The daily sentinel., 1907-05-27

For the first time in the history
of the country. the proposed consti-
tuition of a new state has been made
the preteXt for Withholding the pres
idential proclamation of admission
because some of the provisions of the
constitution do not meet the personal
views of the chief executive. Always,
heretofore, it has been the rule to
fight out the question of admission
in congress. When once congress has
passed the enabling act and pre-
scribed the terms of admission, the
formal constitution has been APPROX
ed when submitted without discus
sion and the state admitted as pre-
scribed by congress.
1t happens that Oklahoma is Demo-
cratic and would probably cast its
electoral vote for the Democratic
candidate if it were admitted in time
! to participate in the next election
! Notwithstanding the law and the us
age in such cases, the speaker of the
house and the president are under
stood to have fixed up a plan to de-
lay admission until too late for effect
in the presidential election, solely for
the partisan advantage which might
accrue to the Republican party from
such delay.
This is precisely in line with the
attitude of the president and speaker
in regard to the admission of Ari-
zona. In that case, Arizona has been
promised Independent statehood by
| the national convention of the Re
publican party, it had all the quail
fications for statehood, it was entitl-
ed to admission and home rulel but
the Republican president and speak
er, aided by other partisan leaders,
proposed to compel Arizona to come
into the Union under joint statehood
with New Mexico. The purpose was
to prevent the election of two Demo-
cratic senator's from Arizona: and al
though the plot to compel Joint state
hood was defeated by the Foraker
amendment, il succeeded in defeat
ing statehood for the territory.
To meet any objection by the pres
ident that might be made, a commit
tee from the Oklahoma constitutional
convention is in Washington now. In
a conference with Attorney General
Bonaparte that cabinet officer? told
the delegates the department would
do nothing toward clearing up the
legal tangle which has been preci-
pitated by territorial courts apnar-
entity on proceedings brought in Re
publican interest. These proceedings
are most peculiar. One justice of the
territorial court held that the cleo
tion act adopted by the convention
was invalid. Accordingly the con-
vention repealed this act and passed
another In accordance with his views
Immediately an injunction suit was
brought to prevent election proceed
ings, and another judge who heard
the suit delivered an opinion exactly
adverse to the original court opin-
ion, holding the new ordinance in
valid and enjoining an election.
4 Puzzled by these conflicting opin-
1 ions, the convention sent its delegates
TO Washington. where they asked the
attorney general to appoint counsel
and clear up the muddle. The at
torney general. curiously enough.
could find no way to act: he thought
It might look as though the admins
istration We're taking sides, he could
not appoint counsel, anyway. unless
asked to do so by the president or
some head of a department.
In view of the fact that the con-
stitutional convention is Democratic
and sent Democrats to Washington
on this mission, 1t is not difficult to
trace the attorney generals real rea-
son for this sudden determination to
do nothing. If the latest court de-