Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-12-07
O[ MES AGREEING
 TO CONVENTIONS
 MR. CLINT GREl N 
Constable-Ei Gives His Side of The Assumption of the Constable's Office.
Editor of the Graphic:

IIultOl u luS NIIdDllC.
 In your issue of December 9th, in an article entitled "Vaugine Town ship has two claiming to be consta- bles" l note @ statement from MT. Clint Green in which he is quoted as follows:
 "Wednesday, after having received his commission, MT. Brannon called on me and asked me when l wanted to deliver over the office, now or January 1st l told him that I un- derstood the newly elected precinct officers all over the state, acting up- on the opinion of the attorney gene ral, would go into office on January list, and that would suit me best. MT. Brannon replied that it would be all right. That it would suit him to re- main where he was until the first of the year. The rumor that he in tended to take over the affairs of the office now was more of sur prise to me, perhaps, than to any one else"
 If MT. Green is correctly quoted, he entirely misunderstood my state- ment. Under the advice of my at torney r. did call on MT. Green and told him that mad teen commission ed and asked him what he wanted to do about surrendering the ofgce. He said that he did not intend to sur render it until the first of the year. That was all the conversation be- tween us. l did not say that it would be all right for Mir. Green to con- iVy the year, neither did say that it would suit me to remain where l was at that time, in the Police De- partment, until the first of the year. AbcMt two weeks previous to the is suance of my commission l had a conversation with Mr. Green at the foot of the stairs, in which 1 told him that it was my understanding of the law now that COnstab bles must qualify within thirty days after the election or their office would be va cant; that if such is the proper con- of the law as it now stands be glad to wait until the first of the year, but 1 could not afford to take the chance on having the office de- clared vacant. This is all the con versation that occurred between MT. Green and myself at any time con- corning the matter.
 Lawyers differ as 10 the proper construction to be placed upon the Act of 1917, which provides when certain officers shall be inducted into office. Some say the Act does not apply to Ccnstables, and all the oth. CT Constablas of Jefferson County have been commissioned and qualifi- ed, preferring to be upon the cer- tain basis than to have the office declared vacant for failure to com ply with the law. This has been my position and is still my position. If the Act of 1917, applies to Consta- bles, then l am not entitled to enter the office of Constable of Vuaglne Township until January 1st, 1919. If it is my duty to qualify within thirty days after the election, as many lawyers hold and as the Pro- scouting Attorney of this District holds. would be forfeiting my office not to qualify within thirty days.
 l quote again statement attribut- ed in your article to Mir. Green which is as follows: County Judge Cheek, who administered the oath to MT. Brannon. stated to me that he gave him his commission with the eX- pressed understanding that he would not assume the duties of the office until the, first of the year" In the agst place, Judge Cheek. did. not ad-,