The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-01-11

mo lanking board
Prohibition.
There can no longer be honest douht
in any mind that the people OF this
State favor prohibition. On two occa
-ions tAe voice Of tho people has unmis-
aEablv spoken in ii. favor It Is noW
The duty OF the legislature and this ad-
minisration TO see that these demands
are Needed II serves no good purpose
o Try tn disguise the fact that the en-
orcement Of the law in this state has
been unsatisfactory to the people, The
| fault. however, has not been with the
state administration, but with the aw
tself The powers given the governor
ave been entirely inadequate The best
aw, is 70 send enforcement officers
from one community into another to try
to enforce laws that local officials fail
ana occasionally wilfully re'use, to en-
force These imported officials enter
he community with all the influence
| these delinquent local officials and their
friends can command, thrown in their
wa to hinder and obstruot them. Coup
led with this is the natural resentment
hat an Oklahoman holds against the
! system AS citizens of the two terrific
ries prior to state government, we fought
so constantly against the idea OF inn
ported officials, that the doctrine Of
local government has become a fixed
/ principle with nearly all Of us Yet the
state and this legislature owe duty to
the good people Of the state, and the
lawahIding citizens in every commun-
ity no matter how much they may be
IN the minority, are entitled to the pro.
lection Of tile law. If local officials fail
to give this protection, the state mus.
give it: otherwise just and righteous
/ government is a farce and failure
Again regard the present law in
adequate in this We refuse the indi-
vidnal tile right to deal in intoxicating
LIQUORS. holding that the same is wrong
YET in a collective capacity We have
established dispensaries. whore the state
/ handles these outawed liquors. and that
toe. in the face Of the fact that the
people of the state, by popular vote
declared against the dispensary system.
II it is wrong for an individual to sell
Intoxicating liquors, it is wrong for an
aggregation Of individuals TO sell them.
though YOU try to disguise the indi-
yiduals by calling them "the state"
therefore recommend that you abolish
the dispensary system in this state, anl
give the mower to some responsible state
official to remove any officer in the
state whose duty it is to enforce this
law, who fails or refuses to enforce il.
With these amendments effective I am
sure that more satisfactory results will
10 obtained
One Of the chief hindrances to the
proper enforcement of this law is tho
prevailing practice OF gambling in tho
state. a LARGO percentage oe tbe viola
tioe Of this law of prohibition, is direct
ly traceable TO this cause. 1f You will
abolish gambling you will decrease
crime fifty per cent in the state. OF
course no one believes you can pass q
law that win entirely stop gambling
hut ven can lessen the evil As a means
to this end. recommend that YOU make
il a feony for any man 70 run gamb
ling house in this state. When YOU have
passed such a law you have discharged
your duty in this matter fhe resnonsi
hility for results will then be placed
upon other officials and the people o
the state who believe In law enforce
ment.
Re- apportionment
It will he vour duty 20 redistriet th'
state for legislative, judicial and con
greasional purposes. OF course nothns
can be done towards establishing con
gressional districts until congress shat
establish the basis Of apportionment
but this should not cause any delay Il
fixing legislative and judicial districts
In the matter of redistricting the stat
for all of these purposes I trust a spiri
: Of fairness viii characterize your &C
tons. No political party can perma
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