The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1907-08-27
nApS' TOgLiH0AA
taft Advises People to Vote
Down Constitution.
POINTS OUT ITS DEFECTS
Feeretary Of War Secs Political Trick
to Defeat the Peoples VIII In the
instrument-comments On lniuae-
ton Provision.

Oklahoma City. Okla. Aug. eS-Scc-
rotary Taft defined i'm Convention HAN.
TO large crowd. the issues of the ok
lahoma snd Indian Territory state oiec-
ton as two-foid. First. the acceptance
OF rejection OF the constitution. second.
the election OF Republican or Demo
cratic state and legislative ticket ana
United States senators
He disclaimed any authority TO speak
for the president on the subject o. the
validity or invaiidity Of the constitu-
ton. for the reason that the function
which the president performed was
judicial one as TO whether the proposed
constitution conformed to the enabling
net OF the constitution OF the United
States Il was not the function OF tho
president 10 reject the constitution
merely because ne did not approve its
wisdom and did not Ike its provisions
from a political standpoint
Mr.. Taft commented at length on
the necessity OF maintaiuinc the power
OF the courts and condemned the re-
Quircment that jury trial should inter-
vene between an order OF injunction
and punishment for its violation h
said that the writ OF injunction was
one of the most beneficial writs that =
court could have. and that il is inst as
useful in defense of the poor as in the
defense of the rich: any weakening OF
il as an instrument for remedyin-
wrongs would operate in favor of the
rich malefactor
lie spoke at length on the hypoc
! ri of nn rr-n s,F
constitution in purporting 90 make an
instrument by which the will Of the
people should DC sustained pure ana
undefied. and thcn by the merost po-
litical trickcry and chicanery. adopting
a plan hy which there might De a ma
jority OF 10000 for the Republican
ticket in the state and vet a Demo-
cratic legislature and two Democratic
senators This itself showed what
mockerv m attempt by initiative and
referendum 70 ascertain the true will
n the people was and how empty the
declaration OF "let the people rule"
The secretary commented upon the
severe impairment Of the system OF ed
ucation by limitations upon taxation
for educational purposes. The consti-
tuition provided Tor separate schools
for white and neCro. yet made NO pro-
vision by taxation 10 carry out such a
system. For these reasons. the secre-
tary said. il he We're n citizen OF Okla
homa he would vote for the rejection
~ the constitution because he believed
that IL was a great deal easier 20 re-
jet the constitution than 20 amend il
50 as 90 eliminate IT'S defects. and h.
would bc confident as citizen that
the next congress would come 70 the
aid OF the people Of Oklahoma by a
now enabling act and a new conven-
ton.
Secretary Taft then took up IA
tional issues and urged the new state
of Oklahoma 10 range itself under the
progressive principles Of Theodore
Roosevelt who did things. rather than
with the ranks OF a party OF ineficien-
~ and negation like the Democratic
party. which had the support only of
the states OF the solid south. united
by the ghost of a past issue and the
unfounded fear OF so-called negro
domination"