The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-11-14
viuIta, Okla. Thursday, November "A,

people of Oklahoma, and which upon
this subject has undergone no change,
in section 1856, Bunn's Edition, contains
the following:
The supreme executive power
shall be vested in a chief magis-
trate, who shall be styled The Gov
ernor of the State of Oklahoma +"
The Governor shall cause the
laws of the State to be faithfully
executed
Evidently it was the intention of the
trainers of the Cohpt'tution and the
people who adopted il to clothe the
Governor with larger executive power
than any other official in the State.
Yet in the execution OF the laws OF
this State, under the statutes that have
been enacted under our Constitution,
the Governor has very little more pow
er than the lumblest citizen in Okla
homa.
In every well ordered business there
is directing head clothed with auth
ority to act Those who hold subord-
mate positions under him understand
that they must render proper service
in the interest of the instution with
which they are connected, or their
removal will take place. Not so with
the Governor of this State. The local
official is no more bound to heed the
request of the Governor or follow his
advice than he is to heed the request
or follow the advice of a constable.
If we are to have the proper enfor-
cement of the law, the proper respect
for law and the proper government by
law In Oklahoma, our laws must be
enforced uniformally over the State.
TO permit one sort of enforcement in
Oklahoma County, another sort in Mus
kogee County, and still another sort
In Carter County, amounts in the end
to no enforcement Laws statewide
in their application should be statewide
in their enforcement and what is pro-
hibited by state laws in MuskogeeI
County should be prohibited in Okla
homa County and in every other eoun,
ty in the State
The method or the degree of enfor
cement of State laws should not be
left to the various interpretations of
officials in the different localities; and
the Chief Executive Head, or the Gov
ernor of the State. should be the one
to prescribe the sort of enforcement
we are to have, and that enforcement
should be uniform over the State
In order that the Governors author.
ity may be defined and that his re-
quests may be observed by local oflc-
ials, this Legislature should give him
the power to remove summarily from
Office any local official whose duty it
is to enforce the criminal laws of Okla
homa, who fails, neglects or refuses
to enforce them; and this power on
the part of the Governor should not be
restricted to the prohibition law but
to all criminal laws Clothed with
this authority the question of local
sentiment would play very little part,
1t would result in another thing which
would be Immediately helpful to better
local governments it would remove the
bootlegger and the gambeler from loe
Al politics These men have no polit-
les; they are thoroughly organized and
take part In our elections largely as a
matter Of personal gain They are
sufficiently numerous in many localit
iesto hold the balance of power and
they use that power meeilessly If In
community infested by them the
Democratic party chooses as its can
didate for Office man who will show
special favor to this type OF citizens
and the Republican party chooses as
its candidate man who will enforce
the law against them as against any
other ylolater, the Democratic candi-
date will receive the universal support
OF this element Of voters without re-
gard TO politics On the other hand
If the Republicans should choose
man who would show special fayors to
these volaters, and the Democrats
choose candidate who will enforce
the law against them. they all vote,
regardless of politics, for the RepubIi-
can candidate. The result is that in
many localities men are elected to Of
flee who are understood in advance to
be men who will not rigidly enforce
these laws, Whenever gamblers and
hootleggers are given to understand
that the man. whose election they have
procured by their money and influence.
can be removed from offlcethe next
day unless he enfcrecs the law, yoa
win eliminate these men from politics