The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1907-07-05
THE RgpuHLIcAN DILEMMA.

The Republican hosts are milling.
The bosses have about run the length
of their rope Blind as TO conse.
quences, they began vicious fight on
the constitution long before 1t had
been framed. That blind fight has
now wrought both confusion and CON
tention in the Republican ranks. Err
roneous positions always do that
GTonndless kicks don't pay.
The difficulties in the Republican
position are not merely personal
though these are grievous, neither are
they the exclusive product of delay
and do-nothingism, but arise out of
the very logic OF the situation. They
are the legitimate fruits of a seven
months campaign on the wrong trail.
No party can live on mere opposition
and obstruction. 1t is the back trail
aud support of the constitution and
statehood. or ruin for the party for
many years to come, that confronts
them W. Which shall II Ja? Aye.
there's the real question.
II the party turns TO support the
constitution, there is the open con
fession of seven months of unjusti-
fable abtise of an instrument which
they would then ask the people to
support.
II the campaign of abuse. opposi-
tion to the constitution and statehood
and general obstruction is continued
there Is only certain defeat ahead
This defeat would result from active
causes. There are large numbers of
Republicans who Simply will not
stand for any further obstructive tao
tics and an overwhelming number of
the people demand immediate state
hood and settlement Of further in
ternal and partisan disputes after
wards.
The preceding paragraph does not
take into consideration the Democratic
contention that Oklahoma is simply
Democratic and IN that column 20
stay.
The question of "ticket or no
ticket is secondary to the great issue
prescribed by the enabling act which
Is for or against" the constitution.
There Is no lodging that. The Repub-
licans may beat about the bush and
kick because the Democrats wrote
The constitution, but then after all the
kicking there Is the bare. bold issue
Because the question Of ticket or
no ticket is secondary. II must not be
inferred that Il is not a real source
of trouble among Republicans. II Is
as full OF thorns as a horned toad and
sticks every time il is touched.
II the machine does not put out a
ticket. then a ticket will come, any
how, and the machine dies
II II does not put out ticket, then
there are nearly l.2OO candidates who
are not at all likely to spend theiI
money and time asking the people
TO vote fog them and kin the constl
tuition that creates the Office What
ever else he may be, the average Re
publican ofiiceseeker is not fool
SO there you are. The only way
out seems TO be 10 back track on IA,
campaign OF abuse and obstruction
come out for the constitution anC
statehood and put a ticket in the fielC
and fight II out, and take defeat lik,
brave soldiers. IL Il comes.
The trouble about this last sug
gestion is that that is the position
the Democrats have long taken. /
has constantly been their position
and Il would never occur 20 a Repub
liean politician TO do anything tha
a Democrat had done. or even indors'
any action taken By Democratic
body
Therefore are they milling. The,
march up the hill 60 the trio OF tn
Tulsa World. Muskogee Phoenix an,
Oklahoma Post. and straightwa.
marcE down again to the phantasma
gorlcal illusions OF Hamon and Greer