The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1910-12-02
MURRAY APPEARS
WITH STATEMENT
Former Candidate For Governor And
President Of the Constitutional
Convention Scores Haskell.

Oklahoma City, Okla, Nov. 2S-W.
II. Murray of Tishomingo, ex-president
of the constitutional convention speak
or of the first house and candidate for
the democratic gubernatorial nomina-
ton against Lee Cruce in the last pri-
mary, appeared Unexpectedly here Sun
day and took a hand in the capital fight
by giving out an interview opposing
Governor Haskell's special session and
the Putnam site for the capitol. Muir
ray is not doing any lobbying among
the legislators and has not expressed
himself for or against any candidate
for the capital.
AS the man who had more to do
with framing Of the Oklahoma consti-
tuition than any other, he expresses the
belief that the governor by his actions
has violated the express provisions OF
the constitution and that it would be
a violation Of good faith to effect ar
immediate removal Of the capital in
view Of the pledges by Oklahoma City
and other candidates in the special
election compaign that no attempt
would be made to remove the capital
until 1913. Mr. Murray says:
Relative to the decision of the SUI
preme court have nothing to say.
Relative to the extraordinary session of
the legislature-very extraordinary
now to be held in Oklahoma City Is
does not occur to me under any rule
of construction that 1t is constitutional.
II would have been more important
to convene the legislature in Guthrie
than for the governor to have been
there for the purpose Of issuing the
proclamation or call. Had the legis-
lature been convened in Guthrie 1t
could have adjourned to Oklahoma
City or elsewhere and performed its
work.
"But this is not the first effort at
violation Of the constitution or the law.
The initiative and referendum law
makes It mandatory for the submission
together OF competing measures Up
on this ground alone the court could
have declared the capital bill void
Haskell further violated that law when
last June he submitted the initiative
amendment to Article Of the consti
tuition without submitting the legisla
tive substitute for Article 8 likewise
as competing measure
He violated the spirit of the consti
tuition when he appointed as his pri
vate secretary a member Of the legis
lature, who, as such, voted upon the
salary OF himself and the contingent
expenditures of the executive office
No such precedent OF mixing the exc
cutive department with that OF the
legislature is to be found In any state
OF the American republic. 1t can bt
found only in the Spanish policies anC
Spanish politics of the South Ameri
can governments
'1 have this further to say that in al
probability | shall have greater in
terest in Oklahoma City than in an!
other competitive town, but Oklahoma
City as well as the public officials
should keep faith with the peopl,
touching immediate removal of th'
capital. call attention further t,
the fact that no provision has beer
made or guarantee executed for FIRE,
capitol, and that the only source o
revenue will be by the sale of the lot
of such townsite as may be elected ant
predict now that the Haskell sit
heretofore selected will not bring 81
100000 in the next ten years, but /
will result in the sale of the propert,
lying between it and oklahoma City.