The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1907-01-10
O O G Q Q Q Q 0 @ 0 Q Q Q o
COMMUNICATIONS.
9 9 o @ q 0 O @ 0 o o o Q o O o {
THE "Jlm CROW LAW

Sldnu. ne ptllN Is iItuktu 10 lne
separate school and coach laws.
OFT of this pledge has grown a con
trUyersy which is now endanrering
the completion of the formation OF a
state. Some insist that to redeem the
pledge of the Democratic party. the
Jim Crow Laws" must be in-orpor-
ated in the constitution. while others
argue that it shoi id be left to the in
coming legislatures Both sides argue
we'll, but the real q.estlon is the
probable action al the president If
cnnstiti ton l. presented to him which
deprivcs the negro of real or fanc-
led right. To the rind OF the writer
it is more a legislative than consti-
tutional question, and can be safely
left to tho legislature.
In the ISOLATION of this problem the
convention Ought. 10, and probably
viii. be guided by the probable action
OF the president The convention
will notsdecide as to whether or not
constitution with a Jim Crow" pro
vision in it is republican form of
government, the president besides
that. We are to judge his future ac
tions by his previous ones. In every
instance which the writer re alls,
where he had to decide between
negro and a suJthern white man he
has preferred the negro. and that
against the protests of the white com
munity. Judging by these acts IT is
easy to forecast his action when our
constitution goes TO him with the pro-
posed feature in Il. He will refuse to
sigr.
Allowing, for the sake of the argu-
ment, that the convention does make
constitution with the Jim Grow"
provisions in It, and that the presi-
/ dent refuses to sign. where viii we
j be2 We will have no state; Okla
hcma will still be a territory and In
/ dian Territory Will Etill be Indian
! Territory. II took five years Of siren
imoJs effort and vast outlay of mo-
ney to get statehood bill passed.
Are we willing to go through that
struggle again? Is this risk to be
taken to redeem a lledgo that can
be redeemed before the sumner Is
gone? Did the party platforms re ~
pledge that this should be pla IN
the constitntlon?
The claim that the party pledge , 4
be unre deemed and that the party
all bosh More than half the people
now believe that ii is unwise to place
these provisions in the constitution;
I that it would be a serious menace 10
statehood. II viii be easy TO explain,
/ and easy for the people to believe,
I that they were left for future action
rather than jeopardize our prospects
: 10. statehood
! It !. not reasonable TO believe that
those Republicans who voted with the
Democrats on this issue would refuse
I to do so again. Why should they go
back to the Republicans? They are
as mgch opposed to mixed schools
now as they were then, and they cer-
! tainly can not expect what they want
at the hands of the Republicans.
Wcfld Il not rather give us an ad
vantage in the next campaign? It
/ is claimed that the negro issue gave
us our tremendous majority. The Re
! p-blicans can sec better than VIC the
wisdom OF steering clear OF this rock
! We viii have the negro for an issue
\ in the next carpaign, and we will
win with IL as we did before.
Even If the president :hould sign
the construction with the "Jim Grow"
in it, we will not have gained greatly
II will have settled the only issue
upon which the Republicans agree
with us, and they viii go back to their
party. The Democrats are rot going
with thsE,s We will have gained no
utn8 ( Mfa niatter of pure politics,
f. there s any danger Of Republican
success, il is better TO keep the negro
islue for another campaign.
w. c. l.. KINDS.
sosth MeAlestes l. 7,
Perry Okla. Jan. 10.-Editor Lead
er: Here is a letter that may be of in
/ terest:-MY dear friend Hal Hear
ing so much said lately regarding two
I very important propositions for our
| new state constitution, creates with.
in me a great desire to give lee
ture. or write an article-may be two
of them-for our leading newspaper
Not having the necessary accessories
I IA platform and an audience-and
fearing my written thoughts would
furnish fuel for the fiery flames OF
the Editors furnace. so You see !
must abandon such terrible ideas. 50
viii just write to yoI and relieve my
mind
The prohlbitionists are making a
big talk about not wanting their pro-
/ position placed with others of vital
/ Importance to the people to be voted
on separately DO you suppose they
are afraid they won't stand pat to
their talk when IL comes 20 the vote,
or that they want some one else to-
fix things and get the blame If the
boat tips over and sinks, il IL is not
loaded right? How the human mind
so often reaches out TO attach blame
/ on another This reminds me of re-
mark, STEPPED in sarcasm, ! heard a
young man make when something had
touched his nerves; Il believe I'll get
| married, then | can have some one 10
blame when things don't go right 4"
/ He is certainly very obseryant On
the other proposition had never
given much thought, but YOU may
1 remember my curiosity is almost in
satiable; and when the ladies' were
| string things mp considerable asking
for what they considered their rights,