The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1898-12-20

To the Editor VI the Leader
Every platform Of ever party in onr
last political campaign declared smona
other things, Tor immedi ate statehood
aud every voter who voted in this ter
ritory on the sth Of November last
voted for immediate statehood ''
Immediate means instaut;" in this
case as soon as the machinery can be
put in operation. Every legislator
elected to the legislature about to
assemble stands pledged 10y his accept
ance OF his nomination 81 stand upon
his party platform aud work for imme.
diate statehood OF this there can be
no question.
There is no fixed and invariable rule e
laid down for organizing a state gov
ernment, except that 1t shall be repub-
lican in form. Congress may authorize
the people Of territory to frame a
constitution preparatory to admission
into the Union as a state. The legis.
lature Of territory may submit to its
people q proposition for calling con-
stitutional convention to frame a con.
stitution preparatory to its admission
as a state into the Union. The people,
in their majesty and without any
authority of law save their sovereign
right, may Assem- bic through their
chosen representatives, frame a con
stitution and state government, aud
ask congress to admit them as a state.
All the above methods, and perhaps
some others, have been resorted to to
accomplish the end in view. The
method is immaterial. The object to
be attained is what the people want,
! and that speedily.
We have seen that there is no part c.
ular and special method aid down for
our guidance in organizing state
government, and We have also seen
that the people demand that it shall
be immediate, and that every legis-
lator-elect stands pledged to carry out
the will Of the people Now, how this
can be most speedily done ought to be
the only question. We propose that
when the legislature meets next
month about the first thing to be done
after organizing shall be the author
izing and appointing OF a COMMITTEES
on statehood, to consist OF say two
members from the conncil and three
from the hoIse, TO frame constitu-
tion for state government Said
committee can take, as is always done
in constitutional conventions, the con
stitution of some state as a model, and
make such changes as circumstances
require. nLet such constitution so
framed by the committee be submitted
to the pc pie for their ratification or
rejection during next spring or sum
mer, and at the same time elect such
officers as may be necessary TO conduct
a state government should we be Ad-
init ed into the Union. All these
things can be done by the legislature
and the people without dollars cost
To the taxpayers except the cost OF
holding the election
What next? Why, when Dennis
Flynn re enters congress in Decem Der, |
1899, he will carry with him copy OF
our state constitution and the vote on
its adoption; also mis- commission, with
a 10 600 majority over all, TO see that
the will OF the people is obeyed. When |
Little Dennis rises in his place in con /
gress and addresses Big Tom Reed as
Mr.. Speaker and states his business. |
every Republican memter is b ,und TO
say Amen and amen, for he can see In
the action des red and the vote given
to Dennis two Republican United
states senators two members OF the |
lower house OF congress, and the cleo /
toral vote Of the state of Oklahoma for |
the Republican nominee for president |
in 1900.
Dare the Legislators go back on their |
pledges? II they do they will be like |
their unlamenteG predecessors Of ls97, |
mon est'-not again found in public |
life. REPUBLICAN.