The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-04-10
OVENS BANQUET SPEECH
sle IS Is M IS M sIe ga M M s M *. s M M M M M s s IS s se s M

b " q rs SIS sss
distinguished as Que Of the most IN.
tellectial and splendid communities IL
the Union
But just in degree as you have ses
leetcd and perfected the best ideas
from other Nations and made them
your own. so In Oklahoma have we
obtained the most selfreiiant. the
most courageous. the most Industrious
land faithful sons OF other states and
welded them into the mass of our citi-
lzenship, so that we feel as II our ci.i-
2enship in sober truth occupied the
highest present standard in the Unite
States except Bridgeport
This citizenship CT Oklahoma. COM
lprising, as 1t does, many OF your kins-
people Dy blood many sprung from
! the families of Connecticut the fam
lilies of Massachusetts,. Rhode Island
and other New England states. were
called upon recently to write the or
ganic law of oklahoma.
In writing the organic law of Okla
lhoma our people had before them the
CONSTITUTION Of every state in the I'm.
ion and OF every civilized country in
the world These constitutions We're
lannotated They had before them the
decisions Of the courts relative thereto.
! These experiences Of men were thor
loughly studied as a preliminary step
/ in writing this constitution.
It was The purpose Of the people Of
our state to establish two things;
+ First-"Ihe Peoples Rule" ia Ok
lahoma.
Second In addition to the inalien
/ Bile rights OF life, liberty and the pur-
suit of happiness TO establish The
enjoyment Of the gains of their own
Industry"
This latter right is today the great
est political issue in the civilize
world. and one which viii not be set
tied until IL is settled right; until the
right of some men By combination or
! by monopoly to take away from other
men the rewards of their labor shall
have been controlled within dle
bounds.
IL order to bring this about, the first
step was TO establish The Peoples
Rule" and in order to establish the
Peoples Rule" the first step neces-
sary was to be assured that the eandi-
ldate for office was in a willing frame
of mind.
"The Questioning Of Candidates.
with a view, therefore. to writing an
lorganic law in Oklahoma which would
stablish The Peoples Rule" II be-
lcame necessary to put into effect a
lycrv important principle of obtaining
goL 4 government. and that was. the
questioning of candidates Every cam
ltelligenee means and business connec-
tons tl.cy may fan away from you to-
morrow, and, if they do not, you are
promoting q condition which viii leave
lyOur sons and daughters in a position
where they may be easily enslayed.
AT present the farmer who raises
cattle for the market has but one buy
Ter. a buyer that fixes the market and
lthe farmer who produces is, OF course
limited to a bare livelihood by those
able to fix prices. and he merely illus
Itrates what is true in other lines Of
business.
1t Is a fortunate thing for this coun-
try that the development of modern
Intelligence eth It's splendid invep
ions its a. lity to harness the pow
Ars OF nature and with marvellous ere.
alive machinery has made a wealth so
vast that many of our people have had
Ian abundance, so that these increasing
evils to which ! refer have not been
lso seriously realized, except by the
submerged half OF society.
The great problem of today is. to re
store 20 the ordinary human being his
"inalienable right TO life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness
You take my life when you do take
itha paauc hV which | live.
You take my liberty when you de
lpriye me, no matter how slSilfully, nol
how much within the forms OF law
of a reasonable return TO me for my
labor.
You take from me my happiness
when by law You are permitted to de
lprive me of a reasonable return fol
my labor so that for a given number
Of hours OF labor | am not returned
sufficient food shelter and leisure, "
which TO enjoy the common providence
Of God
have no hesitancy in saying thai
1.-The inalienable rights OF man, Of life
liberty and the pursuit OF happiness
have been taken away already iron
1.-The submerged half of our citizenship
by rthe special interests in this coun
lyelop gigantic growth under the sub
, lstantial denial OF the fundamental doc
Urine OF equal rights TO all and spe
cial privileges TO none
There are over six million Womel
compelled to labor for their bread out
! side of domestic service, compieleh
changing the status OF the sexes y
this country. The old relationship y
which man made enough within hl
hours of labor to support a vile an
lchiidren IS gone.
In the submerged half OF our peopi
the man must work all day and "a
woman must work all day, and th
children are also compelled 10 go int
lthe factories aud work long hours
the injury Of body Of mind, and 9
soul. We see extreme luxury on on
/ side. ana extreme poverty on the othe
) II would be better for our people
4 iour stronger men would be contel
: with less luxury with less power an
! II they would voluntarily yield 20 labe
: a larger part OF that wihch lab'
, creates.