Omaha daily bee., 1907-08-25
Defects in New Constitution Are
Pointed Out.
Q MANY UNNECESSARY OFFICES
Limitations on Taxation Would Limit
Schools to Two Months.
VOTE AGAINST RATIFICATION
Mr.. Taft Says IL IL Easier to Reject
Unsatisfactory Instrument and
Draft New One Than 20
Amend Ii.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Aug. 2A--secretary
of War TAFT addressed large audience
here tonight in convention hall. He dis
claimed all authority to speak for the ma
tional administration on any topic, but
said that IL he were n citizen of Oklahoma
he would vote against the ratification of
the new constitution because OF defects
which he pointed out. He said that II Is
easier to draft new instrument than 1t
would be to amend an unsatisfactory one.
Mr.. Taft began by defining the issues OF
the oklahoma and Indian Territory state
election as two-fold. First, the acceptance
or rejection of the constitution and. Sec
ond, the election of a republican or demo-
cratic state and legislative ticket and
United States senator's; explained his at
titude as that of n republican, putting him
self in the place of citizen of Oklahoma
and advising the republicans of oklahoma
in respect to the wisdom or otherwise of
adopting the constitution, He dlsclaimed
entirely any authority to speak for the
president on the subject of the validity or
invalidity of the constitution for the reason
that the function which the president per-
formed judicial one as to whether
the proposed constitution conformed to the
enabling act and the constitution of the
United States. 1t was not the function
of the president to reject the constitution
merely because he did not approve its wis
dom and did not like it's provisions from
a political standpoint
Writ of Injunction Necessary.
Mr.. Taft commented at length on the
necessity for maintaining the power OF the
courts and condemned the requirement that
jury trial should intervene between an or
der of injunction and punishment for its
violation. He said that the writ of in
junction was one of the most beneficial
writs that n court could have and that 1t
is just as useful in defense of the poor
as in the defense of the rich and any weak
ening of 1t as an instrument for remedy
ing wrongs would operate In favor of the
rich malefactor He spoke at length on
the hypocrisy of the trainers of the con-
stitution in purporting to make an instru-
ment by which the will of the people should
be sustained pure and undehled and then
by the merest political trickery and
chicanery. adopt plan by which there
might be majority Of 10000 for the re-
publican ticket In the state and yet there
be democratic legislature and two demo-
cratic senator's thus securing an express
sion OF popular will with two democratic
senators to represent a. republican ma"
jority, but this itself shows what mock
cry an attempt by initiative and referen-
dunn to ascertain the true will of the peo-
pie was and how empty their declaration
Let the people rule"
Many Unnecessary 0mcers.
The secretary comments on the heavy ex-
pense which the state would be subjected
to in the unnecessary number Of offices
and also upon the severe impairment of the
system of education by limitations upon
taxation for educational purposes, which
in the Indian Territory it was said by those
who knew would probably not afford more
than two months education In a year. The
constitution provided for separate schools.
white and negro, and yet made no provi-
sion by taxation for carrying out any such
system. For these reasons the secretary
said that II lie were a citizen of Oklahoma.
he would certainly vote for the rejection
of the constitution. because he believed
that It was a great deal easier to reject
the constitution than to amend 1t so as to
eliminate its defects, and he would be con-
fident as a citizen that the next congress
would come to the aid of the people OF
Oklahoma by a new enabling act and q
new convention.
National Issues Taken Up.
| Secretary Taft then took up again the
national issues, the tariff and the disas-
J trous effect OF revision Of II. the policy
with respect to the dependencies In the
{ Philippines. the question whether We should
have government ownersip or railway regds
lation, the treatment by the present ed-
! ministration of trusts. the foreign policy
and the navy, and urged that the new
state OF Oklahoma and said that It should
be astate that would range itself under the
progressive principles OF Theodore Roose-
welt, who did things. than in the ranks
of a party of ineficiency and negation like
! the democracy which had the support molly
OF the states OF the solid south. united
/ by the ghost OF a past issue in the un-
founded fear OF so-called negro domina-