The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-09-21

JrST 4 RElfINDER.
Democratstof Oklahoma will hs

WemorratstOf Ilklahoma VIII haru-
y allow themselves 10 become
blinded by the fact that the real
issue in the prescns campaign Is
khe slccti6n Of president Of the
United States Neither the Dem
ocrats Of Oklahoma nor The. liberty
loving Republicans are apt 70 for
gel that one OF the leading can
didates for President gave freely Of
Ibis time and. talent for years la
bering 10 secslre for Oklahoma the
right Of statehood and eelf-gcvern-
ment. while tthe other carried bis
opposition to our political cniaEci-
patton so far as to journey all the
way from Washington and urge our
people to vote down the constitu-
lion, which had been written and
submitted to them for ratification
or rejection. The attitude Of BRYAN
towards Oklahoma aud her consti-
tuition is typical Of the man. The
great Nebraskan radiates Dmoc-
racy OF the purest and highest
type. 10 his great mind the idea
of a million and a half Of intelli-
gent and GOd-fearing citizen, be-
ing held in political bondage and
denied The right Of self-goyernmcnl
for 4 single moment vas utterly re-
pugnant he believed Oklahoma
should hsve statehood. lie aided
while in Congress in the battle for
our liberation. After an enabl-
ing Act had been forced through
an unwilling Republican Congress,
lhe came t1 Oklal.ama and lent us
'dhe assistance Of his great mind
and warm hear5 IN formulating the
organic law for our now common
wealth. through Ills influence with
the Oklahoma voters and aflerwar1
with our chosen representative in
the constitutional convention, Mr..
Bryan saw written in the Okla
homa constitution every advanced
idea Of government, applicable to
state, which he has coniended for
since his initiation in politics twenty
years ago.
In no less marked degree the
attitude Of Mr. Taft towards our
people and our constitution is. typ
ical of his nature. Taft, the aris-
boerat. who questions the ability Of
the people to manage their own
affairs and objects 10 the Initial
live and Referendum because it
places too much power in the hands
Of the peope, could lind nothing re-
pugDant in the idea Of ,cilion
and a half of people being held in
political bondage and governed bv
carpet-bag grafters Shipped down
from Indiana and Washington.
To Taft, The aristocrat, the pro-
visions of our organic law which
insures to every man an equal voice
in the affairs Of the State govern
mant and guarantees to rich and
poor alike absolute equality before
'ihe law, an equal protection for
life, liberty and property, seemed
utterly undesirable ard absurd, and
he swept them all aside hy declaring
| ponderously, that there "was iio con-
Ptitution at all, but only a code of
laws. To his aristocratic mind. The
idea that one Of the common herd
who incurred the anger Of a judge
el4oul1 be protected from unjust
punishment Tor alleged contempt by
a provision guaranteeing the right
Of trial by jury Of his peers be-
fore punishment was inflicted, was
appalling With hands upraised in
holy horror. he pointed to that pro-
vision in the bill Of rights IN the
Oklahoma constitution and declared
thai. il II were put in operation,
in less than three moaths the courts
Of the State would be absolutely
diseredited shorn Of all power and
made weak vessels Of no effect.
The attitude OF Candidate Tart
and Of Candidate Bryan towards
the Oklahoma constitution is each
typical Of the man. Which will
the honesb people Of Oklahoma
choose? DO they want for Presi-
dent the man who said that the
Initiative and Referendum was a
dangerous provision in our constiuu-
tion because It placed too much
power in the hands Of the peo-
lple, or viii they choose for Presi-
dent the Great Contmoner who
declared hhat the people may al
ways be trusted and suggested az a
motto for the new state, Let thg
People Rule
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How do toe Republican member'
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