The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1912-10-04

AT special election held June ~,
1910. upon petition of Oklahoma CITY
and I'm violation OF the enabling act
which the constitutional convention
had irrevocably accepted, the quN-
ton of the location of the capital OF
the state was voted upon. Oklaho-
ma City by her official representa-
tives declared before the election
that the enabling act would be com
piled with and the capital not be
moved until 1913 and that In the
meantime they would build free for
the state a million dollar capital
building and would also pay s,I
moving expenses. The pretended re-
suit OF this special election was an
nounced on the night of June H.,
several hours after the polls closed
and before the count was completed
or certified in majority of the pre-
cincts OF the state, and in open vio-
lation of pledges made to the people
the capital was located in that city,
CITY that night. The vote of this
special election was never Officially
canvassed and several months later
the supreme court OF our state de-
clared the election illegal. the
governor at once called special
session Of the legislature at Oklaho-
ma City and by q vote OF that body
the capital was located in thatcity,
the citizens renewing their promises
In a written contract, of a million
dollar caSlta building, payment OF
moving expenses and free rentals
The capital is now at Oklahoma
City simply by legislative act ana
| not by the vote OF the people, sub
ject TO being moved by the legisla-
ture or the people at any time, Guth'
rie now asks the people OF the state
| To settle the matter permanently
Under written agreement with the
| legislature, oklahoma city was to
| begin on July /, 1910, to pay s25,00u
each month to the state aud con-
| time these payments until million
dollars had been paid Not Il single
dollar Of tlis has ever been paid
ANA in March 1912, the attorney
general ol the state held that the
cOntraIa had not Deen complied with
and was no longer in any way bind
| ing ON the state. Their bond OF
100000 given for fulfilment of their
contract was forfeited and has new
| or been paid Their agreement TO
| furnish free rentals has never been
kept and the state is now obliged
| 10 nav over $4,000 q year in rents.
Their promise TO pay the moving
| expenses was like all the rest Of
| their promises and the Taxpayers
| paid these bills as well as the fees
Of the attorneys employed to try ana
| hold the capital in oklahoma City
on an Illegal action. After the at
| torney general ruled that the con
| tract with the state had been vic.
| ated by Oklahoma City and was no
| longer binding the citizens Of Gath
| RE on the solicitation OF people from
| all PARTS OF the state and to right
| a wrong done them and the state.
| prepared the initiative petition Ice
| eating the capital permanently al
| Guthrie and it was signed by 51,f99s
| voters, over $4,000 more than th,s
| number required by law IN com,
parison with Oklahoma City's actor,
calling for special election at Q,
| cost of 100000 to the taxpayers an
a time when every farmer was busys
| and only able TO so to the polls az
Il sacrifice and also special session
| of the legislature at an additional
| expense of $4,000, is Guthrie's pei
titlon submitting the matter to thH
| general election then every yotei
viii be at the polls and entaining not
a single dollar of additional expense.
Oklahoma City's Offer.
Oklahoma City now offers in place
Of the million dollar capital, and the
moving expenses, $i0u.00l and G50
acres of land scattered all over the
northeast part of Oklahoma county,
| The most valuable part of which Is
in litigation and that where they
wish to locate the capital, being I'm
litigation so that no title can be
made on it. The residue of this 65C
acres is in small tracts and the Of
ncial state abstraeters found about
200 defects in the titles to thes''
various tracts.
The committee which put this land
i'm the hands Of Lee Cruce, as "a
priyate Individual acting as theit
trustee valued it at Sl400,000 buu
II. T Gardner, before the state
board OF equiization, director OF
the Oklahoma City Chamber OF Com
merce. while testifying swore thai
the tract was not worth over sfzo,-
600
Fred Geim, president Of one of the
largest investment companies of Ok
lahoma City testified that as a basis
for loan the land was worth $l3,
400 and as speculation could not
be considered at over SG5. 900 anc
Governor Crace in recent letter
published states that the land would
become valuable if retained until the
capito was built. Where then is the
million or more dollars for a capitol
building to come from except out OF
the pockets of the taxpayers?
Guthries Offer.
The city Of Guthrie offers to the
people of the state, capitol square
containing fourteen acres, upon
which il has built a convention hall
which was used by the state free for
the purpose of a capitol buidin-
and which cost Sl50,000 and around
which it has paved and parked the
streets and improved the grounds
making a beautiful park, well set out
in ehade trees and Bermuda grass
These grounds located in the
heart of the city whicn We're reserv
ed by the government for capitol
purposes with all the improvements