The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-10-31


pense Of the taxpayers Of the state.
This is probably what Joe McNeal
would call more business and less
politics" But If any man has at
any time received less than one hum
dred cents on the dollar for his cur
rent expense state warrant It is sim
ply because he has not called It to my
attention and has permitted himself to
be fooled by someore telling him that
he could not get par for his current
expense state warrant.
STATE DEBT.
Reader. the funded state debt is
not three million dollars and never
was. and as all such matters are
shown upon tho public records Joe
w. McNeal knew his three million
dollar statement was false when he
made II. The funded state debt is
exactly one million, four hundred
sixty thousand dollars.
McNeal tells you these bonds we're
issued and sold to pay the expenses
OF state government. This is also
false and is a matter or record known
TO Mr.. McNeal and he, therefore,
knew he was deceiying the people
when he stated it was for expenses OF
state government
The facts are that one million, two
hundred twenty-eight thousand, two
hundred twenty-five dollars was the
warrant, contract, and appropriation
indebtedness of Oklahoma Territory.
this being the principal to which was
added about seventyfour thousand
accrued interest (some of the Terri
tory debt being quite old had large
amount OF interest accrued thereon),
so that out of the bond issue or one
million, four hundred sixty thousand
dollars a total of one million, three
hundred two thousand dollars was
for the debts of Oklahoma Territory
and only one hundred ffty-seven thou
sand. seven hundred dollars was eX-
pense money for the state govern
ment. The proof of my statement
will be found in the Session Laws or
the First Legislature on pages one
hundred fifty-siX and one hundred
fifty-seven, and to show that the Re
publicans IN the Legislature con
ceded that the statement above made
was proper and correct you Will ind
by reading the published journals OF
the House and the Senate that only
four Republican members voted NO
on the approval of that schedule OF
Territory Indebtedness.
Joe w. McNeal says that the issue
of one million, four hundred sixty
thousand dollars of state bonds was
in violation of law because the Con
stitution says that state Indebtedness
in excess of four hundred thousand
dollars shall not be created without
vote of the people.
Again, Joe w. McNeal knows this
statement to the public is misleading
for the following reason:
OF all this indebtedness, except one
hundred fifty-seven thousand, seven
hundred dollars, being for the pay
ment of the debts of Oklahoma Terri
| tory. the people by express provision
of the Constitution did, in adopting
the Constitution, vote for the assump-
tion and payment by the state of the
debts of Oklahoma Territory and,
therefore, It did not require a second
vote by the people as would be the
case If an Indebtedness of four hun
dred thousand dollars or more would
have been created for the expense OF
state government.
Joe w. McNeal knows of these
facts and knows that If the people be
lieve his statements they would be
grossly deceived.
Joe w. McNeal tells the people also
that there was more cash turned over
to the state for general expense ac-
count by the Territory than the
debts of the Territory amounted to.
Let us see-The records of the
state Treasurer's office show that he
received a little less than three hun
dred fifty-eight thousand dollars OF
general expense fund from the Treas
urer OF Oklahoma Territory. This fact
is also well known to Mr. McNeal. and
hence he knows the truth to be that
! instead OF there being more money
than there was debts that in fact there
was nine hundred forty-four thousand
dollars more debts of Oklahoma Ter
ritory than there was cash on hand
from Oklahoma Territory.
There was also in the Treasury OF
Oklahoma Territory about five hun
dred seventy-four thousand dollars ac.
cumulated rentals upon the public
building lands but this money was
applicable only to the building Of pub
lie buildings and institutions and
could not be used for the payment OF
the expense of Territory or state gov
ernment.
Where this money was kept during
Territorial days and how Joe w. Nc
Meals combination grated the tax
payers OF the Territory by the use
of this money will be told In another
chapter. You can then see what Joe
w. McNeal means by wanting "nore
business and less polltlcs." Joe's kind
of business has made Joe rich but
the taxpayers have borne the burden
We will add that these old Terri
tory debts were costing the people OF
the state six per cent interest; that
since we replaced them with the state
bond issue bearing only four per cent
interest and that our State Treasurer
in selling these bonds at four per cent
interest secured a cash premium OF
about fifteen thousand dollars, where
as the State of California the same
week sold a similar issue OF Califor
mia four per cent state bonds withou
; getting a single dollar of cash pre-
MUM, 1t strikes us that our State
Treasurer made deal which any hon