The Springdale news., 1919-04-11

Some members of the last legislature.
with mistaken idea Of economy passed
bill for the repeal of the publicity law
adopted some few years ago by the people
on referendum vote, and last week Gov
efnof Brough IN his wisdom vetoed same.
There are Z lot Of office holders who
handle pubic money who dom want the
people to know how and why it is spent,
but the people who pay the taxes should,
and have right, to this knowledge.
Ii his veto message last week Cover
nor Brough said:
i beg 70 return to you without my
executive approval, House Bill No. 243 by
Mr. Porter Of Boone county, and others,
providing that Act No. 3 of the act initial
ed and adopted at the general election Of
the state Of Arkansas, held September,
1914 and generally known as the public
ity act, be and the same is hereby repeal
cd and rendered null and void.
i vetoed a similar measure, contain
ed III House Bill No IL, in 1917, and
have found no reason to change my mind
with reference to the value Of the public
IT. act. Act No. Of the acts Of 1915,
known as the publicity act was initiated
BY the people and made effective by the
governors proclamation dated October Is
1914
1t is a very serious constitutional
question as TO whether acts initiated BY
the people should be repealed by the Cen
efal Assembly, without attaching the
referendum clause. Experience has
taught the value and absolute necessity
for publicity in governmental affairs.
Every voter should know the business of
his community, his county and his state
It should be put before him in simple
form, and then if he does not study it and
seek To correct errors Of administration
the responsibility would rest upon his
shoulders The United States govern
ment during the great crisis through
which We have Just passed, appointed
thousands Of publicity agents and used
the newspapers on every occasion. The
newspapers We're the largest factors in
putting down German propaganda in this
country and making The German peace
offensive an ignominious failure
Every patriotic citizen will bear me
out IN the statement that when our gov
erments reasons for entering the war. ap-
plying the selective service system and
launching praiseworthy patriotic cam
paigns We're explained. our citizens up-
~ ~ 1Ai1 st'slilllilSNi dIiNt program ana III
cities, hooks and hamlets entered into the
war for liberty and democracy with the
zest Of their forefathers. 1t is also
worthy Of note that during the war the
newspapers were called upon to make
sacrifices that cut to the quick. Par
tlcularly was this true in the case Of coun-
y newspapers having a limited circula=
ton, whose columns were literally filled
With government material published by
these newspapers without money and
without price. President Wilson. our
great philosopher president, has cogently
sad Publicity is one of the purifying
elements Of politics. The best thing that
you can Go with anything that is crooked
Is to hold i up where the people can see
That It IS crooked and then il will either
sstraighten itself out or disappear. Moth
ing checks all bad practices Of politics like
Puoic exposure and cannot be crooked in
the light
Publicity is the very Gibraltar and
the initiative and referendum is the only
agency we have for recall in Arkansas
Without full publicity. through the news
papers and through discllSSian a,d =.