Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1907-09-16
VOTES TOMORROW
TO ACCEPT OR REJECT THE
CONSTITUTION
Campaign Just Closed Has Been One
Unusual Interest 10 fhe
Entire Country
INDICATIONS FAVOR ACCEPT
TANcE OF THE con-
STITUIION

Guthrie. okla. sept. lG.-Tomor-
row the people Of Oklahoma and Ind
ian Territory will vote to accept or re-
iecf the constitution which. IL accept
ed. wili admit these communities TO
the Union as the state Of oklahoma.
Al the same time the people will vote
for state officers, members of Congress.
legislative and county officers and
wiil also ballot on the question Of
prohibition.
The campaign Eow closed has been
one Of unusual interest and has at
tracted the attention of the entire coun-
try. " oklahoma Statehood becomes
an accomplished fact before the pTesi-
dentiaI election nest year the result
NAV have an important bearing on
that contest. This, combined with
other circumstances. has caused The
political leaders Of both parties to take
q keen interest IN the campaign lead
ing ~ 10 tire voting tomorrow. Both
parties have sent some Of their best
eampaigner into the twin territories,
tire iist of Republican speakers being
headed by Secretary of War Taft and
that Of the Democrats by William
Jennings Bryan.
The indications are that the consti-
tuition will be ratified by the people.
Ever since ifs FINAL adoption by the
constitutional convention the docu-
ment has been a subject Of much dis
eussion, chiefly because Of the DoIiti-
cal controversy over the question Of
its approval by the President, whose
approval and proclamation arc neces.
sary before Oklahoma can be placed
on the Statehood roll.
While partisan bias has caused con-
Siderable criticism ~ the c0nstitu-
tfoa il has many features which are
likely 10 commend themselves to the
public without distinction as to politi-
cal creed. Among those are the proyi-
sions against child labor, those pro-
hibiling the issuance Of watered stocks
and making the books Of quasi-pubIic
corporations sab Icet at all times to
inspection, the employers liability
law. the eight-hour law for state,
county and municipal work and the
provisions for stringent regulation Of
railroad and other large corporations.
The constitution contains several
features that cmbody the latest ideas
on the subject " government ~ the
rseople-namely the Initiative and
referendum and nomination Of officers
By direct primary instead Of through
the party convention system. The in
isiative and referendum clause was
patterned after the oregon law.
II the constitution goes through Ok
Iahorna will be q prohibition state,
the most stringent liquor law in ex-
.stencc. prohibiting not only the sale,
but the introduction Of liquor into
tie state, Icing provided for. The
.I...T hat nj ion
Territory must accept prohibition for
txentv-one years. The convention
provided that tbs whole state shall
vote on the question and there is said
to be little doubt that the terms of
the enabling act will be made uniform
over the " hole state. The recent ac-
tion Of Georgia in prohibiting the sale
Of iiqu0r Is expected to help the pro-
hibitlon issue in oklahoma.
The constitution is about three times
a long as the average document Of its
kind. This unusual length is in part
explained BY the fact that about
oue third of the document is taken
up with fixing county boundaries,
another large section Is devoted 10
deniing how the question Of prohi-
bition shall be submitted 10 the vote
of the people. while another long sec
tion rciatcs % the principle Of the in
ltiativc and referendum.
Among the more or less interesting
pros isions contained in the remainder
of the document are the following
The legal rate Of interest 10 fixed ai
f per cent and the contract rate At 10
per cent. 4 compulsory and separate
school system is established Com
n1lssi0r. are created on labor and
arbitration. charities, insurance., rail
roads. agriculture, oil. gas and
uines. The state seal adopted Is a
combination of the present seal 81
| Oklahoma and the seals 81 the nations
~ the Five Civilized Tribes.
While the vote on the constitution
+ naturally regarded as Of most I'M
| nortanec. The contests for state officer
| AMI rnembers 81 Congress have been
of = spirited character and are attract.
| fur much attention on the eve Of ths
election. The Democratic gubernator
iaI candidate. whose followers arr
confident will be elected tomorrow
~ handsome pIhrality, Is &. >.
| Haskell. a newspaper publisher %
| uuskoaee. The Republican standard
/ bearer is Frank Frantx, who IS a
present governor of oklahoma Terri
| tory. under appointment of PresideB