The Sentinel=record. (Hot Springs, Ark.) 1900-current, 1918-07-06
4-YEAR Terms
IN CONSTITUTION
CONVENTION ADOPTS THE PRO-
VISION FOR BIENNIAL ELEc-
TIoNS IN ARKANSAS.
The Question Of Reducing the Mem
sbership in the legislative Body Will
Be Taken Up Monday.

Little Rock, July 5.-This morning
the constitutional convention passed
Section 8 of Article Ill. on elections,
providing for a four-year tenure all
state and county offices, with an
amendment by Delegate Mcmillan of
Clark giving the people the concurrent
right with the General Assembly toI
fix the time for the general elections
Section 10, dealing with the per-
sonnet of election officers, was also
passed with an amendment Offered by
Judge Jeptha II. Evans, delegate from
Logan county. striking out the words
NOR shall any state, county or dis
trict officer either elective or ap-
pointive, be eligible to serve as
member of any election board
This phrase is not in the old con-
stitution. Judge Evans pointed out
that its retention would necessitate
the creation Of an especial election
board Sections IL and II, dealing
with the right of votes thrown out by
election officers to be counted in con-
tests and the general qualifications
of election officers, were passed with
out discussion
Before the next article could be
called, Delegate Alldredge OF Pulaski
county announced that he wished TO
introduce recall section to Article
Ill. to be known as Section Is. The
section was as follows:
Every public officer in the state Of
Arkansas is subject to recall and dis
missal from office by the legal voters
OF the state, district, county or mu-
nicipality i'll which he or she holds Of
flee, and the legislature or the people
shall enact laws to determine the
causes for which officers may be re-
called, prescribe the methods of pro-
ceedure in all recall sections and fix
the penalties for violation OF all reg
ulations governing recall elections
Delegate Alldredge spoke for 20
minutes in behalf of his proposed sec
ton, declaring that with a four-year
tenure of office in view it was neces-
sary to have some such curb on the
officers to be elected and appointed
as such an absolute right of recall by
the people. Mr. Alldredge said that he
did not exempt judges, that no man
was too high or too holy TO be above
the judgment OF the people who are
or ought to be the last arbiters on all
political matters. The speaker de-
chred that the power of recall was
the only thing that could preserve the
democratic spirit in long term offices.
"The proposal of the member from
Pulaski means not necessarily the rule
Of the people" said Judge Jeptha II.
Evans of Logan county. ''but 1t may
mean the rule of mobocracy. Some
times the people are entitled to be
protected from themselves. Some
times there is such thing as unwise
and indiscTiminate public opinion.
wish to go on record as being opposed
to all recall measures because / re-
gard them as unwise and altogether
revolutionary"
Judge Evans paid high tribute TO
the character of the bench OF Arkan
sas, the duty Of the judge to stand
between the accused and the oppress
ed and all popular clamor, with the
pride which attaches TO one of the
highest offices that the people can be
stow.
Delegates Wilson of Bradley, Cypert
of White, Dodd of Sebastian, Partain
of Franklin, and others spoke for the
section and praised the recall. Dele
gate Galloway of Clark denounced the
measure as sop to the rabble. and
Delegate Bates OF Scott declared that
ii would bring on sc many elections
that the state hospital would be filled
with men whose minds had been turn
ed topsy-turyy by political eombats
Finally motion for the previous