The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-09-27
ORGANIC LAW PROTECTS

The belated effort to change the
two-cent passenger car fare law Of Ok
lahoma is not due to the fact there
was never before opportunity to bring
the cases into the cours
When the law was declared inef
feetual IN other states. and great
long diatribes written against it, those
whose duty it was to look after pas
senger rates in he new state were
neither idle or Quiescent
Nave. verify. naye
The people OF Oklahoma had chOs-
en- representatives 90 the constitution
al convention who knew the needs OF
the public and listened not to the
voice of the lobbyist temper
The two cent passenger fare for
Oklahoma was written into the or
ganic law of the state.
The vote TO adopt the constitution
set lei the case insofar as the peo-
pie Of the state were concerned. La.
ter the President put the seal of ap-
proval upon that constitution, and Il
then became powerful in its agency
for betterment throughout the South.
west
Moreover the organic law gave 10
the corporation commission of this
state certain peculiarly specified pow
ers. Those rights have been main.
tanned They have mitigated TO the
general good They are fair to all
honest men: 10 all legitimate enter
prise They are not very good for
fakir operators. no matter what be
the purpose purported by the fakir.
Oklahoma railroads petitioning 70
effect that a two cent passenger fare
Is hurtful and non-profltable. is ludi-
crous In a stare where the roads
can not get enough coaches to haul
The passengers and whore freight cars
sell for a premium. the claim of insult
ficient traffic makes one laugh
What the railway lines of this state
need is more coaches TO accommodate
passengers. more freight cars TO
haul The produce of the growing com
monwealth: more railroads to reach
ont and handle the ever increasing
products of the people who reside
here.
A story 10 effect that railroad
line in this state is not profitable Is
really admission someone, somewhere
does not understand how TO handle
business I'm ate Whe here
are rot ccqclrg cnor"h 70 hanl the
pconle ia and hn and where freight
cars are from one 10 five davs be
hind In The hoev eee-cn. ~ seems
strange reputable men would oven In
timate they can not make thei~ di
visions pay dividends when the bust
ness exceeds the capacity of the line
OklahOmans have no need % fear
that the two cent passenger rate will
rot stand In this state. Il was com
menced right The men who wrote
the original law meant what they
wrote and wrote what any man can
understand The provisions and err
rors of othe~ states do not enter into
conditions hece We are safe aud
We are right
There are innumerahle other in.
stances of whore the organic law OF
the state stands be ween the people
and wrong. That Is what comes Of
trusting the people and their actual
representatives, of going to
the people for proper authority
That Oklahoma has weak laws i'm
instances can not be doub ed, for the
work of man is never perfect But
there is not the slightest reason to
doubt we have the hest laws as 70
relation between the people aud the
corporations
The two cent passenger fare rate
for Oklahoma aill stand Il is fair.
just. and properly created Bevond
that human intellect can not hope %
go.