The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1907-09-07

thinks that the men who adopted 'he
constitution wore inslncere. He charges
that. while it promises peoples rue
through the initiative and referendum
II denies II through q gerrymanuer
which would ennble the Republicans TO
carry the state by 10000 yet nave
Democratic Legislature and two Demo
cratic senators. This question Of ger
Iytnandering ls one about which lt is
always easy to make an ontcry 30
great n traveller as Mr.. Taft might
have had an opportunity by now to
study It's operation In the Republican
states of Rhode Island, Connecticut
and Illinois.
But it seems to me that the answer
TO the charge OF attempted unfalrness
and endeavor TO defeat the political
will Of the people of the two terri
tories Is complete when one says that
they sent to the convention which
adopted this constitution 100 Demo
Gratis and ten Republicans. The con
stimtion itself Is eulogized by every
progressive student of government. Its
provisions for safeguarding the peo-
pe's rights, for conserving public lands
and franchises, for the regulation OF
railroads and for the rule of the major
/ ity by direct popular vote should
arouse, the envy of every American
commonwealth. 1t Is of course un-
derstandable that Mr.. Taft should pre-
| fer TO have the people Of these terri
tories governed from Washington by
the rough rider proteges Of the presi-
dent than TO give them self govern
mcnt. One of these gentry, Governor
| FranZ Of Oklahoma, said to me in
Washington only three months ago
that they were going to. prevent by le-
gal proceedings, injunctions and other
dilatory methods the adoption OF this
constitution or its approval by the
president and demand new constltu-
tional convention.
suppose the next constitutional con-
vention has even greater proportion
of Democrats than the. list?9 I asked
1T probably will have if,you Interfere
with the desires of the people. What
| thenY' IL
"Wcll. we have onr presideAt In the
White House; wen come up TO him
! again" so
In other words, the gang of federal
I ofiiceholders now governing fhe two
territories stand ready to nulllfy. with
aid from the administration. .Nthe ex.
pressed win Of the people rather than
give up their fat jobs. And, further
more, II Is becoming apparent that the
fear Of the electoral vote of the new
state Of Oklahoma in 1908 Is urging
the administration on TO denial of
the right Of self government to the
people of the most prosperous territory
Of the Union
His Exceleney Whitelaw Reid.
There are old fashioned people In
the United states who have been ac-
customed TO deplore the increasing
practice OF sending multlmilllonaires
to be our ambassadors to foreign lands.
They are inclined to think, for exam
pie, that George Bancroft, as minister
10 Germany, better represented Amer
lean intellect than CharleInagne Tow.
or, our present ambassador at Berlin
Indeed, coming 10 more recent times.
they hold that either Lowell or Phelps
carried TO the court OF ST. james more
brains and more of democratic sim
plicity than the present incumbent.
Mr.. Whitelaw Reid Yet in this as In
other things some compensation Is to
be found. A friend sent me last week
copy Of London newspaper con
tanlng Il most euloglstlc article upon
his eXcellcDcy the American ambas.
sador. Condensation Is necessary,
though the delightfully."- British tone
OF the article would we'll repay publi-
cation In full. 1t appears among other
things that former American ambas-
sadors We're so far beneath the proper
ambassadorial level thnt they actually
gave attention to their own establish
mepts. Probably their wives did not
! actually dust the furnituIe or answer
the doorbell, but Mr. Reid is the first
whose housekeeping has been on such
lavish scale that a major domo Is nec-
essary TO supervise IT, ,so1 ~
Furthermore, former ambassadors
were vulgar enough 10 permit callers
without prior appointment Mr. Reid
has risen 10 the digmty Of an English
railroad magnate who only receives
persons after an appointment has been
made by mail. Finest OF all, accord.
Ing TO the London journalist the pro
ylnclal habit that Americans In London
heretofore have had OF docking TO the
ambassadors house on the Fourth OF
| July TO shake his hand has been cor.
rected. The doors of the Reid palace
are closed on the nations birthday to
all save those whose names have been
selected long in advance and who have
received special invitation This seems
doubly significant TO the London editor
when he reflects upon the fact that il
was on that same day that King Ed
ward VII. held garden party and
moved freely among his guests, shak.
ing hands with all the cordlality OF a
Tammany leader at picnic. The
, London paper goes on to phllosophize.
1t sees in this leyellng down ON the
part of King Edward and this leveling
upward on the part of Ambassador
iield indications of social evolution
| that VIII ultimately bring the leaders
OF the two nations, England lnd Amat