The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-07-06
JOHN iLEAHy ON COAL
;. LAND COMM iSSIoN

JOFtN LCAV TfkiN WI =. ~ l.u4 : :.
s,as NJ . LAND COMMISSION
4. Pawhuska, Okla. July 6.-Editor
Leader,--I have just read In the
Daily Oklahoman Of July !, dis
patch dated Guthrie, June 80, headed
"McMurray Friend Of Bill Murray"
The effect and evident intention oi
the article is d deliberate falsehood
and written only for the purpose oil
accomplishing Mr.. Murrays defeat
for the nomination for governor. As
chairman OF the commission, appoint
ed by the constitutional convention
1 feel, that in justice to myself and
Mr.. Murray, can not permit that
article to go unanswered.
In the first place permit me to say
that Mr.. 'Murray's position now, and
has been since | first knew him cor
rect on the coal land question. dc
not see how any honest man. who has
the welfare OF the people and state
at neat and who understands the
question can say otherwise. The
government of the United States, In
the interest of Col Busby, ct al, and
against the interest OF the Indians
and the coal con sumers Of the state
has succeeded in setting up one OF
the most complete monopolies and
then closing absolutely the doors ol
competition, in the interest Of such
monopoly, known to history. A few
years ago congress provided for the
leasing of these lands for mining
purposes. and, as soon as the preen'
operators got their mining operations
well under way and secured a lease
on what coal land they wanted, pass
ed law providing that no further
leases should be made. Congress al
so passed a law offering these lands
for sale, but soon repealed that law
AS the law now stands the lands car
not be sold nor can further leases
be made. The operators have thing!
just as they want them and the In
dians and the state are powerless II
their grasp.
The wish of the Indians is to sci
their coal land In a body. There are
only two avenues through which thi!
NAV be done Either the state or Z
syndicate must buy them. In my op
inicn we can not afford to let syn
dicate get possession of this vasl
tract of land and mineral deposits
The state should buy these lands
II It can get them at reasonable
value, and sell the surface to settlers
or sell the su face and minerals to
gether In small tracts. If the state
retained the minerals they could be
leased to operators under terms tha
would be satisfactory and beneficia
to the state, and prevent the exhor
bitant and unwarranted prices. nov
being paid by the consumer because
of the present conditions. The diff
erence between McMuiray and Mur
ray on these propositions, y. thai
McMurray wants syndicate 10 buy
because he believes the syndicate vii
pay more than the state, while Mur
ray wants the state to buy. believing
the Indians would get a reasonable
price for their lands and at the SAINT
time Kill the monopoly that exists
prevent further absolute monopoly
and secure to the consumer coal al
reasonable prices. That is as near a:
Murray and McMurray are together
now, and as near as they have beer
together since the opening day OF the
constitutional convention.
The article referred to. says: Dur
ing the constitutional convention
Murray had appointed commission
to investigate the advisabllity of the
state purchasing the segregated Goa
lands" Il beg to advise the writel
that Murray did nothing OF the kind
introduced in the constitutional con
vention the resolution providing fol
the appointment OF that commission
and did so without advising with Mul
ray In the least, as to the advisabflity
of doing so. and he did not know tina
had any intention of doing so until
the resolution was read before tbs
convention. The resolution, howeve
met with his approval and he gave
II his hearty support was In charge
OF the resolution while II was undel
consideration and led the fight TO
its adoption. | presume the write
of the article In the Oklahoman know
OF these facts and he purposely tria'
to present them In a Way to reflec
upon Murray After ithe commission
was appointed, MURRAY m 70 wa.
tried to control the work OF the com
mission or its reports. The insinu
alton that the commission was thu
tool of Murray or McMurray or an,
one else is deliberate falsehood
The views of the commission. in th'
main. agreed with Murray's ideas, am
almost wholly disagreed with McMur
rays ideas, and neither its line o
investigation nor its report was salts
factory TO McMurray.
MnAdttrrax and Cacil Lynn did IN