The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1903-09-18
LOCATION OF cARNecir LIBRARY.
Tho VIII Of the People as TO Location
May Easily be Defeated

May Easily be Defeated
Editor Ardmoreite:
In your account Of proceedings Of city
council of Monday last, your paper
states as follows: Alderman Whit
tington persisted on leaving the matter
wide open. allowing a voter to locate
It where he pleased, stating by 50 do
ing they would get so many more
votes; and when VOC was taken GA
the matter the majority Of votes
were in favor Of leaving the city wide
open"
Under this plan the. people have
from now until Monday the q, to put
in nomination such sites as It may
seem at, making their nomination
known through the improvement com
mittee Of the city council
Then the voting is TO begin by bal
lot, each person paying one dollar for
each vote and voting as often as he
has dollars and chooses to so invest
therein.
The lot or site receiving the lar.
gest number OF votes shall be desig-
mated the site for the library provided
that in the aggregate there shall be
sufficient TO purchase the site, but If
not, the lot receiving next highest
vote shall be designated as the site
provided there is enough money 10
buy II, and n not the council goes on
down the list until II finds lot
cheap enough to buy with the funds
on hand
It is possible that this plan will Sc
cure a desirable site for the library
that means so much for Ardmore and
for which he town is pledged to Car
negie the donor Of $4,000. that it
will raise $1,000 each and every year
IN the future TO maintain the build
ing, grounds and general expenses
etc.
But, while this is possible. 1t may
easily be managed so that a few in
diviluals possibly one person can de-
feat the wishes OF the entire town.
It is well known that certain per.
sons have acquired large number
Of lots in different parts Of the city
Any one or more Of these could
place in nomination a lot at the out
skirts of town or on East Main street
say near the pest Bouse, at say $500
as the purchase price. He could buy
$1,000 worth Of votes and. vote then
~ the close OF the voting October
II his site receives the highest mum
ber of votes it must be bought and th'
library located there and the peopl,
taxed $500 a year 10 maintain i
thereafter.
This party has not made a bad in
vestment as he gets $500 for his lot
and is out only $500 and gets a splen
did building in the midst OF his othe
property which ne can at once sci
for a handsome profit
Certainly property in that neigh
borhood would increase in value an
the dear people who had voted a dol
far piece in a divided way and raise
perhap. altogether $500 10 $500 votlai
their sentiments for dozen diHeren
sites would all lose their choice, bu
worse than all get no good out o
the library and be taxed in the fu
ture
In Chickasha where this plan wa
tried the most votes located the libra
| ~ whether the money so raised wa
sufficient to pay for the lot or not
This was fairer than the plan adopi
ed here. Il was dangerous there: a
money is put wholly as the test 0
good judgment or choice Of location
In Chickasha this plan raised onl
about s64O, and the lot cost Sl2Q(
It may be the owner Of the lot selecte
voted several hundred of these vote
and thus secured plurality in favo
OF his lot
The wide open policy is beyon
question a dangerous policy for th
people OF Ardmore.
have given perhaps an exaggerate
Illustration or what might happen.
do not presuma that people are NOR
selfish in Ardmors than In Chickash
or elsewhere buS the council shoul
not in matter of so much impoI
tance to present and future Atdmor
offer bonus to selfshness and le
the man or any set CT men that ha
shrewdness and money defeat the rea
wishes of the fathers and mothers
the boys and girls Of Ardmore.
There are not many desirable site
| ~.