The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-05-23
ROOSEVELT AND OKLAHOMA.

ROOSEVELT AND OKLAHOMA.
What would be 'he effect on disin.
terestod observers" asks the New
York Sun. ~ President Roosevelt
should refuse TO admit the state Of
Oklahoma merely because its citizens
preferred democratic radicallsm to re-
publican radicalism. and chose 20 com.
NIT the building Of their political .
structure 10 the hands Of the party
20 vhicn Mr.. Roosevelt does not be-
long.
To this question the Washington .
herald replies: THE effect would De .
10 give the disintcrested observer
decidedly unpleasant impression ofthe .
quality Of Mr. Rooseyelts political /.
methods The project 20 exclude Ok .
lahoma from statehood. so far as It
has developed, is purely partisan
scheme. concocted by party leaders
for the highly patriotic purpose Of
preventing the other fellows from get
ling seven more electoral votes. The
discovery that the new Oklahoma con-
stltution was so bad a document lat
the president ought not 20 approve
7 n was made outside the new state.
/ ana up 10 a week or two ago the sen
/ timent of many Oklahoma republicans
as expressed by the territorial organ
Of the party was that the new con
. 90 ~. L.,
to secure statehood, In spite OF what
was regarded as deficiencies and in
Justices in some Of its provisions
Now that the campaign against
statehood has been transferred to
Washington. the Herald predicts that
II will fail because Mr.. Roosevelt can
not aqfford TO put himself in the atti.
tude Of censor Of n sovereign peo-
Pies will so long as their organic law
has been framed in accord with the
federal constitution and the terms of
,.e ena ling act We are by no means
so sure Of Mr.. Roosevelts politica
virtue as our contemporary seems to
oe. Those who are attacking the new
constitution do not care fig for that
instrument itself. except so far as
they may use Il to delay statehood
until the ryXt presidential election
has neen held. They know well
enough that even were the people Of
Oklahoma to reconvoke their conven-
tion and draft n constitution accord
ing TO the views Of outside politicians
they can, after statehood has been
completed. again call a convention
and re-enact the present constitution.
There is absolutely nothing in the
movement To keep Oklahoma out ex.
copt the republican desire to prevent
the casting of the new states seven
electoral votes next year Those seven
votes. II cast will in all likelihood be
democratic, and there Is always the
b possibility Of course. that seven votes
may determine the result OF presi-
dental election
ar Roosevelt has shown on many
occasions that he IL "A practical poll.
% tician. You and / are practical men.
my dear Hartman he wrote, when
considering ways and means to raise
a campaign fund to control the politi.
cal situation OF New Yorn. Let the po.
litical situation suggest danger to the
= republican party and Mr. Roosevelt
would find fault with the Oklahoma
constitution in jiry and refer the
d who.e matter back to congress. ac.
companied by a message setting forth
some lofty plattudes and high sound.
ing nonsense.
once shown the necessity for daily.
ing with Oklahoma, and Mr.. Roose-
vet will act according to the desires
, of the political sharps who ar g onw
s'eKing to delay Oklahoma's admis.
sion until some time in l9O9-Hous.
ton Post