersts..e shipments of liquor continue and I batts this evil should be regulated by the nssss of law. similar to Alabama's orobibttalse bibsse the publication of liquor advertisement i nswspa pers and taxing every nac,a- m liquor coming Into the state. The wahf Kenyon bill recently passed by Conrrsnr makes the police power of a state f,II @ plenary. and I believe Arkansas should +ai advantage of this fact to save the bovs s the rising generation from certain dss dation. A tax of say 50 cents per gallon nn every gallon of whiskey coming into 4h state and of 50 cents per case on eyer,, .s of wine coming into the state would proS,,s a substantial revenue. if enforced but r urge the adoption of this or some sirii.. tax, not a revenue producer but nrir..- fly extension of the police povye- s the state in checking dangerous ana ma farious traffic.
 EuDAc Ot&iltfeS commission,
 Practically every state bordering Arlxa,s,. has public utilities commission hayIn Jurisdiction railroads, street railU,.vs telegraph and telephone lines gas and eIec' trlc companies, and all common carries, operating within the state. The idea as properly controlling the rates francbiSss reserve capital bond issues. and terms nt com petition of public service corporation. has become popular that within the isst decade S3 states have secured regulation of all public utilities through such commits son
 "such regulation could be aceomn,,sb.s very effectively and economically in All ansas, 1t to me by simply enlaru4n. the Jurisdiction of the railroad con,n{s sion to include the supervision ot all public utilities the only additional er pense attached to such plan being fhs employment of technical expert to act with the three members of the railroad commission. and perhaps additional sec- retary. Such a commission. if created would not only reduce rates as consumers which are in many instances exorbitant in Arkansas especially in the case of tong distsrce telephones, but could supply fba tax commission with valuable information on questions of physical valuations. Such data is indispensable If the tax com mission is to really perform It's functions state board of equalization. especially If it is given the power of re-assessment I respectfully recommend to the general as- sembly that the railroad commission be en- larged to Jurisdiction. supervision and n niemhership. so as to enable it to control all public utilities
 Absent Voters Law.
 'T believe that justice to the great body of commercial travellers. railroad men and other citizens who frequently called away from home by business and ernergencv eases on election day justifies the passage of R law permitting all bona fide citizens of the State holding poll tax receipts to vote In all State and national elections provided the law is guarded by adequate provisions requiring absolute Identification Under ths present conditions. hundreds of best citizens are virtually disfranchsed by con ditons over which they have control and thourands are put to great and un- rarranted expense election day by being compelled to return to their legal residences Colorado Iowa, Kansas. Michigan, MIuue- scta. Missouri. Nebraska North Dakota Oregon South Dakota. Vermont. Washing ton. Wi.eonsin and Wyoming have absent voters laws. some even permitting voting out of the State and by mail and these laws have been invariably upheld by ths courts.
 New ConstitutIon.
 'T am convinced that Arkansas needx new governmental garments and that the patchwork of the initiative and referendum will longer suffice 70 make some of our. threadbare poificaI necessities presentable. The constitution of 1874 framed by able, patriotic fnen at a time when recon- struction rule had Just been overthrown. and 43 years of eventfnl history have 6sm- onstrated that many Of the wise provisions of this constitution eminently wise and that our fathers builded more wisely than they knew. When the stage was set for the drama enacted in the old state house at Little Rock on July 14, 1874. idea was uppermost in the minds of the noble guar dians of the ark of the covenant Of political redemption; ideal was nearest their hearts. The restraining hand of the peo- pIe must be laid upon their serval%s: lar ceny of public funds must forever be made impossible the domination of the execu- tive over the legislative and judicial de- pGrtments of State must be terminated Linn it's upon the power of taxation must bs from clad and the right to contract interest- bearing debts by counties and muntctpaii- ties must be denied. So the natural result ! was a constitution with many restrictions i upon the exercise of governmental power by the various instrum mentalities Of govern ment.
 T believe there are men in Arkansas to- day able enough and patriotic enough to write a constitution embodylng all the good portions of the old constitution and incor- porating other provisions needful and appro- priate to existing conditions, which would be honor to the framers and a blessed boon to posterity.
 .I therefore respectfully recommend to the general assembly the passage of act or a joint resolution authorizing the calling of constitutional convention. either next summer during the spring of 1918. pro vding for it's submission to the people for rs tification or rejection, fixing representa- tion. the qualifications and compensation of members.
 Conclusion.
 Gentlemen of the assembly, have pre-
 
 views on some of the important problems which are now clamoring for solution in Ark ansas 1 have resorted to no subterfuge. evasion mental reservation, believing that the people of Arkansas in this crisis in our history expect clean, honorable methods to be pursued, without resort to political in trigue. big sticks and midnight caucuses. Knowing you personally, I have abiding faith in your patriotism and sense of fair ness. and. whether we agree or disagree on public questions feel that your I xnrllI nfayn hi ny1I hon Rh treatment at your hands and that asso- ciation will be both pleasant and profitable.
 "Arkansas expects much of us. for there is much to be done. Wearing con- sciences our kings and clad in the arrnor Of truth and civic righ teousness. let en- ter upon the duties of high offices with clearness of purpose, vigor of action. and honesty of conviction. Then when our de- Alterations shall have ended not only In this beautiful capitol which will stand through the years enduring monument to the IT ajesty of our great and growing common wealth, hut in the legislative hall of life. we will be permitted entrance into the