The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-04-16
SENATOR STEWART
FOR AMENDMENT
AUTHOR OF PROPOSED AMEND
MENT SHOWS NECESSITY OF
ADOPTING 1T.
Editor Ardmoreite:

/ our constitution, commonly Known ds
the railroad amendment, said election
being on April 25, 1911, and the same
is called under senate joint resolu-
tion No. 4, by Stewart of the senate
and Webb of the house. This reso-
luton passed both houses by practi-
cally a unanimous vote, and was duly
signed by the governor.
In view Of the fact that certain
people high up in state life have seen
fit to criticize said proposed amend
ment, l think it my duty to have a
word to say in its defense.
To start at the grass root, my home
town, Hugo, has been endeavoring in
every way possible to build rail
road to Atoka in order that We may
have a northwestern connection, so
that We may better reach the larger
towns of the state, than our present
| railroad facilities afford. When we
took the matter up with people who
build railroads We were always con-
fronted with this section and article
OF the constitution. Our chamber OF
commerce met and voted, without a
dissenting vote, an endorsement of a
plan whereby these distractions could
be removed Their wishes were com
muncated to Mr. Webb and myself,
and we got together and assisted in
drawing up this proposed amend
ment, and introduced same into the
legislature and the resolution was
passed by both bodies. 1t was urged
that an amendment of this character
be submitted, separate and distinct
from any other questions, in order
that the people could vote directly
upon this question without having
same loaded down with other propo-
sitions, and in this we were success
full. Before I introduced the resolu-
tion in the senate, | talked with all
the members OF the corporation COM
practically all the state officers, to-
gether with quite number of union
labor leaders, and with our distin-
guished ex-governor, and asked for
advice upon the subject and explained
fully that ! did not care to go into
it unless | had the co operation of
the leading democrats in the state
and especially those who occupy po-
sitions of authority, and several of
the union labor leaders suggested this
very amendment, to which | readily
accepted and introduced. Not a sim
gle person made any objection to it.
| made my speech in the senate ad-
vocating the amendment and quoted
the fact that | had consulted prac-
| tically all of the officers and ma OBJ.
| tically all of the officers and no OBJ
and that | was of the opinion that
the amendment would go through
without any serious objections from
any one. The senate journal will
show what I said. The papers were
full of it at that time and not word
Of complaint was uttered. The Ok
lahoman gave out an editorial point
ing out the fact that it was a victory
for union labor; that the other amend
ments did not suit the union labor
people and it was not until this
amendment was introduced that those
people got what they wanted.
In the first place, If any one wants
to be fair in this matter and will care
fully read the amendment over, he
cannot come to any other conclusion,
than that the amendment only per
mits railroads to sell out to other
lines and to allow foreign corpora
tions to exercise right of eminent do
main, and the ballot title that has
been furnished the secretary of state
does not remotely reflect the plain
common sense English Interpretation
OF the amendment. This is all that it
does and no one to be fair can con-
tend that it does anything else. We
know it to be a fact that there has
been no railroad building in our state
since statehood. 1t is true that one
or two railroads that were financed
prior to statehood have been COM
pleted since. And it is another fact
that a few small railroads in the west |
ern part of the state, where nature
has made the country as level as a
floor, and to construct them needs but |
little money, have been built since
statehood. but there has been no rail |
roads built to speak of in the eastern
part of the state since Section Q, Arti. |
Gle 8 has been in our constitution.
| was not taught in that democratic |
school the idea TO retard the progress
OF the state and build a wall around .
il and say to the outside world that |
we did not want other people coming