The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-06-09

manifest to every man. How can
you bankrupt the state unless it may
be sued, and where is the authority
for an idividual citizen to sue a SOW
ereign state? Read eleventh amend
ment 10 the United States constitu-
tion.
End. AS to the taxing of Indian
lands, | have to state that | was in
the legislature that enacted the law
that provided for the taxation of these
lands | have submitted In my Altus
speech a certificate from the treasur'
er Of Johnston county. oklahoma
showing that had paid all taxes up
on the lands of myself, wife and chill
dren since statehood This fact that
| assisted in passing the law, coupled
with the fact that paid the tax, GER
tainly ought to disclose my position
thereon The Indians have secured
iniunctions against portion of this
tax. This, in my opinion, leaves it
solely with the courts Of the country
finally TO determine, and both the
Indians, the county and state govern
ments will have to bow to that de-
cision But. my dear Mr.. Cruce, II
the Indian tax should be an issue In
this campaign, then let us also make
an issue of the railroad and corpora
tion tax, who have secured injunc-
tions against one million, one hundred
and seventy-four thousand dollars, or
a sum total four times as great as
all that secured by the Indians. |
hold the same policy with reference
to both, and that should instruct
the attorney general to push them
to speedy conclusion in the inter
est Of the state.
ed My position upon the coal
and asphalt lands is that It is not an
issue In this campaign for the reason
that under the enabling act. as well
as all other Indian property, must be
disposed Of by congress, and that
congress, with opposition Of Busby
and the other coal operators, with
the senate made up as it is, will
never permit the purchase of the coal
lands by the state: and in view of
the further fact that the purchase
can not be made by the state, even
with permission OF congress, unless
the same receives the sanction of the
people at a general election as dis.
closed by Section % of Article 10 Of
the Oklahoma constitution, and also
since the school money can not be
used, as the method of loaning it is
fixed under the constitution (see Sec.
6, Art. ID and no other funds can be
used, since the constitution again
says no bonds can be issued In excess
Of four hundred thousand dollars, ex-
cept for the debts heretofore created,
unless such bond issue shall also re-
ceive the sanction OF vote of the
people, and. therefore, the governors
hands are tied
/ observe you state that IL the
coal lands were purchased that con.
vict labor would be worked in the
mines, In this you are ignorant OF
the constitution, because In Section
2, Article %, of the constitution is
found the clause prohibiting 1t, a
clause that | supported and voted fol
in the constitutional convention. for
ever forbidding the lease system Of
competition of convict labor with the
honest labor of the state. II | hat
the power. do not mind stating that
would provide for the purchase o.
the coal lands, provided both the min
eral deposits and the surface can bt
purchased together, a position | held
to in the constitutional convention
and the first legislature, and | an
sustained in this by the Democratic
party of Oklahoma In its platform
adopted at Tulsa, SEPTEMBER 18th
1908, convention In which you par
ticipated, and the chairman of the
I committee on platform was r. W
Dick, a citizen of your town. anc
now your supporter. Why did vol
not then fight It? wish to cal
your attention further that the Hon
w, A. Ledbetter was elected dele
gate to the constitutional convention
from district composed solely o
the town of Ardmore upon a platform
declaration declaring for the puT
chase Of the coal and asphalt land
by the state. and | ask you If you
brother. A. c. Cruce, was not upol
the platform committee that draftet
the platform upon which Ledbette
I ran? But II the coal Is stripped o
the surface by the Federal govern
ment should oppose the purchas
of the deposits. II the state had tn