The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-07-06
THE New STATE ANp rAxATloN.

The passage of an enabling act greiiting Oklahoma
and ndisn Territory permission to frame constitution
and then admission the union o. states has been
ratified celebrated by the people of section of
the new state and the time when the matter of
taking up the preliminary work of inauguratng state gov
seriously considered The first step that
of distctng the territories into delegate districts
rests entirely with named in the enabling act
These men given six months in which TO make the
districts call election of delegates which would ind
districts should be completed in four months time
as sixty days notice OF election must be given 1t does
not seem necessary consume months making these
districts be better determined after start
has been uhde The board undoubtedly viii push the work
with ygor and close IT up possible.
The first thing the people will be called upon to do
will elect delegates to the constitutional convention
This the important work connected with the
formation the There should be extreme care
fused in selecting the work The very best in,
territories should be chosen Tho first thing to be
considered selecting delegates should Gs the matter of
character None but men OF unswering honesty should
considered This important that If choice has TO
a person OF known integrity and only
common sense person great ability but of
onabe character the first should be chosen. Men OF
self possession should be selected Meu with wheels in
their who wish to try wild and untried things
should be lett home. The who imagnes that some
thing be destroyed should also be left at home
Level headed who viii each and subject
in business like way must be selected If the people are
to he given an uptodae constitution at the time
one without insane provisions
The delegates to this convention will have TO meet
very questions which have not been settled in other
states There few questions peculiar to tns state
alone and OF these viii tax the ability OF the best
minds and the very best solution
one Of these is the matter Of rasns funds to carry
on the state government Condition, vary so widely that
1t will difficult task devise plan Of taxation just
adequate and satisfactory In portions of the Indian
Territory section the there will be vast portion
OF which will not be subject to taxation Tor many
years which the state will receive no taxes rms
presents very serious difficulty In those sections the
ipeople viii be compelled support school. by
personal property do they would wish TO put
very high valuation all personal property but this
would bring trouble with that portion where such eXped
tons unnecessary To get around this difficulty will
Itax the craftsmanship Of the composing the
Convention
i WISCONSIN New York and several other states are
expermenting with securing funds for main
tanning their governments which would he worth con
sidering by the delegates
These states place special tax corporations such
as railroads This TO be used in the support of the
state government applied pay all sums against
the state as a whole The idea being to levy tax on
land personal property the support Of the state OF
state institutions The advantages of such scheme arr
apparent with only casual examination Under such an
arrangement there would be state board Of equalization
The counties would independent each other lh,
matter axationjust separate the states n
such case i'm county where large portion of the an'
nonaxable and other personal property could b
gyen a very high valuation in order to schools
make bridges and the people would not unfai
lamomt OF state tax those things Ia case where
lcy or perhaps a whole community, wished TO increas
assessed property the people OF tha
& community would be compelled pay undue an
Il unfair amoent cl the This scheme IS worSin
IN several there reasons for tn
e adoption such scheme in Oklahoma than in any
the other states worthy the careful consideration
delegates the convention which frames constitution
It --ooo--
y Cease qubbing knocking pull for GuthrU
1.-THE salvation Of the city with Guthrie people