The American Issue (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 7, No. 2, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 1, 1911 Page: 4 of 20
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The American issue
uut with the law itself. The powers given the g nernor have
been entirely inadequate. The best the governor can do, un-
der the present law, is to send enforcement officers from one
community into another, to try to enforce laws that local of-
ficials fail, and occasionally wilfully refuse to enforce. These
imported officials enter the community with all of the in-
fluence these local officials and their friends can command,
thrown in their way, to hinder and obstruct them. Coupled
with this is the natural resentment that an Oklahoman holds
against the system. As citizens of the two territories prior
to state government we fought so constantly against the idea
of imported officials that the doctrine of local self-govern-
ment has become a fixed principle with nearly all of us. Yet
the state and legislature owe a duty to the good people of
this state, and the law-abiding citizens of every community
no matter how much they may be in the minority, are en-
titled to the protection of the law. If local officials fail to
give this protection, the state must give it; otherwise just
and righteous government is a farce and a failure.
Again I regard the present law inadequate in this: We
refuse the individual the right to deal in intoxicating liquors,
bolding that the same is wrong, yet in a collective capacity
we have established dispensaries where the state handles
these outlawed liquors, and that, too, in the face of the fact
that the people of the state, by popular vote, declared against
the dispensary system. If 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 in-
dividuals by calling them “the state.” I therefore recommend
that you abolish the dispensary system in this state, and give
the power 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 it. With these amendments affect-
ive I am sure that more satisfactory results will be obtained.
One of the chief hindrances to the proper enforcement of
this law is the prevailing practice of gambling in the state. A
large percentage of the violation of this law of prohibition is
directly traceable to this cause. If you will abolish gambling
you will decrease crime fifty per cent in this state. Of course
no one believes that you can pass a law that will entirely stop
gambling, but you can lessen the evil. As a means to this end
I recommend that you make it a felony for any man to run a
gambling house in this state. When you have passed such a
law you have discharged your duty in the matter. The re-
sponsibility for results will then be placed upon other offi-
cials and the people of the state who believe in law enforce-
ment.
or satisfy them by the plea that we are afraid to entrust great
power in one man’s hands. By the terms of our constitution,
which has met with overwhelming endorsement on the part
of our people, it is made the duty of the governor to execute
the laws of the state. No quibbling then about too much
power. I have simply asked that you vitalize that provision
of the constitution and pay heed to the voice of the people as
expressed at the p Ils. In loyalty to the principles of the
democratic party I yield to no man, but if the rights of the
law-abiding people of the state cannot be protected against
the law violators without violating democratic principles—
then our party is a u-eless thing, and we should so proclaim
to the people.
From SPECIAL MESSAGE. JANUARY 30.
Prohibition.
The suggestion I made to you that power should be given
to some responsible state official to suspend or remove de-
linquent county officials, whose duty it is to enforce the pro-
hmmc.j iaws of this state, seems to have met with stubborn
and successful opposition. I realize as thoroughly as any-
one can that this is giving great power into a single man’s
hands; but you are face to face with this proposition: The
people of the state have declared in favor of prohibition, and
have said that in the operation of the law county boundaries
shall not he respected, but that it must be state-wide in its
application. They have instructed you and me, as plainly as
an expression of their suffrage can instruct us, to enact and
enforce laws that will give them the results they demand.
I am willing to shoulder my part of the responsibility, and
will undertake, honestly and effectively, to enforce the law if
you will clothe me with proper power.
Tho contention that to give me the power I have asked
at your hands is undemocratic, is of small potentiality in the
presence of the fact that the law is being ruthlessly violated
day after day. 1 here is a higher principle of democracy upon
which rests the entire structure of our government—the doc-
trine tuat the people shall rule. Our government fails miser-
ably when it fails to respond to the demands of the people.
Law-abiding citizens of the state are entitled to the protection
and enforcement of our laws, and we cannot excuse ourselves
Strict Enforcement.
The democratic platform, upon which every democratic
official in this state was elected to office, promised the people
a strict enforcement of the law. We pledged our allegiance
to that platform. Trusting us, the people elected us to office.
As for me, I am not willing to turn my back upon the people.
Be it understood, I am not courting despotic power. To no
one is great power more distasteful, and no one would exer-
cise it with greater caution. Nor do I believe that it would
be necessary often to resort to an exercise of such power. In
practice, it would operate very much on the same principles
as the initiative and referendum provision of our constitution.
The chief virtue of that law is, not that the people will often
resort to it, but that they can at any time use it. Just so
with this law; the fact that the governor has such power
would make local officials do their duty, and there would be
few occasions when the power would have to be exercised.
The law would not interfere with any local official doing his
duty.' Certainly no one will contend that the local official,
who fails and refuses to perform his duty, has any right to
hold an office in any county in this state. If the pending bill
as it finally passed the lower branch of the legislature, be-
comes a law, it will deprive the governor of what power he
now has to enforce the law, and leave him as powerless in the
matter as any private citizen of the state. I hope you will
not thus tie my hands, but if in your wisdom you shall decree,
then I ask you in fairness to me and to the people to state
that all power to enforce the prohibition laws of Oklahoma
are taken from the governor and committed to the local
authorities of the state.
Strong Feeling.
I have spoken frankly and plainly upon this subject be-
cause I feel strongly about the matter. Standing squarely
upon the platform which I ran for governor, I repeatedly
promised the people that if elected I would honestly try to
enforce the prohibition law. The people elected me and I
am persuaded they expect me to fulfill that promise. If you
deprive me of the power you make it impossible for me to
keep the compact my party made for me with the people
If we are to have a reign of local bootlegism in this state I
am determined that it shall not be my fault, and that the peo-
ple shall know that I have vainly plead for authority to pre-
vent this deplorable condition coming to pass
Whether the governor is to be given the power to enforce
tire law, or that power is to be committed entirely to the local
officials provision should be made whereby complaints against
law violators can be made upon information and belief This
rehef is especially needed in the enforcement of our prohib -
twn laws, where men are so reluctant to aid the officers in
enforcing the law crs ,n
From HASKELL’S MESSAGE TO THIRD LEGISLA-
TURE, JANUARY 7, igu.
Prohibition.
The United States Congress in the statehood bill required
the state of Oklahoma to maintain prohibition for twenty-one
Territory Ind‘an Terntory and certain parts of Oklahoma
The Constitutional Convention submitted a separate propo-
sition to the people at the time the constitution was being
voted on whereby the people were given the opportunity by
tieir votes to either limit prohibition to Indian Territory and
the Reservations, or make it uniform throughout the state
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Cherrington, Ernest H. The American Issue (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 7, No. 2, Ed. 1 Wednesday, February 1, 1911, newspaper, February 1, 1911; Westerville, Ohio and Oklahoma City Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc942539/m1/4/: accessed May 5, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.