The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1907-05-16

blned will account for this opposition.
which is largely confined to Oklahoma,
to the ratification of the constitution
Sectionalism, politics and racial prejn-
dice all have their part in the fight
But the would-be state has a source
of danger in quite another quarter,
and very serious one. It Is being
openly talked that there Is now being
ifoiplehl . combination of prominent
lrepubli ans. headed by Speaker Can
non, designated to influence the presi-
dent against the admission OF the new
state aud to refuse its admission II
| II lies within his power Tho reason
given for this movement is typically
republican II Is explained by these
conspirators that II the state is ad-
mitted into the Union It viii be dem
locrat.c, and will send democratic
senators aud representatives to Wash
ington and a solid democratic delega-
tion to the next presidential conyen-
ton
An this is 10 be made plain 10 Roose-
velt It Is to be shown him that by
permitting Oklahoma to come into the
Union he will be admitting \ demo
cratic viper that may heip 90 drive
the G. o. p. out of business. Thus,
If majority of the voters of the two
territories. vote to ratify the new con-
stitution, as now seems more than
probable, the attempt is to be made to
so Influence the president that he
will prevent the new states admis-
sion, it possible to do SO Whether
he can be used is another question.
but that is the program as now set
forth, First, q determined fight against
ratification by tile voters themselves,
and If they fail in that propose to
make an appeal to Caesar at the White
House. The Il evident hope of the
enemies of statehood is that If they
can delay It year or two longer,
they may change the politics and put
the republicans in power--a hope
which Is not well founded In our
judgment, and is not creditable to
those who are depending on it.
The Advertiser has moro than once
criticised the new constitution, and
has expressed the fir mconviction that
Il will not be satisfactory If adopted,
but that is immaterial now II is
their constitution. framed and en-
dorsed by delegates regularly elected
and qualified, and If it fails to work
well in practice, it will be for them
to correct. Whatever opinion we may
have of that instrument, we have but
feeling OF contempt and condemna-
tion for the efforts being made to de-
feat it, or those engaged in the busi-
ness
Now, we have no doubt that there
are those who wonder why Speaker
Cannon shoGld lend himself ind his
Influence TO such piece OF business
as this, but the reason win be appar
ent to all who will think back few
months. They will remember that
statehood bills were before congress-
Mr.. Cannon wanted to write Arizona
end New Merico into one state ans
Indian Territory into an other For
some reason, which has never beer
made quite plain. he opposed the pas
sage of the Oklahoma measure unless
the other was connected with It
He used all his personal, political and
lotficial influence to carry out his will
and when he found that Arizona and
New Mexico could not be forced into
union, he did all that was In him to
defeat the Oklahoma bill In all this
he had the backing of Roosevelt, but II
all failed, as it richly deserved to do
Here was some more dirty politics
II was known, or generally believed
that if Arizona was admitted as a sep
arate state 1t would send Demo
cratic delegation TO congress and
democrats could control II in the pres.
idential elections, but if New Mexico
were attached the new state would
be republican. This was at the bot
tom of the hard struggle to force
those two together and the effort to
prevent the passage of the Oklahoma
bill was founded on pure spite because
of that failure. When to this we add,
as we have already shown, that the
new state OF Oklahoma will be demo
Grade, 1t Is easy to account for the
position of Cannon and his aiders and
abettors. II the PRECEDENT endorses
and aids the disreputable effort he
may be able to keep Oklahoma ont OF
the Union until after the next election.
Nice business. is It not, for high offi-
cials to engage in2