The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-10-24
BUILDING
A STATE
WHAT WAS DONE, WHY, AND
WHAT IT COSTS.
(fntroductory1

C0HYshtjvn four years ago, and has
nov ngarly completed three years OF
state government. I bnpna irog.
The campaign Ia on for the election
n the second state administration,
and az may be expected, those who
are out want to get In.
Joe w. McNeal, the republican can
didafe for Governor when criticized
last Saturday by member OF his
own party for making and publishing
criticisms Of the administration that
the public records showed to be un-
true, said
Il want TO be Governor. To succeed
] must condemn the present admin
istration. II had no criticisms to
make the people would say. Let well
enough alone. II the democratic ad-
ministration is good, there is no rea.
son for changing It, hence, | must
either condemn 1t or quit the race"
In view of this policy OF Mr.. Nc
Neal TO say anything to get an Office,
feel II is my duty, as we'll as privi-
lege, to give the people Of Oklahoma a
brief statement Of the work Of state
building, briefly touching the points
that Mr.. McNeal criticises In his lit
erature and speeches.
Every good citizen Of Oklahoma, re-
gardless of politics, wants good gov
eminent. progress and prosperity in
Oklahoma.
To have good government, the peo-
pie must know the truth before they
vote. IL is to be regretted that men
will seek public Office through false
statements and deception.
The offices belong TO the people.
II a man sspres to serve the people,
he should tell them the truth.
II the majority approve his ideas
Of government, they will elect him.
II the majority do not approve his
Ideas Of government, he should not
want the office.
Those who have read the New State
Tribune will remember that as Editor
! do not approve men because they
are democrats. nor do ! condemn men
because they are republicans.
Two months before the primary
election that nominated Mr.. McNeal,
and simply because of my pride In the
welfare Of our state. and sincerely
hoping that both parties would nomi.
nate good men for Governor, frankly
stated that John Fields and G. G..
Jones, two OF the republican candi-
dates, would make good governors II
nominated and elected.
The Tribune also stated then. as 1t
does now. that Joe w. McNeal was
unfit to serve the people in public Of
flee. We made that statement based
on our ample opportunity to weigh
his personal conduct and his relG-
ton to Oklahoma territorial goyein
ment, and we now assert that Mr.
McNeal-
From his record In Territorial days,
From his opposition to the framing
Of good constitution and conduct Of
honest government,
And from hls willingness In this
campaign to deceive the people rs a
means Of securing their votes
Is wholly unfit to hold the office.
LET THE PEOPLE KNOW THE
TRUTH.
For the next few days we shall pub
lish five chapters each week, touch.
ing the history Of state organization
and management, as criticized and
misrepresented by McNeal.
STATE ORGANIZATION MAMMoT
UNDERTAKING.
Unless a man stops to review the
subject fully, he will not realize the
mammoth undertaking of organizing a
single state by the combination OF Ok
lahoma and Indian Territories. Il will
not do to compare this great task with
the work Of organization In any other
state of the union.
You may rest assured that the vol
ume OF corporate wealth and the pop
ulation is measure Of controversy
and contention. In other new states
none ever had over three hundred
and forty-seven thousand people, 1.-THE
State of Washington and the average
new state would be about one hundred
Thousand population.
Five hundred miles OF railroad In
other new states would be the great
est amount, and In many OF them none
whatever.
Heretofore new states have been
formed out Of organized territories
whore Territorial government had ex
listed for fome time, and counties
townships I'D country school districts
had been { CSanized, and set In oper
alton, wherever there was suficieni
population 20 warrant such conditions
So that the passage from territorial
organization to state government had
been prepared for, and little or nc
change would be required in local com
munity affairs. -s
As the new state has heretofore
been sparseIy settled, and towns ol
any considerable size long distancsl
apart, there was no occasion for loca
controversies. There could be al
many county seats as there wers
towns OF any size aspiring to that
honor. and hence no occasion FOL
county seat controyersies concnrrehl
Win the orkh iuzAtlon Of state govern