The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-06-04

ments out there IN oil II the leKisla-
lture didn't levy thls tax. and honestly
had some Of those fellows--had one
Of those fellows who was friend to
me, come to me and took me on ia a
corner and said YOU viii ruin us. I
said, now my friend. II you have not
got sense enough to xnow that the
Standard oil company has hoodwlnk.
ed and hoodooed you; Dont't you know
don't you understand that they used
these things to extract resolutions
| from the commercial clubs, just as
they do IN a number OF these towns1
They don't try the petition method
they don't try to get the names OF the
business men and merchants, they
don't get out among the farmers and
best men OF the state and ask them
TO sign petitions. but they can get two
or three men of the commercial club
to sign up a lot OF resolutions and at
tempt to make an impression on this
leglslature--try to make them think
1 It Is the whole state-why, ] received
resolution from a mass meeting"
/ I knew the town. knew the very
room they went into, and knew full
well II wouldn't hold one-half. one
third ~ such a mass meeting'-that
Is all done to fool somebody.
want to tell you. my friends this
tax is just what sort OF defense-how
can we get out and say We have taxed
the gross receipts 81 the railroads. the
express companies, the telegraph COM
panies and coal as they ask that we
should do (Wrightsman sent that
kind OF a letter out) and then omit
oil7 Then's when the people will hit
YOU between the eyes and say--"Stan-
dard oil must have tickled you" II
II IS right in one, It Is in another, and
| say in the matter Of oil, it Is more
right to put It on oil than on any rail
road and yet the gentleman from
Washington county states that It was
Fight to put II on the public service
corporations. This argument has
been made on the floor of this house
that there ~ no difference IN princi
pies; Why God bless you. II the farm
er could trade on thar ad valorem tax
and pay the tax OF the state on his
gross productions. he would have
made the tradea trade that he never
has been able 70 make, and
II would to-day that the time would
como IN this state that every vcstige
of ad valorem tax should be wiped off
our property and all put upon the
basis OF what you make, according to
what you produce, and take as the
Bible says: Take according to what
one hath and not be the other method
All one hath. even that he hath not"
Talk about the poor, down trodden
oil operator from Pennsylvania. liable
20 60 back On the democratic party.
Let them go back; l. they are not
straight and honest, let them go back
to grating Pennsylvania; we don't
need them. We want to admit into
the borders OF our state, all the ca1l-
tai we can get We would rather
when that capital comes in that It
will be man who says----I am going
TO Oklahoma to help develop that
state with her wonderful resources;
that os the kind of citizenship we
want In this state. and the quicker
We can pass a law here that viii bet
the CRATER understand that he cant
be healthy IN any community In Okla
homa the better II would be for the
state, and the greater security we VIII
have for investment OF money Of ali
classes and kinds.
Now, I wantsto say to you that this
tax--this bill Is but one more step
following the two we have Just passed.
and are a necessary part u the legis-
lation covering taxation IN this state,
and when We get those taxes, the peo-
pie of the state the time viii come
when they will look back to 4lle chair.
man. Anthony. OF this committee.
modest and unassAming as he Is.
knowing as | have. the work he put
In on these bills, Knowing he has done
il conscientiOpsly, knowing he has
worked night and day. calling into his
counsel the able member OF the con
stitutional convention. J +. King, who
has gone Ql,Y and who says
there ars y Il.
This tax hd Il should be
paid. II you ere not going 10 tax oil
and gas. then don't tax anybody on
this principle And ~ this connection
] want to say that n this tax proves
too heavy on OIL and gas in this state
that the next legislature can change Il
TO protect them IA thos. law should
be passed that when a certain per
cent Of the operators wanted to close
down for a while every well In the
field should close down. Then. when
the Standard OH wants to give more
or the people demand the prices
forced up. let them open up The
same could be applied with reference
10 the gas. These laws that would
protect the individual operator should
be enacted and any laws that would
project the individual operator from
the STANDARD OH 10 establish reiiner-
les would be In favor o. The trouble
IS. the Standard on with its agencies
get around many Of these fellows and
make special trades, aud these fei-
lows with special trades begin 70 adj
cate standard OIL interests because
Il "a their interest. and you can't tell
where STANDARD begins or ends. and
the only thing you can do Is 10 make
the laws. fearlessly and deliberately
AMI for what Il right and lust