Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1907-09-17

Guthrie Okla. Sept. 17.-roday
the people of Oklahoma and Indian
Territory will vote to accept or re-
jeci the constitution which. n ac-
cepted, VIII admit these communi-
ties 20 the Union as the state OF Ok
lahoma. Al the same time the people
will vote for state officers. members
OF congress. legislative and county
officers ana viii also ballot on the
question of prohibition.
The campaign now closed has
been one OF unusual interest and has
attracted the attention OF the entire
country III Oklahoma statehood be-
comes an accomplished fact before
the presidential election next year
the result may have an important
bearing on that contest. This. com
bined with other circumstances. has
caused the political leaders OF both
parties to take a keen interest i'm the
campaign leading up 10 the voting
today Both parties have sent
some of their best campaigners into
the twin territories. the list OF Re
publican speakers being headed by
Secretary of war Taft and that Of
the Democrats by William ]. Bryan.
The indications are that the con-
stitution will be ratified by the peo-
pie. Ever since its final adoption
by the constitutional convention the
document has been subject of
much discussion, chiefly because OF
the political controversy over the
question of its approval by the pres
ident. whose approval and procla-
nation are necessary before okla
homa can be placed on the state
hood roll.
While partisan bias has caused
considerable criticism of the consti-
tuition it has many features which
are likely to commend themselves to
the public without distinction as TO
poIi$ical creed Among these are the
provisions against child labor. those
prohibiting the issuance of watered
stocks and making the books OF
quasi-pIblic corporations subject at
all times to inspection, the employ
ers liability law. the cight-hour law
for state county and municipal work
and the provisions for stringent reg
ulation Of railroads and other large
corporations
The constitution contains several
features that embogy the latest ideas
on the subject of government by the
people namely, the initiative and
referendum and nomination of off
GERS by direct primary instead of
through the party convention sys
tenn. The initiative and referendum
clause was patterned after the Ore
gon law
If the constitution goes through
Oklahoma viii be prob 'bition
state the most stringent liquor law
in existence prohibiting not only the
sale, but the introduction of Iiouor
into the state being provided for.
The enabling act provided that In
dian Territory must accept prohibi-
tion for twenty-one years The con-
veution provided that the whole
state shall vote on the question anc
there is said to be little doubt tha,
the terms of tho enabling act Will
be made uniform over the whole
state The recent action Of Georgia
in prohibiting The sale of liquor is
expected TO help the prohibition is
sue in Oklahoma.
The constitution is about three
times as long as The average docu-
ment of its kin1. This unusual
length IS i'm part explained by the
fact that about onc-thiri of the doc
ument IS taken mp with fixing county
boundarics another large section is
devoted fo defining bow the oues-
tion of prohibition shall De submit
ted to The vote o ftho people. while
another long section relates to the
principle of the initiative and refer
endum
Among the more OR less interest
ing provisions contained In the re-
maioder OF tine document are tho
following
The legal rate Of interest Is fixed