The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-01-07

these territories had no territorial form
Of government. no county. no township
or schoo, district org tuizdtiou. that fOrv
counties carved out of that uuOrganiZ"s
territory began their county government
on the day of statehood. that not one OF
these forty counties had any Orgdnlzs-
tion or money TO conduct their husinessi
that the entire first year OF statehood
and more. would have to eIapSc before
there would be any cash In the county
" district treasury thereof other than
borrowed money. that. in addition to
these unusual conditions. with million
and halt Of people and more than
billion dollars Of property values To cre-
ate contention incident to such vast
conditions. the first year OF statehood
has certainly had its trials and tribula-
tons for all public officials. and yet, the
credit u the state and OF the counties
| do not believe that county warrants
have. In any scality. gone below a Casn
value Of ninety ctnts on the dollar,
and In few localities. and a. rul B.,
these warrants have been held mp 10
min y-Hvc per cent or higher. This
striNes me as an excellent record In view
OF the fact that In the old oklahoma
Territory counties after organization and
stable conditions had been established. 1
am advised that county warrants were
often marketed as low as siNty-tvc cents
or even less, on the dollar and In other
western states. IN their infancy. 10 has
been the experience Of majority "
such states. that reckless taxation and
"NlraNagance has during the iirst icv
II
public credit
Summing up the above conditions. ok
lahoma can report to the world:
An increase Of scvcnty-hve thIus-
and In it, population,
An increase OF over thirteen mill
ductiOns.
An Increase in the aggregate NJ
practically twenty per cent of its
other productions. It's manufactures
ana commerce.
An Increase Of its mileage Of new
railroad constructed equal to. or
greater than any state in the union.
and much above the mileage OF other
states,
4 net Increase os ten and ono-uuar-
ter million dollars In it, bank de-
posits
An Increase Of two thousand two
hundred organized school district.
An absolutely clean sheet as to mob
and lynching;
And its state government conducted
AT less expense to tax payers than
any other state In the union with
population as low as even one mill
lion people.
oklahoma asks It's own people as. wen
union. and the world at large 10 judge
! our stat,, our people and our laws from
the truth as to conditions. rather than
from criticism and unreliable reports. Let
| the facts speak for themselves! The poll
| Icy of Oklahoma has always been to mcte
/ and tie strong alikc-tO tho small prop
/ e;tv and 90 the large property. giving
| each and all the protection Of the law en-
] forced In ike manner as to all. and
| with viow to encouraging enterprise
! ana development of our state. and 10 IN
! any Tar.tc. lar the laws OF our state 40
! rot nuuStle .p TO the standard, the po.-
/ lev y CKshCmu should certainly be TO
! make them Sc. hut the mere fact tnst
/ s'Wc r'aN , amor against our Laws ari
] conditions. Is not In itself conclusive and
may not be honest evidence TO the fact
/ that our laws need changing. Special
/ interests seeking special privileges are not
/ always q reliable source OF Information
/ ." Just crit cism. There are those who
I seek, indoectly, to form or wiold public
/ opinion fDr Personal ends; II we are in
sane on any subject let US return TO san.
/ ity, but emphatically, let us not be con-
virces that we are insane unees honest
/ eritielsm has first shown us that we are
not dealing fairly with all elements OF
Industry and all classes Of property and
people.
/ trat e. 'tosm by the subsidized press or
! pthc. 70 personalities Of interests thtt
seek 10 thrive on greed and graft is 2f-
! ten mduuilt lt tured and circulated for tins
| O 90. purpose Of iutimidatlng the 0f-
] forts of the public official Let us sug-
1 gest that when these vicious and vio-
! lent criticisms are presented to MS, that
/ mIst appropriate question should arise
/ In uur minds;
Mho is paying the press or the individ.
| udi TO circulate these vicious eritioisms7
70 disCredit the public officer and the
] reputation OF the state?
And when you have asked the question
ana asccrtaiued the facts. you need not
/ bee surprised To- learn that the effort ~
/ d,iamiug the officer or the reputation OF
! tine state arises because tho special i.-
7 trtst has found II Impossible 10 influence
/ such special officer and therefor" seeks
! to destroy his power FOR the public good.
Rest assured that the special interests
! never turn hand or pay dollar 10 dis
"A All ian
! of the state excepting only TO promote
/ thc.r own selfish interests.
] oklahoma and its public officers have
/ survived all these vicious assaults, and
/ are siill without fear or favor onforc-
! Ing obcdieace to the law against the
strong as well as the weak. Compelling
| the payment of taxes Of interests here
| t0iare favored and practically exempted
from taxation. and will continue TO do 81
| regardless Of the probable continuation OF
| assault and asks not only the support of
| your honorable body, hut the people OF
| our work promotes public welfare.
Needed Legislation
In adtion to the suggestion as 10 leg
| isldtiun mentioned In connection with va
rious statements OF existing condition..
above, the general policy OF the legisla-
| ture IL one In which the public Is great
! ly interested. 1t is asserted By some OF
our people that there should be an eX-
! INK laws and even to the extent OF
| changing provisions OF the constitution.
! u this connection | will say that there
| has never yet been called to my attention
| definitely any particular section which
| believes Justifies the name Of radical or
| unjust laws 80 far as our Industries and
business OF the state In general Is con-
| Cerned
Here are some of the features Of gov
| ernment, however that l believe need
The building OF court houses. whether
| bv sale of bonds or rental notes should be
submitted to vote OF the people Of the