The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-09-08

| himself or stalking horse for bis
! master in the White House. Mr. Taft
thinks that the men who adopted the
constitution were insincere. He charges
| that. while it promises peoples rule
| through the initiative and referendum.
| it denies it through gerrymander
which would enable the Republicans to
| carlv the state by 10000. yet have
| Democratic legislature and two Demo
! cratic senators This question of gcE-
| REMEMBERING is one about which it Is
ALWAYS easy to make an cutlery. SO
great a traveller us 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 unfairneSs
and cndeavor 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-
stituton itself is eulogized by every
progressive student of government. Its
provisions for safeguarding the peO-
pies 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 I'M
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
FrantZ of Oklahoma, said to me liz
Washington only three months ago
that they We're 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 a new constitu
tiOnal convention.
Suppose the next constitutional con-
vention has even a greater proportion
of Democrats than the last?' l asked.
ut probably will have if you interfere
with the desires of the people. What
them
"Well, we have our president in the
White House: We'll come up to him
again.
In other words, the gang of federal
officeholders now governing the two
territories stand ready to nullify, with
aid from the administration, the ex-
pressed will of the people rather than
give up their fat jobs. And, further
more. it 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 TIE
people of the most prosperous territoty
of the Union
His ExcelIency WhiteIaw Reid.
There are old fashioned people in
the United States who have been ac-
customed to deplore the increasing
practice of sending multimillionaires
to be our ambassadors to foreign lands
They are inclined to think, for exam
pie that George Bancroft. as minister
to Germany. better represented Amer
lean intellect than Charlemagne Tow
err. our present ambassador at Berlin.
Indeed. coming to more recent times,
they hold that either Lowell or Phelps
carried to the court Of st. James more
brains and more of democratic sim
MIR. Wliteiaw Reid. Yet in this as in
other things some compensation is to
be found. 4 friend sent me last week
a copy of London newspaper con-
tanning most eulogiStic article upon
his eXcellency the American ambas-
sadOr. Condensation is necessary,
though the delightfully."- British tone
Of the article would we'll repay publ
cation in full 1t appears among other
things that former American ambas-
sailors We're so far beneath the proper
level that they actually
gave attention to their own establish
nents. Probably their wives did not
actually dust the furniture or answer
he doorbell. but Mr.. Reid is the first
whose housekeeping has been on such
avish scale that Il major domo is nee
.ssary to supervise it.
Furthermore, former ambassadors
we're vulgar enough TO permit callers
without prior appointment Mr. Reid
las risen to the dignity of an English
abroad maSnate who only receives
'ersons after an appointment has been
made by mail. Finest of all. accord
az to the London journalist the pro-
1ncial habit that Americans in London
eretofore have had of fiocking to the
house on the Fourth Of
uly to shake his hand has been cor
ected. The doors of the Reid palace
re closed on the nations birthday to
II save those whose names have been
elected long in advance and who have
eceived special invitation. This seems
Oubly significant to the London editor
hen he reflects upon the fact that il
'as on that same day that King Ed
'ard VII. held garden party and
loved freely among his guests, shak-
lg hands with all the cordially of
dmlnany leader at 81 nicDic The