The courier-index., 1920-08-20
LITTLE ROCK LETTER
(By Clio Harper).

If there is anything in ring" pol itics Arkansas stands today with the shackles removed. being of politi- cal freedom. A political ring is usually the organization of the Op
 position of the support of the can didate who has the backing of the office holders. For the first time in the history of Arkansas men who have taken a foremos stand in poli- tics ,men who have been beneficial ries of elections won, are entirely out of the field. There were two recognized factions fighting in the recent primary, and neither won. Practically every person holding an appointive office in the state gov ernment was supporter of MT. Powell and actively worked in his behalf. So confident were they that a winner had been picked, that all bridges were burned behind them. They fought MT. McRae right up to the time the polls closed. This means that MT. McRae is under no obligations to the so-called "pro- fessional" politicians, and that there will be a new deal all around. It is understood that MT. McRae will make a radical change in the per sonnel of state boards and that the penitentiary commission will be se- lected with the intention of making the state farms revenue producers instead of continual drains on the state treasury. It is estimated that several large and successful plant CTS will be asked to serve on thls commission, and if not actively, to become advisers, giving the state the advantage of their knowledge of farming on large scale.
 What is said for the state govern ment and the patronage that goes with a change of administration, holds equally as good for the na- tional pie distribution. Practically all federal appointees opposed MT Caraway and should the Democrat administration be extended through the election of Gov. Cox in Novem- Der, there vii be a general house. cleaning there also. Should the Republicans triumph there will be no pie for the Democratic party to pass around, but the indications now are excellent for another Democrat in the White House, in which case MT. Caraway's strong supporters may be considered for Arkansas Federal appointments.
 The results of the election were not surprising to the political stu dent. It was evident for some days prior to the election that votes were , shifting to MT. McRae from all otn- CT candidates but MT Powell: was a fight between MT. Powell ana the field, and when the word was passed around that MT. McRae was the strong anti-Powell candidate, and verified by men who had been high in the councils of the otner candidates, MT. McRae secured the advantage of this information. Ter ral received considerable portion of this shifting vote. For the first time within the memory ot local politicians, the candidates who took the lead at the start, held 1t straight through. The first precincts to report showed Caraway, McRae, Ut lev. Hopper, Tucker, McCulloch and Wilson in the lead, and they never surrendered it. In former races, first one candidate and then the other took the lead, making it wild ly exciting at times.
 Although there were rumors m the air the day after the primary that an effort would be made to pad the count for certain candidates in sufficient counties to return them winners. The citizens attended to this before the polls were opened. Tn the counties where such things have been considered possible in the past, citizen committees waited unon the county organization and informed them that judges must De selected who would insure a talr count to every candidate. This was done, and there was never any reai