The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-10-18
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Iltoi1 rC1iit nNphiN aH. t'H~'Hr- Va
some proposition and press % before
congress" Immediately a host Of peo.
pie. justly impatient under present
conditions and a.dently desirous Of
relief ready to grasp at anything that
promises even shadow Of better
things, take up The cry and repeat it
until It reaches thc proportions Of
hysteria. Carried away by their ar
dent longing for the privileges grant
ed the people Of other localities, they
do not pause to consider well the
proposition over which they are hur-
rahing, nor TO note where It's success
may logically land them
The "get together" olamor is being
once more aroused though but little
is sadi as to the why or the where
fore. We held meetings ,ast fall and
resolved that we were ia favor Of
certain things Considerable effort
was made along the lines then laid
down The tone OF the present Choir
az seems TO be that ~ must turn our
backs squarely upon the position we
e7ztwhile occupied. abandon the work
already done and take up something
entirely dffereut we nsed dele
gate to congress. is the cry now go
ing up The cry Is a popular one. and
much can be truthfully said in its
support But we need be very careful
lest we are led into paying a higher
price than the bennfts derived would
justify
Much Of the present agitation comes
from the hackers OF what Is known as
the Moon bill, measure framed.
primarily. for the purpose Of locating
the capital at South McAlester and OF
giving some man job as delegate to
congress-. Many who hnd it much the
easier plan TO let the other fellow do
their thinking are bowling themselves
soarse over measure which prom
ises nothing beyond what is stated in
the preceding paragraph and into the
effects Of which they have made no
examination
Thoughtful copsideration of the
Moon bill shows it 70 be menace
rather than promise Of good things
to the territory 1t saddles upon us a
form Of government but few degrees
better than what We now have yet
sufficient to form an excuse for con
eressioaal inaction for generations to
come Make the territory Of Jeffer-
ron, as provided in that bill. bring in
a horde OF appoiutiye officials and the
frs. move made by each Of them will
be 10 rivet himself 10 that jon for the
rest OF his natural lifo Then comes
the long and wearlsome task Of jarr-
Ting them loose We already know
something Of the difficulty OF divorc.
ing an appointive official and his job
we know how strongly and subtly they
Dull the wires which connect them
with the powers at Washington; we
know how firmly be Is entrenched he
hind the protection Of the man whose
political debt was paid IA putting hin
here. It must be remembered too
the tenacious grip with which tho
pie eater chngs TO his job will be in
creased as the places become fewer
Statehood for Oklahoma Arizona an'
New Mexico will reduce the pastur
age for broken down political hacks
ana the territory of Jefferson-witi
which our near sighted friends seel
to encumber us-and Alaska woul,
hold the only plums left for congress
Taan to use as inducements for activ,
work on the part of their politica
henchmen. The Moon bill would pm
as IN the same class. politically. witt
New Mexico. which 70, hfty years ha
been clamorins for fun self govern
msnt With ful knowledge OF al
these things. why should We go int
Mysteries over that which, while q
lurngly held out as release from ou
present conditions. really means
continuance Of our po itical serfdom
II we sit down and calmly count tn
cost. free from self interested inh'
enccs. unswayed by tn ehurrah metl
ods invoked In the inte ests Of desigI
ing politicians, is /, not clear 10 a
that we pay by far too high pric
when for the privilege Of locating
capital at South McAlester and enl
Ing some ambitious schemer as del
gate 20 congress. we lay down Il
bars and invite the carpt bagger
walk In and make himself at home
long as he wishes.