The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1910-10-21

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initiated measures, under the initia-
tive and referendum procedure: one
IS popular or peoples referendum.
-Four are offered as amendments 10
the constitution
Chief among he lot is the proposed
constitutional amendment TO substi-
tute local option and high license for
statewide prohibition, which vas IL
itiated by the Sons Of Washington.
state organization opposed TO gen
eral prohibition. The proposition has
been through the courts, not as TO its
legality, but as to the procedure en-
ployed in getting it to a vote When
matters are initiated under the Ok
lahoma law petitions calling for a
vote are filed with the secretary OF
state. from which either side has the
right to appeal to the supreme court.
but the latter's finding Is final
Another initiated proposition is
Campbell RusselPs New Jerusalem
project, proposing to locate the state
capital within FIVE miles Of a town
and within a specified distance from
the geographical center OF the state.
If adopted, the New Jerusalem pro-
iect, which also includes the building
Of city around the seat Of govern
ment, would supercede the location
ATTEMPTED at the election of June Il,
which is now before the supreme
court The New Jerusalem idea does
not move the seat Of government from
Guthrie until after 1913, in obedience
to the Oklahoma enabling act
The third initiated proposition is an
amendment to the suffrage section of
the constitution. giving women the
right to vote, and like the local op-
tion and New Jerusalem propositions,
has been through the courts on points
of procedure only.
The only straight peoples referen-
dunn is the Bryan election law en-
acted by the Second legislature in
special session, and is presented at
lorfganization. The Bryan law propos-
ed a repeal of the Taylor ribbon bal
formers passage before the supreme
court upon referendum petitions also
filed by republicans and, while il
was nominally charged that reference
of the Bryan law was in effect on at
tempt to prevent the repeal of the
Taylor act at the special session en-
acting the Bryan law, bill was
passed giving an Independent repeal
of the ribbon ballot act, thus effect
lively putting it out of the way by
Legislative action. While the Bryan
law now being referred to proposes
TO return to the emblem ballot of ter
ritorial days, republicans assert that
other features are manifestly unfair
and partisan for the party which hap
pens to be in power.
The legislature has referred for the
November s. election, an amendment
to the greatly discussed Section g.,
Article TX, of the public corporation
portion of the constitution This was
an act of the second legislature in
Irregular session completed long be-
fore the initiation Of Section 40 to
the same article by the railroads OF
| Oklahoma, and which was defeated at
the special election of June II The
proposed Section 49 repealed in effect
a number of sections, among them
being that governing the keeping and
submission Of public service corpora
tions within the state. The corpora
tion commission at that period was in
a bitter controversy with the railroad
lines over the production of reports
and earning statements upon which
the commission proposed to base a
new alignment of freight rates and
Iopenly regarded a repeal of the so
called general office provision as fatal
to its effectiveness as an organization.
Had the objectiona feature been
eliminated it was understood at the
time the commission would not have
Iopposed a reasonable revision of some
OF the provisions, but the directing
head Of the railroad organization de-
clined to do so The commission
joined forces with the State Fedora
ton of Labor and the State Farmers
Union, accomplishing the defeat of the
Iproposition by a heavy majority.
The amendment to Section g. sub
mitted by the legislature and to be
voted upon November s, is a dupli-
cate of the Louisiana constitutional
Iproyision, and will give the railroads
at least a portion of what they de-
sire. In effect. it is believed to en-
Itirely repeal Section 8, as it exists to-
day, by giving authority to foreign
corporation to purchase and consoli-
date with their owu nrouer4y fba