Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-11-06

commission to make Hayes the first
of the presidents who have been seat
ed, though not elected. If you have
any doubt as to whether there were
others. ask any public man how many
fraudulent presidents we have had in
the last thirty years.
Probably before this letter is pub
lished the president will sign the act
giving to Oklahoma the right of state
hood. Democrats believe that the state
will be~pemocratic, but here in Wash
ington today are scores of politicians
from the territory the Republicans
among whom believe that if it is made
n state it can be carried for the Re
publican party. It has seven electoral
votes. Personally don't believe that
there is any possibilities those votes
being given to any Republican candi-
date. Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr., Taft are
on record as opposed to statehood. OF
course Mr. Roosevelt will sisp the en-
aiding act. but it will be remembered
that he and all his appOintees fought
against the adoption of the conStitu-
ton. that he said his opinion of it
was unfit for publication and that Mr..
Taft went to Oklahoma City for the
single purpose of urging the voters to
oppose it and to vote it down. The
effect of Mr.. Taft's earnest endeavors
was the ratification of the constitution
by Il majority exceeding 100000 and
the election of Democratic governor
by majority of 10000. 1t would not
seem that the earnest endeavors of the
administration to keep community
from governing itself had been crown
ed with much success. That being the
case. it does not seem likely that the
| same community will fail to cast its
national vote in favor Of the party
| which from the very beginning has
stood for statehood and for local self
government.
The matter of self government is not
| trivial one. y very distinguished
newspaper owner from the territory. q
| man who was born in Mississippi and
who lived through the dark days of re-
construction there told me only Il day
| or two ago that the situation in Okla
| homa almost paralleled the methods of
| carpetbag government in the south.
He declared that the deputy marshals
We're as arbitrary, as brutal and as
violent as the officials in the south dur
ing carpetbag days. He asserted that
| these federal officehOlders consorted
| almost wholly with the negro popula-
| ton and We're endeavoring to use the
negro vote to advance their own int. +
eSts. IN brief, he said that it was a
new ease of the carpetbag regime and
that the one hope of the people for re-
lief lay in statehood. They will have
statehood within d few days. Govern
or FrantZ filed today the official docu-
ment which will enable the president
to issue his proclamation. The presi-
dent has twenty days from the date of
filing to declare the territory Il state,
but l am Informed upon good authori
ty that he will not use the time allow
ed him. but will issue the proclamation
almost Immediately upon the pfesenta
ton of the official returns.
incidentally Governor FrantZ, who
will go out of office as soon as the proc
lamation is issued, is looking for fed
eral job. 1t is believed that he was of
fered the position of assistant secreta
ry of the interior. but declined it. As
one of the old rough riders he is look
ing for something of a military char
acter. and no one need be surprised tt
see him appointed either to promi
nent position in the army or to place
in the department of war.
President Roosevelt's Birthday.
President Roosevelt has just cele
! brated his forty birthday. IL
!, very few men have forty-nine year
, brought so much of good fortune ant
Of achievement. In sense he wa