1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/Arkansas

ARKANSAS (see ). In 1920 the pop. was 1,752,204 as against 1,574,449 in 1910, an increase of 177,755, or 11.3%. Of the total pop. in 1920, 1,265,782, or 72.2%, were native whites, 472,220, or 27%, negroes, and only 13,975, or 0.8%, foreign-born whites. There were 121,837 illiterates, of whom 79,245 were negroes, 41,411 native whites, and 1,145 foreign-born whites. The pop. was decidedly rural, only 290,497, or less than one-sixth, being classed as urban. The average number of inhabitants per square mile in 1920 was 33.4 as against 30 in 1910. Little Rock was the largest city, with a pop. of 65,142 (45,941 in 1910), of whom 17,477 were negroes. The pop. of the other leading cities was as follows: Fort Smith 28,870 (23,975 in 1910), Pine Bluff 19,280 (15,102 in 1910), and Hot Springs 11,695 (14,434 in 1910).

History.—The state continued under control of the Democratic party without interruption from 1874 to 1921. Several attempts have been made to amend the conservative constitution, most of which have ended in failure, owing to the requirement of a majority of the total vote to adopt any amendment. An initiative and referendum amendment was adopted in 1910, but a part of it was declared unworkable by the Supreme Court. In 1916 a new initiative and referendum, submitted by petition, was voted down; in 1920 it received a large majority of the vote cast, but not a majority of the total vote. It was again submitted by petition and will be voted on in 1922. In 1912 an amendment submitted under the initiative limited the pay of legislators to a session of 60 days, with half pay for an extra session of 15 days. The previous session had been long and expensive. The Legislature of 1917 called a constitutional convention. When the convention met, the United States had just entered the World War and a strong effort was made to adjourn without doing anything. As a compromise the convention adjourned to July 1918. It then met and submitted a revised edition of the old constitution. This was rejected by the people. Important legislation during the period 1910-20 included abolition of the convict lease system (convicts may now be worked on the roads); provision for a state farm for convicts; reform schools; state-wide prohibition (1915);

inheritance tax; minimum wage; restricting child-labour; compulsory education; and abolition of the &ldquo;fellow servants&rdquo; rule. In 1917 women were by statute given the right to vote in, primary elections; in 1920, before the adoption of the national woman suffrage amendment, an amendment to the state constitution giving full rights of suffrage and the right to hold office was submitted to the voters, but failed to receive a majority of the total vote. A legislative Act of 1921 gave women the right to hold office. In 1921 Gov. McRae induced the Legislature to make a beginning of reform in the state administration by abolishing a number of offices and commissions. The governors of the state since 1909 have been: George W. Donaghey, 1909-13; Joseph T. Robinson, Jan. 8-March 1913; W. K. Oldham (acting), March 8-23; J. M. Futrell (acting), March 23-Aug. 6; G. W. Hayes, Aug. 6 1913-7; C. H. Brough, 1917-21; J. T. McRae, 1921-.


 * (D. Y. T.)