The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-12-24
KING oN PRoPosITIoNs



------------- ---- -
make to them While broadly speak
ing. constitution is to- sttae what
b Set Of moral and business maxims
is 70 business uon. and while we
ge tod by some able lodges that
nOtliing sh0gid be- put into n consti-
iudon iiN what time and experience
has demonstrated to be true. yet we
should remember that that business
naD who never learns anything and
who never improves has but a short
time to re1ain IN business Anc that
state which fails TO meet and correctly
solve the questions eyre pressing up
on its feople mist speedily degener-
ate into mere dospotism. The
great Judges of 1880 had hut little
regard for the constitution of the
United States. and the man who woeld
improve any trade or profession must
look for but little announcement rom
IT'S gray hsdrcd deyotees however
eminent or learned they may be. And
Mile il is no doubt correct that
nothing should be prt into the con
slit tion except that which is known
tuth and not experiment. it is never
theless true that there are self evil
dent truths in this day as there were
] m l776 and that there are many
things demonstrated by experience 10
be true that have pslssed from the do
main Of experiments. of politics and
of political discussion to the realm of
unquestioned and unquestlonahle
trpth and yet have not 'ound their
way into any constitution. It Is no
valid objection to incorporate IN a
fundamental law provision of govern
mcnt that Il can not be foand in any
other constitution such an objection
world not only have made the con
stiultion OF the United States as well
as the constitutions of all the states
impossible. but it wclld render gov
ernment OF the people a thing Of the
past.
AS a consultation not only organizes
government but IS government itself
It should enbody the settled policies
on which that government should be
conducted. And as last as great
questions Of governmental colicy
emerge settled fror the political
arena. the mart and the fonm, they
should be embodied IN the aonstitt
| tion thar they may become q perma-
nent guide TO the official and an in
spiiziiOn and protection to the people.
So that in a government enterprising
and progressive like curs each genera
lion IN the future as in the rast shorld
rystallize in the constitution its wis.
dom and experiences. carefully re.
lnlmbering that the state like the
ckild must have room 10 grow, and
that it's principles as we'll as frame
OF government must not be so narrow
figid on lnelastlc as to prevent healthy
development Also remember that il
Is with constitutions as with trees
that while one branch is llstily deyel-
oping another is dying and provision
must be made for the removal of the
diseased and dald wood. The first
constitutions of the etG inal states
contained many provisions as TO re-
ligious and property qualifications
provisions of intense interest -ud OF
political force at the time OF the
formation of these constitutions yet
by amendments and revision thesg
provisions have largely PASSED ont OF
the constitutions of these states. And
no dcA1bt many q the things now
pressing for consideration and which
win be PA bintO the constitutions
made in this generation will become
so well settled or so unsuitable ia
changed conditions as to pass ont OF
these constitutions and make room for
more appropriate or more pressing
| PROVISIONS The great problem be
fore the founders of the different
! American commonwealth so far as
| property was concerned was to pro
vide for the develcrment Of the ma
tqmal resources tof the county The
production OF material wealth Tha
great problem now pressing for solu
ton by this generation Is not SO mnch
that Of the prodaction OF wealth as
that those who produce il shall enjoy
Il In other words their problem was
that Of prod aciion ours Is that of dis
ltribution While ] would not bcgtGe
che force or effect q any law, the real
constitution of any state IS not upon
the printed or written page hrt IN the
hearts, the intelligence and the con
science OF its people The men who
/ tNAhAA AAi' AAAnAAAHAAAu VI AHA NMilih
States did not deem il necessary e
Wif a bin OF rights In the consultation
: deeming its Uroyision so well estab.
1 llshed In the common law of the land
as 20 he unnecessary Brt the peo-
pie refused 10 accept 1t except with
! the understanding that such bill
should be Incorporated. which was
done by the adoption of the first eight
lamendahnts. While II was not a
necessary part Of the constitution, the
wisdom of its insertion is beyond
question Il left nothing TO inter
probation, nothing 10 construction. II
lfrnished a beacon light to the Of
fetal and a sufficient guarantee 10 the
people
II we had with us today the despoil
ers of the American people and We
should refer to the declaration oi
I American Independence they would
enthusiastically applaud it, II We
shu ID renew our allegiance TO th'
cOnstlrtion OF the United States the,