New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-09-24
MORE TALKING TO THE GALLERY"

.---
MORE "TALKING TO THE GALLEHY.'
Speaker Champ Clark has taken TO
heart Mr. Underwood's recent suggestion
that the way to get results WIN
Democratic audience in the Kentucky
backwoods is Ito talk to the gallery
MIR. Underwood remarked on the noor OF
the House that the Hon. Ollie james
had won the Democratic nomination LOT
Senator by turning his magnificent vocal
apparatus on the occupants OF the gaI-
lery seats. When Mr.. Clark appeared on
tie stump the other day In Anderson
County. Ky. his old home, he evidently
adopted the Ollie James method. Other
wise it would be hard to account for his
working off on his former friends and
neighbors misleading statements Ike
these:
The Presidents veto of the statehood
resolution was made upon doubtful con-
stitutional authority. After an enabling
act is passed and after a territory, In
conformity Herewith, has adopted
constitution providing a republican form
Of government, she is entitled to admls-
sion. The provisions to go into
state constitution do not depend, un-
der the federal Constitution, upon the
whim, prejudice or taste Of the man
who happens to occupy the White House,
or of the men who happen to be Repre-
sentatives or Senators in Congress, but
upon the will of the voters of the state
itself.
So far as the constitutions Of Arizona
and New Mexico are concerned this Is
an absolute Misrepresentation. Although
a new state, after admission, must be re-
garded as the equal In sovereignty Of
any Of the original states, the Constitu-
ton does not limit the power of Con-
greSS to fix the terms on which admis-
sion is to occur. Congress may exercise,
If it wishes to do so, the right to super
wise and amend the constitution adopted
by the people of a territory seeking
statehood, and the enabling act under
which the people Of Arizona and New
Mexico adopted constitutions expressly
provided that those constitutions must
meet the approval of the President
and should be subject likewise to APP
proval or disapproval by Congress.
President Taft was only complying, with
| the terms Of the law Of 1910 when he
refused to indorse the Arizona consti-
! tuition because it extended the applica-
ton of the recall to judges. He was not
uSurping extra-legal power, but simply
using power vested in him by the legis
lative department.
| Speaker Clark himself at the last ses-
sion did not live up to his declaration
that "the provisions to 90 into con-
"stitution do not depend, under the fed
"eral Constitution, upon the within, pref
"udice or taste Of the man who happens
ito occupy the White House, or Of the
men who happen to be Representatives
cor Senators in Congress" The Demo
cratic majority in the House Of Repre-
sentatives under his leadership passed
two joint resolutions directing the peO-
! pie Of Arizona and New Mexico to
amend the constitutions which they had
submitted, The first resolution was per-
missive in form. allowing amendments
to be made and the second was man
NldNDlH iNqu4illlS lllCll W Dt IldNt. II
Mr. Clark had really believed that the
people of territories which apply for
statehood possess the exclusive right to
say what provisions shall go into their
constitutions, he could not have assented
| to the usurpation by the Democratic
majority in the House Of power which,
when used by the President, he declared
to be "of doubtful constitutional author
lily" He and his associates did exactly
what the President did and what the
enabling act authorized both Congress
and the President to do.
If any violence was done to the Con-
stitution Mr. Clark himself participated
in the outrage, and he would probably
! have been obliged to confess that COM
plicity if he had not felt that a little
talking to the gallery" would be per-
MISSILE and helpful away back in the
wilds of Kentucky.