New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-10-26
OKLAHOMA AND her CAPITAL.

These are unCOmmOnIy SURFING Gays 1Or INC
nromising young Empire Of Oklahoma. She
In. reached that critical stage of her manifest
destiny when she is called upon to decide where
sball be her capital. Guthrie is her provisional
canital. and proposes to be her permanent one
or know the reason why. But Guthrie has
nowerful and persistent competitor answering
70 the picturesque name OF Kingfisher. King
Gsbcr is not many moons old, but evidently
there is not a man, woman or child in her pop
ulation who is not dominated by the convic-
fiona conviction which grows deeper and more
enthusiastic every hour-that kingfsher is the
coming city OF the Western World and that,
therefore, to be a Kingfisherite is greater than
IN he n king on the first ballot Still, Guthrie
has the advantage of present possession.
few days ago Post, of Kingfsher called up his
CapitaI bill and made desperate effort to get
# through the Oklahoma Legislature, OF which
he i, an able and influential member. After
long and gallant fight vote was reached-at
o'clock in the morning-and the bill defeated,
yeas II. nays II. One of the dispatches
giving an account OF the struggle concludes
with the statement that there is great re-
ioicing in Guthrie. The whole population was
I'D awaiting the result"
Considering the clOseneSs OF the vote and the
pluck of Kingiisher, we may be sure that the
hattie is not yet over that at the first oppor-
tunity Post and his followers will try, try
again to disl0dge Guthrie. We wish her-we
wish KingfShcr-no; on second thought we
decline to take part in this controversy.
stranger who Intermediates in the quarrel OF
two cities over a capital may have the courage
l,,x L. no N IN
of his discretion. We content ourselves with
asking both Guthrie and Kingfsher Why 90
YOU so yearn to be the capital OF Oklahoma
anyway? Why lay so much stress upon that
adyentitious aid to municipal greatness! II
New-YOrk City is destined to be known some
of these days as the Kingfisher or the Guthrie
Of the East, the designation will not depend
upon the final decision of this capital question
Sir William Jones took occasion to point out
that what constitutes a State is not such things
rs battements or mounds or walls or mOated
gates, and Guthrie and kingfsher would DO
well to remember that what constitutes city
is not being tho seat of government or having
a capitol within her borders. a capitol GER
tainly does not mar city, but Just as certainly
it does not make it, Chicago is accustomed To
take cheerful view of her present status and
of the probabilities of her future. and she Is
generally conceded to be promising city, and
vet she is not nor does she claim to be. the capl-
tai of Illinois Albany has been the capital OF our
own State since 1897. and yet in some respects
Ncw-Yor City would seem to have surpassed
her-althOugh on this point we would like to
take the opinion of Troy 1t has never been
understood that San Francisco was inclined to
indulge in pessimistic views OF her personal
, significance because Sacramento happened to
be the capital of California while we all know
that Boston would still regard herself az the
hub of the universe if the scat of government
of Massachusetts was removed to Springfield
or Worcester.
In view of these considerations Kingfisher
may well contemplate the vote ON Posts bill
with equanimity. If on the decisive ballot she
succeeds in beating Guthrie and securing the
capitol for herself, well enough. If other
wise, let her not mourn as those that have no
hope, seeing that she may be great and pros
porous without it, 1t is to be added for the
benefit of the taxpayers of Kingfsher and the
rest of Oklahoma that the experience of New
York has shown that a nice capitol can be
built for about S2O,OOO,OOO.