The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-10-30

the lessee mas the flBht TO Duy one
quarter section at the highest public
BID. and he has right to the value OF
his Improvements, and this right in
ures 10 him irrespective of the amount
Of rents he has paid the state or ter.
ritory for the land The second condi-
lion Is that these several classes Of
lands and the funds derived therefrom
shall be used exclusively for the pur-
poses for which they were granted to
ihe state, that is TO say common
school lands 10 be used for common
schools; college lands for the various
colleges named; public building lands
Tor public buildings only Now we
shall need something like five or ten
million dollars with which TO con-
str0ct the various public institutions
of the state Without any funds with
which TO construct them, which is the
wiser policy, issue that amount of
bonds bearing interest aud borrow
The money. retaining the lands for
higher price, or sell the lands and
eaiize the money for the construction
Of the public buildings loaning out
the excess, the interest derived there
from to be used in keeping such build
.ngs and institutions in repair? Mani
testify, TO sell them is the wisest pol
Icy. This disposes of this class OF
lands as any individual citizen would
handle such property II he owned II
himself No one has denied, not even
the worst opponents of the initiated
bill submitted to the voters ON the
third day OF November, but that the
indemnity land should be sold because
they are located in the richest portion
1f. the state, where increase in yalua-
tion will not be marked for many
ears to come as the other lands, and
ecause they are In solid bodies where
they will need to be taxed.
have before me paper prepared
hyC. B. Ames, ESQ. OF Oklahoma City,
submitted to the constitutional conYen-
Ton. In this he uses this language:
In this paper / will deal more par
ticularly with the common school
lands, consisting Of sections 16 and
}6. and Il Is my opinion that the In
demnity lands ought to be sold for the
-esson that they are blocked In large
numbers Of contiguous sections. The
effect OF holding them by the state
would be IN some cases to prevent
whole townships from having any land
subject TO taxation, thereby causing
a tax levy upon the personal property
VI this township which would be bur
densome. ! am inclined 10 think the
public building lands ought to be sold
90 as TO raise funds with which to
construct buildings for the state
Thus he recognizes the public policy
OF permitting communities to have tax
- "a h, tpHnnanffkf In q
must be sold 20 do So
He further states that the college
lands ought to be granted to the re.
spective institutions of higher learn
ing Ior which they are set apart; that
the question of the disposition shall
he left to the duly authorized author
tiles OF these institutions This sums
up and states the proper settlement
Of the public building and indemnity
lands But since the constitution will
not permit OF the idea expressed IN
the Ames article on the college lands
and the question must be submitted ia
the people, certainly II is just as wise
10 dispose OF them as to authorize any
sci or board OF regents OF any insti.
tuition to do so. The entire argument
made by Mir Ames is that the common
school lands should not be sold,
have read recently quite number
Of newspaper squibs, articles and edi
torials, all of the same general tenor
bearing the earmarks OK bureau dope
hat the bill submitted to a vote of
the people was the school land lessees
lobby bill without making an effort
/ to argue the question Now grant
| ing this should be true. whether the
\ bin In iis terms Is right or wrong
Manifestly this statement is made not
for the purpose OF argument, for II Is
not argument, but 10 create prejudice
against the bill without showing the
voter wherein the bill Is wrong. and
do not believe for moment that
| such statements win have much
weight with the voter. The voter cares
little for the CRY against the lessee or
any other person connected with tho
/ bill What the voter desires 20 know
is the terms. and the effect upon the
state. OF the bill itself In the first
place, however, the bill Is not the re-
suit OF the lessees' lobby. This Dill
does not give 10 the lessee all thar he
desired but H does give TO him jus
tice. and justice must be given TO him
! uIhtI iiit NiNhA VI tNf iohu ~ Aut
state under the terms of the enabling
act and the constitution. just WHY
such "a cry should be made against
The lessee when many OF them are
among our best citizens do not know
aud l trust that patriotic and lntolN
gent citizenship win not cast vote
upon this bin based upon much preju
diclal and false statements.
The lessee IS entitled certainly K
Justice, and this bin gives him that
Nothing riore, nothing less. I'm The
next place there are two classes 81
( lessees Those who came here With
view OF making a home for them
selves, and another class which has
taken large bodies OF this land with
a View Of speculating upon them. The
fsrmer class Is entitled 70 an the con
sderation thai good sound public pol
lgy ard honesty IN public dealing ear