The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1899-04-02
LEE CRUCES VIEWS
On the Questions AGfeetIne the People
of ArdmOre-SchOOIs, TsxstIOn
and RefOrz alton.

Inasmuch as a great many of the
people of the town of Ardmore do
not understand the position | hold
on the questions affecting the peo-
pie of the town, / deem it right
and proper to state to them fully
my views on the questions that
have been before the people, and
that are likely to come before them
during the coming year.
voted against the proposition
to establish public schools at the
recent election held here In do
ing so, l do not consider that l
have gone on record as opposing
free schools. | think that | am as
ardent a supporter of free schools
as any man in town. | have al
4 ways lived, before | came to the
Territory, where free schools were
in operation, and have had every
opportunity to observe their good
effect, and know that nothing helps
community more than a good
system of free schools.
Ny reasons for opposing the es-
tablishment of the public school
system in Ardmore at this time
were two-fold: First, l believe
that with anything like concerted
action on the part of the people of
the Indian Territory, Congress
would make an appropriation for
free schools, not only for the towns,
but for the whole Indian Territory.
The towns are reasonably we'll sup
piled with schools, and the place
where schools are most needed IN
the Territory is, admittedly, in the
country districts, which are wholly
without any sort of school facili-
ties. No effort has eyer been made
by the people of the Territory to
get Congress to make an appropri-
alton, and this alone, in my opin-
ion, is the reason no appropriation
has ever been made. y second
reason why l opposed the school
law was, that | did not believe the
people in the town of Ardmore at
| this time can stand Il rate of taxa
tion sufficiently high to insure an
efficient and satisfactory free school
system. There are so many things
that the people have to consider in
these matters that are new, and are
found nowhere else on earth.
As yet, there has been no APP
praisement made on the lots in the
town Of Ardmore, and no one has
any authority whatever for stating
that the appraisement will be
reasonable. or that it will not be
sufficiently high as to greatly i'm
pede tle progress of the town and
result in many poor people losing
their homes.
| will state, however, that | be-
lieve in a majority of the people
ruling in all matters pertaining to
the whole people, and that mas
much as the question of free schools
has carried by a vote of the peo-
pie, there is nothing left to be
done but to make the law opera
tive. But in making it operative,
the people should not lose sight of
the fact that an enormous tax will
ruin the town.
Immediately after the passage of
the public school law, it was talked
on the streets, in the offices and
even in the council about levying a
two per cent. tax. This talk, and
this alone, Is responsible for the
circulation of the petition to sur
render the town charter. | be-
lieved then, and still believe, that
a levy of tax of two per cent.
would be disastrous to the town of
Ardmore, and would result in harm
to every man, woman and child in
the town.
These are two Of the PROPOSE
tions that are being discussed by
- ...,o..lo L I