The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-10-26
Constitutional Convention
Expenses.

| ton from time TO time as possible.
Let us see what Mceuirs's record
has been;
The Statehood bill appropriated one
hundred thousand dollars 20 bc used
towards the expenses of the el5cdOn
fer delegates to the Constitutional
Convention, the holding Of the Couven.
ton and the election to vote on the
Constitution afterwards.
! 1t is clearly apparent from tine
! language Of the bill that Congress
meant it to be 9 first estimate only
as the same bill gave Arizona and New
! Mexico one hundred and fifty tnons.
and dollars. and stipulated that Art.
zona anc New Mexico need not ex-
pect any more
The expenditure of this appropria.
ton was put IN the hands OF a board,
every one Of thCm Republican terri
torial officials, so that the Democrats
were in no way responsible for whit
was done with %.
When the constitutional Conven.
| iion assembled we learned that thcrc
was only about thirty thousand dol
lars of that money loft,-the balance
having been used IN the delegate cleo
ton and other expenses incurred be-
fore the Convention met; consequent
| ~ Charles Filson, Republican Sec
rctary of Oklahoma Territory. was
asked by the Constitutional Conven-
| ton to make an estimate OF what il
would cost in addition to what was
! left TO pay The expenses of the Con-
lFtitutiOnal Convention and hold the
election afterwards. His estimate
was about ono hundred and thirty
i've thousand dollars.
Mcclure was called upon by the
convention to present a memorial TO
! Congress asking for on additional
/ appropriation equal to Filson's es-
timate Mcclure lei the matter pass
along without any action, and the ap.
preparation bill in Congress went
through the House OF Representatives
and passed over 10 the Senate with
out including this item. The Consti-
tutlonal Convention at once sent
Colonel owens TO Washington, and
Owens secured an amendment TO the
Appropriation bill in the Senate, al
lowing the one hundred and thirty
i've thousand dollars. The approprla-
tion bill went back TO the house with
this amendment to 1t, and Mcclure
induced the House D refuse to agree
TO the Senate amendment and struck
out this appropriation.
You will remember that a year ago
last April / goaded Mcclure about this
very proposition until he published p
signed statement in the Guthrie State
Capital about April twelfth, nineteen
hundred and seven, In which he saiu
that he did not oppose the approprla-
ton in the House, because opposition
was not necessary, but, said McGuire
in the letter. he did not ask for the
appropriation and he would have op-
posed It If It had been likely TO pass
the House. His excuse was that he
did not intend to let the appropriation
be made TO pay the lazy delegates
their salary lie also stated in that
letter that the printing bills, clerk
hire and election expenses should be
paid by Congress or by 9he state, but
he did not explain that the salary of
the so-called lazy delegates was
only about ten per cent of the total
bill, and that about one hundred and
twenty thousand cellars OF the apDro-
lpriation was for the very class OF bills
that he said in thal letter must be
oaid BY Congress or She state.
The facts arc my friends, that Bird
McGuires reason for defeating that
approximation OF one hundred and
thrty-6yo Thousand dollars was fol
1.-The purpose of ultimately defeating
lstatehood. as lac claimed that ii the
p territory had no money 20 pay for
Z lholding tho election ~ vote on the
Constitution, there could be no elec
lion Thus that appropriation was d.
lfealcd. and this Indebtedness incur
, rcd and The Constitution directed the
d payment by The state Of that amoun
! lol money for this purpose unless, o
! lcoursr. Congress should pay II. Inc
/ state would have 10. There has sinc'
been another session OF Congress am
Bird Mcclure made no effort 60 ge
this bin paid by Congress. lie cOul
have done $50 1T he had given H. ia
. enthu siastic support that he 0oea
4 base BAH gamc.
g. Alicf ihlh wUrK waB all done an
eleciiOn held, b. vas found HAT "a
total deficiency Was about one hul
dred and sixty niue thousand dollar
a about half OF which was expended b
O. the Republican election board In holi
q ing the election last September an
= the balance was Convention bills q
i various kinds.
J. so you see that If Bird MeGuir
II psrmittcd Colonel Owens ameni
+; nent TO have passed Congress. IN
slate would only have had 10 pa
thirty.four thousand dollars instead {
g one hundred and sixty nine shousan
'- dollars?
McGuirc was playing politics T.
gardless Of the fact that you poop
y would have 10 pay the hddier ln
q hence you have got this year 70 pa
= taxes IN the state Of Oklahoma 10 l.
extent OF one hundred and thirt
FIVE thousand dollars, the prOponlo
Ia this district will doubtless be thu
ly lhpusaHd anilar TOR sou OK paSei