The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-01-20
STATE OF OKLAHOMA
exc CUTIvE DEPA RTMENT
GUTHRIE
First Message Of the Governor to the Ex-
traordinary Session of the State
Legislature Converting
January 20, 1910
10 TIE LNnIsLNruRE.

! ed IL to the best Interests uf the peo
PIE OF our state to convene the leg
islative branch Of our government In
! Extraordinary session believing that
there Is necessity for legislation. the
benefits OF which will FAR outweigh
the cost OF this meeting limited. as
! ] believe 10 may Ec, to u brief period
The people of Oklahoma have en-
! trusted the Legislature and the Gov
crnor with certain duties of govern
| mcnt which II Is our duty to perform
| from time to Time as our best judg-
mcnt may convince u !, right. and
when We are confronted with official
duty, it devolves upon us TO execute
| the same without fear Of criticism.
and with firm hand and with u
determination to do the right. to
make government a. beneficial COR
| the mass of our people and at the
same time as economic as the close
| application Of genius may devise. and
| honesty Of purpose promote.
State Building
The building of great state car.
RES with Il burdens upon its public
officials and its people that every cit
| izcn is bound 10 appreciate. and II IL
only scnsclcss or vicious critics that
would demand in the beginning those
conditions Of perfection ana orsaniza.
| ton which can come only with years
o. effort You may rely upon II that
our duty fcarleSsly and honestly per
formed. will meet the approval ~ all
those whose good opinion is worthy
| Of consideration.
The organization of new state un.
der ordinary conditions Is vast un.
dcrtaking. But the con olidation of
| two Territories into one State, as we
have undertaken. stands without a
precedent in our American Union. Tn.
al the admission of Oklahoma there
had been no other newly created
state within the last forty years. ex.
ccpt such as had been preceded by
] thorough Territorial organization.
with counties, districts. and towns
thoroughly organized and under local
| government. with school houses.
bridges. roads. and other improve
ments already in existence. and the
| people experienced in the conduct of
local government.
Again. no such state had as much
as three hundred and fifty thousand
population, nor greater than forty mil.
lion dollars OF wealth. whereas in
Oklahoma the area of our state, from
which forty OF our new counties were
made. was wholly unorGanizcd, no
county organizations. no school dis.
tricts, no townships. no rural school
houses no bridges no RAIDS. and the
local Officers necessarily elected
largely of men who had had little or
no Opportunity to gain experience in
the science Of local government. and
however capable, IL was necessary
fer them 10 have time and experience
10 qualify themselves for satisfactory
pubic service, and i'm our new state.
with almost one and half million
population and one billion dollars OF
wealth, We have fully realized that the
magnitude of contention with which
Your officers have to deal is largely
measured ny its population aud It's
wealth.
To be selfish is but human. and We
have had 10 contend with the de
mands of selfish interests, and To put
on a bold and determined front TO
those VINO would attain selfish ends al
the expense of the great mass whose
defense * our sworn duty. And
hence, ! say 10 You, that II is not to
be taken as in any way indcatin,
that Your Honorable Body. in your
former sessions, failed in any degree
IN the performance of any work, that
| found II desirable TO have you meet
again
Indeed, in state building. under "A
q HrIt "a.
q! the honest people of our state. YOU
are ID he commended for the good
work Of the First and Second Scs.
slonS, and it Is not surprising that
there ls more good work to perform
We are not here to Criticisg the Ok
luhomI Territorial Legislature. which
Id seventeen years preceding state
hood accumulated code OF laws
which the state inherited. and which
might have been sufficient for state
government I'm the spirit Of f.fr.
ness aud libcrality. we prefer to say
iEat changed conditions, greater
population and greater development,
might have necessitatad. I'm some de.
EIec, diifcrtnt code of laws Let
that subject be buried with the past,
and let us live In the present. and
continue amending the Oklahoma Ter.
mtory laws wherein their amendment
may benefit our people and make
them TO III modern conditions and the
protective features which our const-
tuition guarantees TO our people.
Before asking your Honorable Body
20 enter upon the consideration OF the
matters 10 which | shall call your at.
tontion, want To thank YOU for the
good work Of the past. and in extend.
ing my thanks To the Legislative Body
! trust that no one will fail TO real
i2e that my thanks are to your entire
membership. | have often. and do
again, congratulate myself that in the
consideration of laws in the past
your members, regardless OF political
afiliation, have given me many reas.
ons for teeling grateful for your can.
did and courteous consideration. and
] therefore commend To YOU all as
men whom ] know will consider In all
Sc robustness and fairness the suhiacts