Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1906-11-20
MEET TO FRAME
ACONST|TUT|ON
CONVENTION ASSEMBLIES AT Gu.
THRiE, OKLAHOMA. TO TAKE
MOST IMPORTANT sTEp
DEMOCRA1SHOLDPOWER
Never Before Has . state Catered the
union wnh ~ Great Population Or
Advanced Development.

a~sseHnDlyang Ut the Oklahoma con
stitutional convention here today.
the most important step In taken IL
ward adding a res star ID the fiag
by far the most imposing addition
in recent years, Never before has A
stale catered the Union with A.
large a population ~ Oklahoma nor
with such advanced development of
vast natural resources needfui
for the upholdlng of u mighty ON
m0nwealth. The men who are to a..
sune the responsibility of moulding
a constitution for this land Of the
fair god are apparently mindful al
the duties they owe TO the people @:
the present and the future and have
entered upon the TASK with an en-
thusiasm tempered with sound judg.
ment.
Today's session of the convention
win be devoted 10 organization. "A
the democrats have an OVcrwhelm.
Ing majority there will be- no parti~
saa fights for the places Of honor In
the convention and the rivalry
among the candidates for official
positions win be settled In an ami.
cable manner
One Of the most important prob
lens before the convention Is It's
treatment Of the liquor question In
the constitution II the new state.
Prohibition played M important part
In the elections Of the delegates aud
IL alleged by many tn be responsible
for the overwhelming defeat OF most
of the republican candidates. BY the
terms of the congressional act ad.
hitting Oklahoma 10 statehood the
sale Of liquor In that portion nov
known as Indian territory Is practic-
ally forbidden for twenty. years.
Whether the arid region shalt be
as ~ NANAttA ottt Hht WGNtff u
part Of the new state. where wet
goods are now plentiful. In In the
opinion Of many of the inhabitants
the supreme question to be settled
by the delegates. The Anti Saloon
league. the Territorial Baptist ass0r
citation and other church and TEN.
perance societies are represented
here by committees which will work
strenuousiy for a prohibition plant:.
The problem with the delegates. whp
must In the end assume all RESPONSE.
bility In the matter. In whether pro
hibltion shall be studlously ignored
or brought before the convention
and settled for all time. II Is likely |
that the latter cours" will prevail, |
and despite tho claims Of the temper |
anee element. II Is considered almost |
certain that probition will receive n |
knockout blow from which II will
take many years tn rrcover Okla. |
hofna Is too close to Kansas. where |
prohibition has become Il farce an | |
source "a corruption and graft, TO |
bind itself with laws which are hon.
ored only by their persistent viola ,
ton. |
Another question to BE- decided by |
the convention and which may result |
In much III feeling Is the county d. |
vision In Indian territory. Probably
about thirty Or forty counties are to
be formed out of the various Indian |
tribes composing the territory and In
outlining their boundaries II liz fear. |
ed that much dissatisfaction will re-
suit. Practically every town and
city In the territuf, in demanding,
through Its representatives, that It
be placed In III" center of a division
so that II may become a county seat
No village Is too small to have aspl |
ratinns to become the capital of tho
county. and II Is already evident that
there will not be sufficient counties
to go around. Many of the dele
gates are pledged to their home cir.
les TO secure q division which will
make the towns the logical county
seats and If all are successful a coun.
ty map of the eastern part of the
will probably resemble a crazy
quilt.
1t Is probable that the old Sequo-
yah constitution, having failed in It's
purpose in getting single statehood
for Indian territory. will serve as a