The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1910-06-13
CAPITAL ELECTION AND cHlcKA
sHA.


The capital election is over and Ok
iahoma City has won. The people
have spoken and believing in the doc.
trine, LET the people rule" we are
satisfied with the result.
It was a question Of statewide I'M
portance and as such every citizen had
an interest in 1t, but locally a degree
Of interest out Of all proportion to its
Importance to Chickasha was aroused
during the last forty-eight hours Of the
battle.
We have never believed that the To-
cation OF the capital at Oklahoma City
Or any other place would materially
affect chickasha in any way. AS a
business proposition a state capital is
Of no great significance. Except dur
ing the session of the legislature,
which averages three or four months
in two years, less thar 500 people are
attached to the capital Offices. The
loss Of that number of residents can
not kill Guthrie and will not make Ok
lahoma City a much greater city thar
it is. One big packing house is worth
more to a town than half dozen state
capitals.
We think 1t will be conceded that
the hot contest which developed in
Chickasha during the closing hours Of
the campaign was due to the action Of
the directors Of the Chamber Of Com
merce. and other organizations in
bringing the proposition to the front
just before the election. On this ac-
count the vote was probably rs per
cent larger than ii otherwise would
have been as few people had taken
little more than passing interest in
the matter up to that time.
Regardless Of the merits Of the is
sues raised BY the Chamber of Com.
merce by its resolutions, in the light
OF the manner in which their action
was received by the people, as shown
by the vote, clearly mistake was
made in the last hour move. There is
nothing about which people are more
jealous than the right of franchise and
they are quick to resent any move by
which anybody seeks to think or speak
for them. II the question had been
brought up a week or two sooner, Civ
ing every one a chance to have his
say abouti it, the big furor which arose
would have been avoided.
Coming at the time and in the man
ner which It did, the action was un-
doubtedIy i'll advised, but at the same
time we are not ready to recommend
that the directors be burned alive and
we wouldn't even urge 50 mild form
Of punishment as hanging While we
disagree with them in this matter we
are willing to grant that they acted
for what they believed to be best.
At any rate, it viii be mighty bad
for chickasha if we allow somebody
else's fight to split US up locally, di-
yiding US in our efforts to build a town
here. We believe Chickasha should
be considered first every time and It
will be very bad policy if we get
worked up over pulling somebody
else's chestnuts out Of the fire and for
get our own interests.
The capital fight is over, it lasted
but two days in chickasha and the
best tning TO do now is to forget it
Just as quickly as possible. Because
we differed among ourselves over the
state capital Is no reason why we
should split up on the great issue in
which we are a unit !. e.. the welfare
OF ChiclSasha Whatever our views
were we fought for them, some win.
ming and some losing. The whole
thing is now closed incident. Let
us forget about it and get ready to
work for Chickasha.
-O--