The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-05-07
WHY THE CAPITAL
LOCATION BILL
SHOULD Be KILLED
Guthrie Argument Which Goes
on Ballot June II

First Because the enabling act
provides:
THE capital Of said state shall
temporarily be at the city Of Guthrie,
in the present Territory Of Oklahoma
and shall not be changed therefrom
previous to Ammo Dominl nineteen
hundred and thirteen, bur said capital
shall. after said year. be located by
the electors of said state at an cleo
tion to be provided for by the legis-
lature.s s*
That act was adopted by Sec. 49l
of the state constitution, ana ny Sec
492:
WAS engrossed with the engrosseo
copy Of the constitution on parch-
ment." (Bunn's constitution; Snyders
constltutionl
The enabling act protects the rights
granted by congress TO Indians and
their lands; prescribed federation of
religious liberty: prohibited liquor N
the Indian territory; territorial debts
to be paid. provided for public
schools; restricted abridgements oil
the right ofssuffrage; granted millions
of acres of school, college, indemnity
and public lands to the state, and pro.
tected rights therein; and these and
many other rights, protected by the
enabling act can be violated, if the
state capital can be located before
1918. This attempt to violate the
constitution and enabling act should
be voted mo"
Second--This measure, unconstitu-
tionally, would appropriate $6OO,0O0 TO
be placed in the hands of three per
sons, selected by the governor. This
is done to move the capital twenty
(20) miles NEARER Oklahoma City,
but not necessarily AT Oklahoma
City.
Third--There is no necessity for
this violation of enabling act and
state constitution and expenditure OF
100000 to be followed by millions
more, for the time will soon enough
come for the location II the capital,
and in the meantime the state is kept
busy providing moneys for the other
institutions of greater necessity. The
institutions already located have re-
quired and are requiring millions OF
dollars of the peoples money; the
state debt on November 80, 1899, was
over s2,O00,000; the recent special
session of the legislature alone au-
thorized the issuance of over $4,000
900 more In warrants, liens on the
funds derived from public building
lands, and bear per cent interest,
No necessity exists for appropriating,
Immediately, 100000 more for state
capital site to- be followed by appro
priating millions to construct capltai
building, because Guthrie is centrally
located. with nine railroads connect
ing this city with all sections of the
state and one more being built. Guth-
rie is nearer the majority of the peo-
pie of the state than Oklahoma City,
which proposes the change; Guthrie
is naturally situated for being and is
one of the healthiest of the state $
cities, with splendid drainage, the
best OF sanitary sewerage, with pure
filtered water in abundance, with
streets paved and beautliied at a cost
OF million dollars; il has electric
lights, natural gas and the latest sys.
tenn of street railway. When 1t was
designated as the capital originally,
more than twenty years ago, it set
apart. on as fine and commanding a
site as there is in the state, four
blocks of ground on the principal
street and only eight blocks from the
geographical and business center Tor
state capital purposes, and under an
act of the state legislature, 1t has ex-
pended in money Of its own people,
costing the state nothing, in beauti-
fying these grounds, building conyen'
tion hall--a state capital-used ever
since as legislative halls. supreme
court and criminal court of appeals
rooms, chambers for judges, Offices
for attorney general and state library
used by the state on iiye.year lease,
rent free-$l year-approximately
a quarter of million dollars, and
these grounds and buildings. worth ~
half million dollars are the states,
having been provided by Guthrie for
the state, temporarily and permanent
~, aud are. with the one hundred
acres In beautiful park nearby,
which Is also provided for he state,
worth more than the s690,0O0 which
Oklahoma CITY asks the state 10 ap'
, pTopfiste. DTsis sh-i >extMntiNe Off
ces are using the magnificent court
house, built by the people Of Logan
county. These buildings provided
are serving every present need of the
state and at small cost TO the tax
payers.
Fourth-@You may vote twice at the
election, q vote mo on the meas
ure and YES opposite Guthrie"
will support the constitution and the
enabling act, and leave the capital to
Ne located when the law provides, and
save much trouble and expense.