Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1907-09-12
bryan SAYS CONSTITUTION OF new
STATE IS BETTER THAN TIE NATIONS
Democratic Leader
Delivers Warm
Reply to Taft
CHARGES BIG OHIOAN WITH PUT
TING FORWARD HIS OWN PRES
DENTAL AMBITION AGAINST
THE WELFARE OF PEOPLE
OF OKLAHOMA.

Oklahoma City, Sept. 6.-Ten thou
sand persons heard William ]. Bryan
here last night reply to the recent
address of Secretary of War Taft up
on the Oklahoma-Indian Territory pc
litical situation, in convention hall
and 5000 people, unable to secure
admittance to the auditorium, attend
ed an overflow meeting nearby. Mr.
Bryan was enthusiastically received
In addition to scoring Secretary Taft
soundly for placing his personal ambi
tions above the welfare of the people
of Oklahoma and attacking the views
of the secretary of war on national
policies, Mr.. Bryan declared that the
constitution Of the proposed new
state was even better than that OF
the United States.
Secretary Taft IN his speech made
in this territory a few weeks ago."
said Mr.. Bryan, "advise5 the people
to reject the proposed constitution and
postpone statehood until another en-
abling action be secured At first
blush one might suspect that the Sec
ret2ry's advice was due to his per
sonal interest in the next election.
He might be accused of advising the
postponement of statehood with a
view Of keeping seven electoral voters
out Of the democratic column, but the
more generous view taken of the mat
ter is that his advice resulted from
his habits of thought He is inclined
to postpone everything. He promises
to acquire the title of the great post
poner. He is on his way to the
Philippines to tell the F'ilipinos that.
while he thinks they ought to have
self-goVemment after awhile, he wants
it postponed for the present. It Is not
strange, therefore, that he should
yield to his ruling spirit In the
matter of statehood and tell you to
put it off.
Certainly Against Promise.
He holds out the hope of another
enabling act, but what assurance can
he give that a republican congress
Will act, Immediately, to bring In a
democratic state just before a prest-
uentlal election. You have been
struggling for statehood for some IL
years and now when it is within gour
grasp he asks you to exchange a GER
talnty for the delusive promise of an
other chance. Does he control the
to such an extent that he
can guarantee immediate action? The
TWO senators from his own state do
not accept lis advice. His influence
as presidential candidate cannot vet
be measured, for not single state
has yet instructed for him.
Why does he advise you to reject
the constitution and POSTPONE state
mood? Because he is opposed to some
parts Of the constitution. He has sug-
gested several amendments, which he
would like to have adopted. Even #
the amendments which he proposed
were good amendments and worthy to
be adopted, 1t would not be necessary
to reject the constitution in order to
aCOpt them.
Charges Inconsistency.
Secretary Taft says that if you IN
s1st On having statehood and are de-
termined to adopt the constitution
you ought to have a republican govern
ment to amend the constitution. He
certainly has forgotten the argument
he made in Ohio recently, that the
tariff ought to be reformed, by its
friends. If he applies his Iogis to this
constitution he ought to insist that the
constitution should be reformed by It's
friends, rather than by its enemies and
surely there is little to induce conf
dence in the republican party, when
the party has delayed statehood for
SO many years, and delayed it for