The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-02-01

this time needed or desirable. This
legislature may spend the remainder
of the session amending our banking
law, and II Is questionable whether
Or not 1t viii be as satisfactory at the
end Of that time as IL 10 now with
the three suggested changes made.
would especially urge that this mat
ter be as quickly isposed of as pos
sible, In order that the banking af-
fairs OF the state may speedily be
put upon sounder and more salts
factory basis
Prohibition
The suggestion made to you thac
power should be given to some respon-
sible state official to suspend or re-
move delinquent county officials
whose duty 1t is to enforce the prohi-
bition laws OF this state, seems to
nave met with stubborn and success
full opposition | realize as thorough
ly as any one can that this is giving
great powor into single mans
hands; but YOU are face TO face With
this proposition. The people of the
state have declared In favor OF pro-
operation OF the law county bound
aries shall not be respected, but
! that 1t must be statewide In It's ap-
pication They Lave instructed you
and me. as plainly as an expression
OF their suffrage can instruct us, to-
enact and enforce laws that will give
them the results they demand. | am
willing to shoulder my part of the re-.
sponsibility, and will undertake, hon
estly and effectively, to enforce the
law If you will clothe me with prop
or power
The contention that to give me the.
power have asked at your hands is
undemocratic, Is OF small pOtentiality
| in the presence OF the fact that the
law is being ruthlessly violated day
after day. There Is q higher princi-
pie of democracy upon which rests
the entire structure Of our govern
ment--the doctrine that the people
shall rule Our government fails mis-
erably when 1t fails to respond TO
the demands OF the people. Law-abid-
| ing citizens of the state are entitled
10 protection and enforcement of our
laws, and we cannot excuse ourselves
Or satisfy them by the plea that we
are afraid to eatrust great power in
one mans hands BY the terms OF
cur constitution. which has met with
overwhelming endorsement on the
part of our people, IL is made the duty
OF the governor to execute the laws
of the state. No quibbling then about
too much power, | have simply
asked that YOU vitalize that proyi-
sion OF the constitution and pay heed
TO the voice of the people as express
ed at the polls. In loyalty to the prin-
eiples OF the Democratic party |
yield TO no man. but il the rights OF
the law-abiding people of the state
cannot be protected against the law
yiolators without violating Demo
cratic rincipes-then our party is
q useless thing, and we should SO
proclaim to the people.
Strict Enforcement
4 The Democratic Platform, upon
which every Democratic official in
, this state was elected to office,
promised the people strict enforce
ment of the law We pledged our al.
legiance to that platform Trusting
us, the people elected us to office.
AS for me. ! am not willing to turn
my back upon the people. Be it un-
derstood, ! am not counting despotie
power To no one is great power
more distasteful, aud no one would
exercise ii with greater caution Nor
lido | believe that it would be neces-
sery often to resort to an exercise of
such power. In practice, it would
| 'perate very much on the same prin-
iples as the initiative and referen-
| ,um provision of our constitution,
rhe chief virtue OF that law is, not
| hat the people will often resort to it.
ent that they can at any time use it,
Just so with this law; the fact that
he governor has such power would
| uake local officials do their duty, and
| here would be few occasions wnen
he power would have to be exercised
The law would not interfere with any
local official doing his duty Certain
| Y no one will contend that the local
official, who fails and refuses to per
| orm his duty, has any right to hold
"A Office in any county in this state,
| the pending BILL as il finally pass
led the lower branch of the legisla-
sure, becomes a law, it will deprive
Ilhe governor of what power be now
mas to enforce the law and leave
him as powerless in the matter as
Iany private citizen of the state.
hope you will not thus tie my hands
but II in your wisdom you shall so
decree. then ask you in fairness to
lme and TO the people of state that
Ian power to enforce the prohibition
llaws OF Oklahoma are taken from
Ithe governor and committed to the
lccal authorities of the state
lstrona FEELING
have spoken frankly and plainly
Iapon this subject, because fee
strongly about the matter Standing
lsouarely upon the platform upor
which ! ran for governor. repeat
ledly promised the people If elected
would honestly try to enforce ths
prohibition law The people elected
me and | ahl persuaded they expee
lme TO fulhll that promise II yol
deprive me OF the power yoa max,
Il impossible for me to keep the com
lpact my party made for me with thi
lpeople. II we are to have reign 0
local bootlegism in this state | am dc
,termsnel that II shall not be n