The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-02-25
DELIBERATE AND STUDY CARE.
FULLY THE CONSTITUTION.
HON. H. N. FURMAN'S ADVICE
faVorlng a Majority Rule-Advises
Against Democrats Being Mis-.
led by Disgruntled politi-
clans and Republicans.

ted States senate from the new
state OF oklahoma, was In the city
Monday morning en- route To Mariet-
Ia whore he has been called on legal
business. The judge was asked to
express himself on the people adopt
ing the constitution when the same
is presented for ratification at the
next election.
The judge said: "a great deal of
misinformation is being circulated by
Republicans and by others who are
| Iopposcd to statehood. with reference
to the constitutional convention.
Nothing that the convention has done
or could do would satisfy such per
sons. Wisdom suggests that the peo-
pie should withhold their judgment
until the convention has finished its
work, and the people have had oppor-
tuity to carefully consider all of the
provisions fthe constitution. before
making up their minds as to It's mer-
its or demerits.
Two things should be constantly
borne in mind; first, that imperfect
men cannot devise a perfect system
of government for the evident reason
that the creature can never be great
cr or better than it's creator. 1t is
therefore folly to expect perfect
constitution; second, such is the di-
versity of human opinion and the
conflict of individual and sectional in
terests that it would be impossible to
incorporate in the constitution the
and the demands of each section.
If this were attempted, the constitu-
tion woul be a perfect crows nest of
contradiction and would be monn-
ment of folly.
Ii must be remembered that ours
! is a government of and by majority.
The Immortal Thomas jefferson de-
clared that absolute acquiescence in
the will of the majority is the vital
principles OF republics. This Is the
| fundamental principles of democra-
Icy; without such acquiesence,
democratic form OF government
would be impossible. While democra-
cy teaches individualism, self-rell.
ancc "rl personal liberty, yet It also
teaches that the interests of all the
people are superior to any one indi.
vidual, or of any one section, and
that the combined wisdom of the ma
jority is superior to the wisdom of
any one man. 1t is true, that majorI-
ties are sometimes wrong, but at the
same time we cannot maintain n
democratic form of government un.
less the minority are willing to ac-
quiesce in the decision of the ma.
jority.
III a man believes that the minor.
ity and not the majority should RUE.
he has no right to call himself a
democrat, and should advocate the
destruction of the republic and the
establishment of an empire. There ia
no middle ground to occupy on this
Question. You mISt eithe. advocate
the rule of the majority or OF the
minority. II you cake the latter
course be consistent and defend that
rank heresy of the divine right of
kings to rule. This is the logical re-
cult of the position of those who
oppose the majority rule. Thomas
jefferson also declared, that every
difference Of opinion was not a diff.
ference of principle. We should CON
stantly keep this distinction in mind.
1T is natural and even necessary
that differences of opinion should ex-
list among us. Sameness means tame
ness, and results in stagnation, cor
Eruption and death It is the clash aud
conflict of ideas that brings out and
lelucidates the truth. Therefore, dem
iocracy encourages the freest and
widest discussion of difference of
lopinion, upon the principle. That
when the people have discussed all
sides TO given question, that the
conclusion arrived at by the majority
will be more apt to be right than
la question has been finally decided
by the will of the majority, IL is not
only the right but the duty OF every
democrat to fearlessly, honestly and
fully present his individual opinion
with the understanding that if the