The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-09-14

|nouncement of Governor Haskell from
Oklahoma City that he will submit the
proposed amendments to the constitu.
ton for high license and local option
and tor women's suffrage to a vote
lot the people at the general election in
November has created no end of spec.
ulation among politicians as to the eff
feet of this action upon the political
campaign and the probable result OF
the vote on these two issues. The
democrats in their platform this year
have declared that prohibition is not a
political issue and made no declara-
tion either for or against it in their
platform. Their candidate for cover.
nor, however, Lee Cruce of Ardmore,
in his primary campaign came out
fiat-footed for prohibition.
The republican platform is silent on
the prohibition question, except it de.
clares for enforcement of the law
while it is on the statute books. How
ever, Joseph w. McNeal, the republi-
can candidate for governor, was one
of the men indorsed by the anti-saloon
league as being friendly to prohibi-
tion. With both democratic and re-
publican candidates for governor ar
Hrayed on the prohibition side Of the
contest it is not patent at this time
how the prohibition question which
will be brought to the front in this
campaign in connection with the adj
option or rejection of local option can
be made political issue as between
republicans and democrats.
1t is this consideration, probably
among others, that led Governor Has
kell to decline to call a special elec-
tion for vote on prohibition and to
allow it to be voted upon in the gen
eral election. He probably figured
that it would not be likely to confuse
political issues as between the two
political parties, as their party plat
forms and candidates stand practi-
cally upon the same ground as to this
question.
1t was learned here today, however,
that the Anti-Saloon League urged
that the vote on the proposed high IL
cense and local option amendment be
had at the general election. The league
figures that it will be much more diff
cult for the anti-prohibitionists to
carry their amendment at the gen
eral election than at a special election,
where only portion of the voters of
the state would participate.
In order to adopt a constitutional
amendment majority of all the votes
cast in the election are required. The
maximum vote will doubtless be cast
in the coming general election which
will make it more difficult for the antis
to secure enough votes to carry their
amendment
In the first state election vote, the
heaviest yet cast in the state, the total
vote was 257,24O. The recent federal
census shows gain in population Of
16.S per cent over the special 1907
census.
II the voting population has increas-
ed proportionately total of approxi-
mately 297,OOO votes should be cast in
the coming election. To secure a ma
jority of all the votes cast and to Sc
cure the adoption of the high license
and local option amendment to the
constitution it would be necessary.
therefore for the antis to poll in ex-
cess Of 14S,5OO votes in favor of the
In the first state election. when pro-
hibition was adopted, there were only
1928 votes cast against prohibition
in the state Allowing the 16.s per
cent increase on this vote also the
antis could poll a little over $4,000