The National tribune., 1907-07-18
THE okaiI.o,iA CONSTITUTION.

The Constitution tinliers of Oklahoma
are taking their second guess.
They have communicated with the
President, who Very properly told them
that their Constbttion was matter for
themselves alone. and that ne would
not presume to dictate or even suggest.
They would have to present their work
when completed to their people, and if
adopted by them it would then have TO
undergo the scrutiny of Congress.
The Constitutional Convention has re-
assembled, and last week made many
tinkering changes. The courts were
given power to punish when a contempt
case is committed in the courts pres
ence. The section was eliminated giving
the Legislature additional power to re-
strict suffrage qualifications. The initia-
tive and referendum was emasculated
of the provision for carrying it into
effect in case the Legislature shall re-
fuse to do so.
A provision was inserted permitting a
merger by Legislative enactment of cor
porations chartered within the State,
but foreign corporations cannot merge.
The Legislature was given power to
limit conditions under which foreign
corporations may operate within the
State The provision was eliminated
which prevented foreign corporations
from removing any court proceedings
from State to Federal Courts.
An amendment prevents Federal
oficeholders and anybody holding po-
sition of profit in another State from
holding any State office. The habeas
corpus writ provision was amended 50
as not to interfere with Federal juris-
diction The State Senators will be in
creased to "A and Representatives to
l09
These look to be aggravating rather
| than remedial, and their effect will be
to add to the hopeless conflict and con-
| fusion of the inordnately long docu-
ment
The supreme fault of the Constitu-
ton is that it is too flagrantly long, too
crude too clumsily constructed. 1t tries
to tie up the State forever to a lot Of
half ideas and shallow theories that in
five years may be as dead and forgotten
as the Greenbacl craze or Free Silver.
Instead therefore, of these little put
tcring changes, which only add to the
provoking confusion. the whole compli-
Gated mass should be swept away, and
all these matters left where they prop
erly beIongI-with the Legislature, as is
the case in other States.
A Constitution one page long would
be amply sufficient and a thousand-fold
better than the present mass Of turbid
incoherence 6irpages long.
The Department OF Oklahoma, G. A.
r.. has formally protested against the
following features Of the Constitution:
1. The habeaS, corpus provision.
| 2 The form OF the Imprisonment pro-
vision. which viii shield every swindier
! and every Niolafor of virtue under prom
| Use Of marriage.
3. The contempt of court provision.
4. The iniquitOus apportionment.
>. The creation of multitude of un-
] necessary OIiICtS, Win IlSl SssidileS, lol
which members Of the convention are
candidates.
6. The suffrage provisions.
Z. The mOnStrOuS gerrymanderS.
| s. Initiative and referendum.
O. Counties and Countysaats mad"
without reference to the wishes an
needs Of the people.
| 10. Grossly inadequate provisions for
common schools.
II. Burdensome and unjust tax pro-
visions.
| As for ourselves, we rather want to
and are therefore not averse to the eX-
| pertinent in Oklahoma. Initiative and
referendum is Il humbug. and will
quickly demonstrate this when actually
tried.