The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1907-06-08

A'tt A4FliAH AhNNUUnLsI
II may be that the constitution
state OF Oklahoma undertakes some
things that had better be left TO the
legislature: but the summary OF It
given out by the department OF JUS
tice In Washington reveals nothing
that could be construed as contrary
to the constitution OF the United
States as to any provision OF the
enabling act
The salient fact revealed by the
summary is that the work OF the
Guthrie convention has been grossly
misrepresented by Republican politi-
ctans and by correspondents Of Repub-
lican newspapers. The alleged gerry
mander cinched by constitutional pro-
vision that II should not be changed
unless by tho-thirds vote OF the peo-
Pile Of the state. vanished into thin
air before the provision that 'the
legislature shall have power. at it's
first regular SESSION after each Federal
census, TO reapportion the several
counties of the state into state ron.
resentative and senatorial districts. :"
The charge that the Guthrie con
yention aimed to perpetuate an I'M
fair distmcting of the new state Is
further refuted by the provision that
when any senatorial district shall
embrace more than one county, the
counties shall be contiguous, the dis
tricts shall be as nearly equal In pop.
usation as may be. provided that each
organized county shall have always
one representative.
Tho qfn ahad uar,..v,..n..a,.
have given to the new state n form
of government that enemies Of state
hood could have construed as nnrepub-
lioan in form. That slander having
been disposed OF. It may be said that
the proposed constitution contains
many provisionsthat will be widely
approved. The initiative and refer
endum Is a step toward giving the
people Of the state a fuller and more
direct control over the acts OF the
Legislature, both In the enactment of
desired legislation and in preventing,
or yetoing that which the people do
not desire.
The clauses relating TO the regula-
ton OF transportation companies
seem hardly so stringent as those Of
the public utilities bill! which passed
the lower house of the New York leg
islature by unanimous vote and the
upper house that were nearly so. They
embody not a few of the provisions
of the rates act passed by the last
congress, and others that are urged
by President Roosevelt Limitation
OF passenger fares might have been
left to the legislature. but the restric-
tion 20 two cents a mile Is softened
by the authority given the corpora
tions commission to exempt from its
operation any road which could not
earn just compensation at that rate
The provision for limiting public
debts and taxation. for safeguarding
the ballot, for protecting the public
moneys and the states credit are as
good as the best in existing state con-
ststutions
The permanent school fund is made
sacred trust, not by empty declama-
ton, but by the mandate that the pro-
ceeds OF all school lands. as well as
the $5.000OO0 voted by congress. shall
be invested In IL and shall never be
diverted from IL, The permanent
school fund may be increased from
time to time, but never diminished.
Happily, the Oklahoma constitution
contains only little more than 100.
600 words with which Il was said TO
be incumbered That It Is still the
longest of all our state constitutions.
exceeding the $4,000 words of the
Louisiana instrument. Is largely due
TO the necessity for quoting the pro-
visions Of the enabling act with re-
spect to prohibition and to the una
voidable details required in the tech
nical description of the seventy-aye
counties into which the state is to be
divided
On the whole, there has been pre-
pared for the coming state a consti-
tuition which well justifies Chairman
Murray going ahead with his cali for
the election August 6. as authorized
by the act duly passed by the conyen-
tion.