The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-09-02
LEDBETTER'S ADDRESS

Continued from page three) /
for a period of twenty.one years from
the date Of the admission OF said state
into the Union. and thereafter until
the people of said state should other
wise provide by amendment of con
stiution and proper state legislation.
The statehood bill also proyid'a
that the Constitutional Convention
shall 10y ordinance irrovocablc &C
cept the terms and conditions of the
act. It further provides that If the
constitution and government of th'
state OF Oklahoma are Republican
form. and If the provisions Of the
enabling act are complied with e
shall be the duty OF the President Of
the United States, within twenty days
after the official notice Of the adoption
Of the constitution, to issue his proc
lamation announcing the result Of
the election, and thereupon the state
of Oklahoma shall be deemed admit.
ted into the Union These provisions
of the Enabling Act must be compiled
with before we can be admitted into
the Union. ! am i'm favor of comply
ting prohibition into our constitution
| just as we are required TO do in the
statehood bill, but do not think tha;
we OF the Indian Territory ought 20
| pledge ourselves to 20 further.
do not think congress should haze
| Judged us incompetent to deal with
the prohibition question, and require
us to put it into the constitution.
think the citizens of Indian Territory
are just as competent to deal .i.'
that question as affecting themselves
as the people of Kansas We're WHOM
admitted into the Union, and are rov.
And just as competent as the people
OF any other state TO deal with chat
Question, or any other question of do
imestic concern. But congress thought
it into the constitution l am in fay-
or of complying with that requirement
but / think the people Of Oklahoma
ought to be permitted to settle the
question in their own way. The ques-
tion is settled so far as Indian Terri.
tory is concerned II is a dead issue
with us, and ! am opposed to inter.
fering with the people Of Oklahoma
and TO endauger the success OF the
Democratic party in its effort to con
troll the Constitution. This Is Mr.
Drew's issue and ! hope he will be
heard from tonight on the subject.
regret very much that he has caused
the agitation which mus Unnecessarily
arise if the prohibition question is
made an issue in this campaign.
In conclusion beg to say that there
is one phase of my candidacy for de!
egate which has appealed to me verl
strongly. In the course of my prac
tice as a lawyer | was employed b,
the Santa Fe Railroad Company a
one of its attorneys i'm Indian Territory
and because of that fact in certain
quarters the charge has been mad
that ! will not be true to the trus
: the people repose in me if they elec
, Convention. ! have represented tn
4 Santa Fe Railroad Company eleve
or twelve years. My relation to tn
n company has been strictly profession
o al, and / have represented its inteI
.. ests as faithfully as ! knew how.
a believe | have been as faithful to II
!. interests as the distinguished erin
=. inal lawyers of Ardmore and othe
f parts of the Southern district hay
W been to the interests of the murde
e ers, horse thieves and other criminal
e represented by them. In the effoi
l. to make a living | have reprcsenta
n the railroad company Just as a ca
IF penter or blacksmith woud represcI
IS it in doing work for their lines.
n have no apology TO make for il. an
'e in my own way | resigned from m
W company's service. / resigned out ,
Difference to the popular belief that
N man could not truly represent h
n people in the Constitutional Conve
Ig tion while he remained the attornt
Id of a railroad company.
q" During the time / represented u
Il railroad company ! have had n pa
III on and discuss many law question
IL and have given these questions II
" best efforts, but when the law que
~ tions were disposed of the cases Ia,
"' either gone off the docket or were 5,
tied | have settled every case wi
1t