Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1907-12-30


was elected. and even now there Is
fight being made upon him for his seat.
was told by northern Republican
that the reason for this was that the
state had been settled by men coming
from, south Of Mason and Dixon's line.
II this had been true. It's political tenor
would lie easily understood. But as q
matter of fact 1t is not true. Oklahoma
was settled by people who came
from Kansas. Nebraska. Missouri. Col.
0rado and all that bunch Of middle
states which are thoroughly American.
Probably today there Is no community
Of its size which is SO completely and
absolutely an American community A.
this new state of the Union.
Now. this being true. 1t seems worth
while to consider what Oklahoma has
done In the way Of fixing the laws un.
der which II shall be governed. II
adopted constitution Of which Mr..
Roosevelt said that his opinion would
not bear publication and which Mr.
Taft denounced bitterly In a speech
before tho people Of the state. That
constitution provided for the initiative
and referendum under certain condt
lions. 1t declared for the absolute pub
lL0ity OF contributions to camraigu
FUNDS. II limited the liquor business
BY a high license In the Oklahoma side
Of the state and absolutely prohibited
It ia the Indian Territory. 1t gave com.
plete authority to the incoming legisla.
ture to regulate and to destroy, II nee
eSsary. trusts and monopolIes. In brief.
the most thoroughly democratic con.
stitution enjoyed by any community In
the United States is possessed by Okla.
homa. und tho presidents signature ia
tha enabling act makes It part of ths
law Of the land.
Ia It not probable that the example
Of Oklahoma may be the entering
wedge which will split the great log OF
corporate control of other states? This
state has given the first chance to test
tho issues In which millions of people
bolioye. If they prove successful there.
with not the masses Of the people IN
the north demand. us from time to time
constitutions come to be revised. that
they shall be put in accord with the
Oklahoma constitution?
The Democracy Of Tom Johnoon.
That Tom Johnson should have tele-
graphed Mr.. Bryan Immediately upon
the publication Of the latter's letter ex+
prosskn. his willingness to stand us q
candidate for the presidency If his par.
Y requested him to surprised none OF
tho friends Of either Mr.. johnson or
Mr. Bryan. I have known both men
we'll and Intimately for many years.
trhey do not agree on all public CUES
!. Aons. In fact I don't know any two
)1en who do. Eut they do agree on the
fundamental question of making this
q, government democratic. Mayor John
son Is n Single TaXer; MIR. Bryan is not.
Mr.. Bryan stands for certain methods
Of the regulation Of public corporations
which Mr.. Johnson rejects. In 1884
when Bryan was urging the free coin
ags of silver, johnson supported him.
though not believing in free coinage.
1t was not tho fear Of debasing the
currency that kept Johnson silent on
this subject, because as matter OF
fact he chung to the Henry George be-
lief that money should have no intriu-
sic value. bit should be made of paper
unless something cheaper than paper
should lie Gev isod. This was the Henry
George Ca It was based on the theo
~ that money was rirlply tool OF
trade an4 that to mako tools costly
hurt tire industries IN which they were
employed. Bryan never accaded to it.
AS 81 matter OF fact, Mr.. Rryan's Ut
ter refusal TO agree to the greenback
proposition for which so many Of his
followers stood afforded an Illustration
Of the essential conservatism OF the
man. Nobody has been so bitterly at
tackled as Il radical who is at heart SO
cautious and 50 conservative. He said
at the Madison Square Garden that
the time might come when it would be
necessary for the government to own
the railroads. Instantly the hostile
newspapers all over the United States
tried to put him in Il position Of trying
to be n candidate for the presidency
on the issue Of government ownership
Of railroads. He said in later speech
that tho principle OF direct legislation
was q proper and laudiblc one. Today
we find such utterly malignant news
papers as the New York World and
the Washington Post pounding him
day after day, as though he had In
vented the initiative and referendum.
when the principle of direct legislation
had its place In the Democratic ma
tional platform Of 1900 and has now
been made part Of the constitution OF
the new state Of Oklahoma. Now that
Mr.. Bryan has declared himself ii
will be easy to determine who are his
friends and who are his enemies-per
haps 1t might be better to say who are
the friends or the enemies Of the DEM
ocratic party. Is there an element In
the Democratic purity which finds tn