The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-05-12


/ in the deliberate opinion of the pub.
lie, state legislatures are no longer
competent to discharge one OF the
important functions laid upon them
namely, the election of United
/ States senators.
Every winter state legislatures
scandalodsly fail to meet the needs
of their states in other respects. The
lesson will sink in by and by, and
there will be some constitutional
amendments reconstructing the legis-
latlires themselves. 1t was Oklaho-
ma, we believe, that hastily adopted
a Job lot OF laws, and presently dis
covered that her statute books were
adorned with an act regulating har-
bors and wharves for ocean going
vessels--a statute that, with others,
was borrowed bodily from Texas. This
was considered a joke-as was the
duly adopted amendment to the Kan
sas automobile law, requiring that
all political machines operated on the
highways of the state be provided
with lifelines.
The real joke in both cases,
however, was the legislature itself.
taking it by the large, regulating sea-
ports in Oklahoma and the opera
tion of political machines in Kan
sas is about as near as the average
legislature comes to meeting the real
needs of fits state. Considering its
construction and membership, it
could not come much nearer"
The above is reproduced that we
who elect legislators of this state,
may be afforded the opportunity OF
seeing ourselves as others see us
that we may come to our senses
long enough to realize that, while we
are commenting upon the ignorance
of the lawmakers of other states and
laughing at the grisly jests which
adorn the pages of the law books
of those states the entire people of
the entire country are pointing the
finger of ridicule at our own state
and laughing at the jokes We have
upon our own statute books and at
the 'jokers' who placed them there.
Let us ask ourselves in all candor
Has not this condition gone far
enough-should not something-some.
thing radical-be done at once by
way of remedy? There is a solution
for this evil. 1t is in the hands of
the voters. And as a democratic
state, the solution of the situation in
this state is in the hands of the dem
ocratc voters of the state. The So
luton lies in the careful selection OF
good men-of men who will faithfully
represent the interests of the party
and Of the general public as we'll
The election of men who will vote
for laws and not for jokes-the cleo
tion OF men to our legislature who
are able men, who are qualified men,
who are learned in the ways of the
world and arc informed upon the !
needs of the people and posted uDoa |
all affairs of paramount importanc = |
The sooner We, us democrats of Ok !
lahoma, and the sooner we, as cit
izens of Oklahoma, suffer our eyes
to become opened to the crying need |
for good and competent and honest !
legislation, the sooner we will elec!
Legislators who are good and COM
petent and honest, and the sooner
We will have state to who's, laws
and legislature enactments We may
point with pride-laws which other)
states will read and copy for their
.wn well-doing and good.
Therefore. in choosing the aggre-
cation of brains to represent our
interests in the next general assem-.
Dlv of Oklahoma, let us remember
we'll and bear in mind the words OF
he Saturday Evening Post-"The real
oke = was the legislature itself"
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