The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-08-25
WOULD BAR
POLITICS FROM
ELECTIONS
Grimes Visits New Towns
and Gives Suggestions on
MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATION
Work for Prosperity and Let
Politics Come Later.
MUNICIPAL ORGANIZATION

Guthrie Q. T..Adg. 2f-William Grimes,
Republican National committeeman for
! 6bahoma, has just returned from g. trip
to the three new government towns in
/ the reservations recently opened 10 set
tlement. and he has ideas concerning
the coming formation Of city govern
ments and the consequent municipal cleo
lions at Anadarko, Hobart and Lawton
that viii insure the representation of tne
entire voting population of these cities.
/ Notwithstanding the fact that most Of
them would be disfranchised if the strict
letter OF the Oklahoma law was enforced.
Chapter -. session laws Of 1899, the GEN
! eraI election laws OF Oklahoma, pro-
/ scribe the term of qualified electors
/ TO mean all male persons OF the &c Of
/ y years. or upwards. belonging TO either
/ of the following classes: Those who have
resided n tho territory for the period
/ OF six months. in the township sixty days
and in nc voting precinct thirty days
next preceding any election First citi-
zens of the United States: second. per
sops Of foreign birth who shall have COM
! piled with the laws of the United States
on the subject of naturalization; third.
civilized persons of Indian descent. not
members Of any tribe.
IT viii be seer from the foregoing that
while these cities are populated with
citizenship from all parts Of the union.
and while the business interests are the
common heritage of men from Maine to
California. and from Minnesota TO Texas.
stiu the privilege Of naming the nrst set
Of municipal officers is i'm the hands of
the voting population who have resided
in Oklahoma and gone 10 these cities;
an others being barred because they have
not resided in the territory the sufficient
length OF time required by the statutes
in order to entitle them TO a vote.
Mr.. Grimes seeing this and knowing
that the first administration of these
cities would be apt to shape their future
destiny for good or evil. sought to evolve
a plan whereby all the bona fde citi-
zens Of these municipalities could partici-
pate i'm he first election and thus give
every resident voice I'm Shaping the poll
cies and plans that win sivern i'm the
future. and throw M responsibility on
All the residents alfRt After mature de
liberation he came To th Following con-
clusion:
Let no politics enter into the first
municipal elections: The future win he
time enough to ring politics into the
game ard the present demands that
the future prosperity Of these cities
should be secured, without any regard to
the advancement Of political parties
the only qualified voters :here viii be
the residents Of Oklahoma that is. those
4r-s..
territory" Tn order to give all an equal
chance. and place all residents of these /
cities on an equal footing IN the mat
ter of shaping the future Of their future
homes. Mr. Grimes makes the following
suggestions:
'First-Let al the bora fde residents
Of these cities meet :n mass convention
and name ticket. composed Of the hest
men IN them and let this be done with
out regard to politics BE sure and see
that the ticket is named that viii com
mand the respect and support of all res .
idents Of the cities-men who have come +
to stay and who hold the future welfare /
Of their rev homes above all ether con- /
siderauons. Let all participate i'm the /
selection of such q ticket. and then de- 1
clare the ballot closed-th2t is only put 4
mp one ticket Then. on the day of cleo
tion let the qualified electors under the .
law 50 % the polls and ratify the choice +
Of the entire resident population as ex-
pressed at the primary This simply (
means that there viii be a ratification Of 1.
the wishes of those who are ~ live IN /
the cities Of Anadarko Hobart and Law /
ton IN regard "a tho men whom they wish 4
% start the municipal ship out on the +
future course ard there can be no 4
srgmlling hat men not wanted were 4
foisted or the inhabitants without regard (
90 the wishes Of the majority. by the few
resident voters simply because they
happened 70 have resided in Oklahoma.
and were thus entitled to the privilege !
Of voting
"Secor6-This scheme viii have the Of /
feet ~ consolidating The interests Of eli. /
and there VIII he a community NJ inter-
ests such az VIII enable tho inhabitants (
Of these cities r. 20 before congress and f
ask that n part on the magnificent sum
thet e beinS realized from the sale Of
lots n these municipalities be ser apart
for municipal Improvement such IS
waterRorks. electric lights etc. ana F.
thus start these cities out with The things
absolutely necessary en- fhe comfort erd
health Of Rho Inhabitants ard leave ttem
FREE from debt ard tire consequent hish
rate - taxation i IS estimated ihst &c
ieast 8 quarter az uiiioa dollars WIN
e. realized from tha sa-r ~ Rise l0ts i1
,hsse cit7s. and tais vI leave en1--',
FOR both thc county ana tha cities ara
starr them cr free from 3sat. ara WITH
these thinss thet make ife vorth Hvi-r
ar Grimes believes tra- cheese aG-