The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-12-06


confirmed by the senate should be
confirmed either now or at any other
session for the soel reason that such
Offices should be abolished. To con
firm them would result in legal com
plications when the question for aboli-
ton, to come up in January is reached.
TO illustrate, | presume that
neither the governor nor the legisla-
ture will request violation of the
most recent declaration of the demo
cratic platform. adopted last August,
aowit. that the expensive state cleo
tion board should be abolished. The
same convention authorized the selec-
ton, and did select a committee, OF
which | have been mare chairman, to
draft new primary law, together with
4 such amendments Of the general cleo
tion law as directed by the conyen-
tion, on behalf of the committee, and
in abedience to this straight and un-
equiyocal declaration of the party,
& now protest against the confirmation
4 of the governors appointments of the
present, or any other election board,
which may be submitted to the legis-
Iature, until the legislature shall have
passed measures in obedience to the
expressed party declaration.
1T is my opinion further, in view
OF the demand for economy, that the
board of public affairs should be abol-
ished, and in lieu thereof the ap-
4 pointment OF a financial agent, just
as Texas and other states have to
purchase supplies for the penal and
eleemosynary institutions. He should
be abolished, that | shall pher, but
with no assistant or other help. II does
not require a board, a secretary and
corps OF stenographers and helpers 10
purchase supplies at the most advan-
tageous price for the state. Moreover
one man can the better be held re
sponsible for honest dealings on be-
half Of the state than can group Of
men such as provided by the board
Of public affairs This, done, the state
win be saved nearly $40,000000 My
opinion further is that in the interest
of economy, and because the services
can be performed equally we'll, that
all eleven OF the game wardens should
la also abolished, which cost the state
100000 annually. turning over the
superictcndeney SO far as the state is
concerned. to the president of the
board of agriculture, the question of
directing the enforcement of the game
laws, then by providing that some
county ofIicer-for instance, the coun-
ty clerk-shall collect all hunting Ii
cense ices. an dthat the money col
lected In the several counties shall
remain and become a part of the eoun-
ty funds, which vii lgive to each eoun-
ty quite revenue. Then provide that
the sheriff and eonstables shall make
arrests for violations of the game
laws, and that they be given the re
wards offered by the present law. In
addition to the saving OF 100000 TO
the state. this will be net gain to
each county, which being financially
interested, will cause every citizen 10
desire the purchase OF license by
every hunter.
Il would also abolish the state edu-
cational board as now constructed
because it does not meet the intent
of the provision OF the constitution
Well do I recall when Senator Van
Deventer requested my opinion of this
measure when il was up in the Third
legislature, while on a visit 20 it
told him that he could stake his all in
the opposition that he was making
at the time { the bill, that the gov
ernor would have trouble with such 8
board because il was founded upon
wrong principles. hence this board
should not be confirmed. teel tHi
pelled from a sense of duty to the
people Of Oklahoma. by reason OF the
confidence So recently expressed
which has resulted from my efforts il
their behalf in the past to make this
straight declaration OF what ought Is
be done in the interest of the state
and Of economy There are Other
Offices. including courts, which shoulC
be abolished, that | shall not mention
here, but If all the unnecessary Offices
were abolished we could keep oul
schools. which the governor proposes
10 abolish, as easily as we could abol
ish the schools and keep the officials
1,,+ vrhather the schools are abolished