Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-09-16
OKLAHOMA WILL
VOTE TOMORROW
Accept or Reject New Con,
StitutiOn With Its Rig
OrOuS Reforms

GUTHRIE, Okla, Sept. 16.-Iomor-
row the people of Oklahoma and In
dian Territory will vote to accept or
reject the constitution which, if adopt
ed. will admit these communities to
the Union as the state of Oklahoma.
At the same time the people will vote
for state officers, membrs of congress,
| legislative and county officers, and will
also ballot on. the question of prohibi-
| ton.
The campaign now closed has been
one of unusual interest, and has at
tracted the attention of the entire
country If Oklahoma statehood be-
comes an accomplished fact before the
presidential election next year, the re-
suit may have an important bearing
on that contest. This, combined with
other circumstances, has caused the
political leaders of both parties to take
keen interest in the campaign lead
! ing up to the voting tomorrow, Both
parties have sent some of their best
campaign orators into the two terri
tories, the list of republican speakers
being headed by Secretary of War
Taft and that of the democrats by
| William j. Bryan.
The indications are that the consti-
tuition will be ratified by the people.
Ever since its final adoption by the
constitutional convention the docu-
. hoc nf
cussion, chiefly because of the political
controversy over the question of its
approval by the president, whose APP
prevail and proclamation are necessary
before Oklahoma can be placed on the
statehood roll
While partisan bias has caused con-
Siderable criticism of the constitution
1t has many features which are likely
to commend themselves to the public
without distinction as to political
creed. Among these are the provisions
against child labor, those prohibiting
the issuance of watered stocks and
making the books Of quasi-publc cor
porations subject at all times to in
5pc etfoa, the employers liability law,
the eighthour law for state, county and
municipal work and the provision for
stringent regulations of railroads and
other large corporations.
The constitution contains severai
features that. embody the latest ideas
on the subject of government by the
people-namely the initiative and ref
erendu,a and nomination of officers
by direct primary instead of through
the party convention system. The in
itiative and referendum CLAUSE was
patterned after the oregon law.
If the constitution goes through Ok
lahoma will be a prohibition state, the
most stringent liquor law in existence,
prohibiting not only the sale, but the
Introduction of liquor into the state,
being provided for The enabling act
provided that Indian Territory must
accept prohibition for 81 years. The
convention provided that the whole
state shall vote on the question, and
there is said to be little doubt that the
terms of the enabling act will be made
uniform over the whole state. The
Il EeCcIIl dCllOtl VI SSOA S4ch III PAOAiiDANAh6
the sale of liquor is expected to help
the prohibition issue in Oklahoma.
The constitution is about three times
n as long as the average document of its
kind. This unusual length is in par
explained by the fact that about one
third of the document is taken up will
fixing county boundaries, another large
section is devoted to defining how th'
question of prohibition shall be sub
mitted to the vote of the people, whil'
another long section relates to tn
principle of the initiative and referen
dunn.
4 Among tine more or less interesting
: provisions contained in the remainde
, of the document are the follown:
o. The legal rate of interest is fixed a
II 6 per cent and the contract rate at 1
& per cent. A compulsory and senarat
b *aheol System is established. Com
,r missions are created on labor and arbi
= tration, charities. insurance. railroad
ID agriculture. oil. gas and mines. Til
q state seal adopted is a combination (
n the present seal of Oklahoma and II
seals of the nations of the Five Civil
lied Tribes.
While the vote on the constitution
! naturally regarded as Of most impoI
lance, the conests for state officers an
! members Of congress have been Of
spirited character and are attractir
much attention on the eve OF the ele'
-. ton. The democratic gubernatori
q candidate, whose followers are conf
" dent he win be elected tomorrow
q a handsome plurality. is C. N. Haske
newspaper Publisher of Muskoge
The republican standard bearer
Frank Frantz. who is at present COVE
= nor OF Oklahoma Territory. under al
~ pointment OF President Roosevelt.