The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1909-11-09
SAYS THE
FrF nunTFRa
fEE OIOI[M
is WRONG

system in the following scathing
manner:
AT this time. when the press
throughout the state bundened with
charges Of official mlsdoinss. and graft
By Officers OF high and low standing.
We naturally find ourselves taking
stock. it were. and the first question
arises, rs Oklahoma an exception
Have we more corrupt quota OF Off
GERS than any other s.ates viii an
swer the question. no; then why SO
much fuss?
The constitution was pitched upon
high plane to give fun protection to
the people. All OFFICERS are required
to give personal attention TO the trusts
confided III shem By Law and then q
check is placed upon them which is not
provided for in any other state known
TO me. We have an officer known as
the state examiner and inspector.
whose duties are to examine and check
up the various state and county Off
GERS and here is wherein we are able
to locate graft and official corruption.
Then the legislature has passed laws
giving the governor authority to re-
move and replace officers who fail tol
dc their duty under the Law.
In justification to some Of the
county officers-no. will not say iusti-
fication. for there can be none for a
public servant. whose sworn duty is to
enforce the law. TO definitely violate
it--let me say poor apology results
from the mess of so-called laws we
have known as Oklahoma statutes for
which We are not responsible. That
'the laborer is worthy Of his hire. Isl
no less true when applied to an officer
than in a biblical sense. have had
ocassion 10 remark on the floor of the
senate and here emphasize it,. that we
have a most unsatisfactory and mex
cusably extrayagan form of local
government. The system is wrong.
Instead of having the party who
makes it necessary to provide certain
officers pay at least a portion Of the ex-
pense. the honest taxpayers pay in the
way Of a salary, We should have an
equitable fee system BY which one-haIf
Of our county and township taxes can
be saved for the taxpayers. And this
leads to the question, Are the laws
we have being enforced?r No criii-
cism on the governor, none on the at
torney general and none on the exami-
ner and Inspector, for it is but justice
to say that so far as / know when
their attention has been called to it.
they have acted promptly. but the
taxpayers are burdened with high
taxes and cannot be convinced that it
is necessary to pay so much.
Il am convinced that thousands Of
dollars are being paid out Of the treas
ury for the various counties without
any authority Of law. The people be-
lieve it. They demand an investiga-
1 ton and If they have paid taxes which
have been dissipated they demand the
return Of it TO the treasury.
First charge that in many, If not
quite all Of the counties. that there is
demanded and paid by the board Of
county commissioners out of the money
belonging to the taxpayers, the sum
! OF IS per day to the district clerk for
each day the court is in session. ]
/ say that there is no law by which it
can be demanded. paid or allowed.
"Second-It is reported that in many
OF the counties. il not in all, the com
missioners are paying out OF the treas
ury a monthly salary varying in
amount from $500 to $1,000 per annum
to deputy county attorneys. If there
il any law authorizing it, ! have never
been able to find It,
"Third-The constitution says that
the Legislature has no authority TO
change monthly salaries. and vet it is
reported that in many, if not quite all.
Of the smaller counties. the county
Judges are drawing an annual salary
Of 81 500 out Of the treasury, where
the law says they shall have certain
fees Of office and none other. They
undertake to sGstify their acts By a
bin that was passed by the first legis-
lature, undertaking to fix salary for
I all county judges on a minimum salary
OF 81, 500 per annum. when the bill re-
cites that it shall not take effect =util
after the general election IN 1910
sFourth--whiie these are unwar-
anied leaks in The county treasury.
the flood gates are all knocked down
when the sheriffs office is considered
The legislature in territorial days, 1887
beginning a. eas7 zee. yeSy+ wisely en-
acted a Zee system. Section 1 first