The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-10-26
THE AWFUL STATE pERr.

THE AWFUL STATE DEBT.
The democrats try to defend them
selves against the charge Of prodigaI
reeklessness in the expense OF running
the state government by calling the
Taxpayers attention to the local and
county expenses.
1t is true that the democrats are
not to be charged with all Of our heavy
taxes. Towns and counties nave often
been very extrayagant
The local taxes in Oklahoma City
are enormous. and no wonder. Look
at the miles and miles OF asphalt pave
ments, sewers, water. etc, where
there are no houses. See our fine
broad park lands, the grand boulevard,
etc All these things cost great sums
Of money This city did all these
things at once while other cities did
not do them in less than twenty
years
There Is no use complaining OF city
taxes. We put them on ourselves. We
voted the bonds Much OF the work
could have waited But after all we
still hold what we bought or put down.
But the great sums paid out by the
state were largely for current ex-
penses, the salaries Of horde Of un-
necessary officials, the duplication not
only Of officials. but public institutions.
The city and county tax is heavy,
Il is true. but the state is in debt some
i$7,0O0,000 already and only five years
old That debt was incurred by bad
and dishonest management in the
Estate government Times, Oklahoma
City
The above clipping from the Okla
homa City Times is one of its charac-
terlstlc campaign screeds, remarkable
only IN its unwilling acknowledgment
that the democratic party is not re-
sponsible for all the ills of our body
polite. grasshoppers. drouths and high
interest rates included But II the
above is true Of Oklahoma City, why
is It not true of our state? In the
days Of the constitutional convention
and the first legislature. optimism pre-
vailed. from Haskell and Bill Murray
down TO the sorry little bunch Of re-
nublioans who had escaped the wrath
OF the people over the shameless ger
rymander perpetrated by the republi-
can bosses In dividing the proposed
state into constitutional districts. The
addition OF the Indian Territory had
increased the wealth OF the proposed
state perhaps ten-fold. perhaps beyond
computation, and fro mthe golden
stream of corporation taxes and
sources other than regular taxation. II
was anticipated, the expenses OF the
state government could be almost
wholly met, and taxation for state pur-
poses become an insignificant item.
With this rosy view So perspective,
why wait twenty years for an educa-
tlonal system. the marvel Of all the
states which had trodden the path
from infancy to maturity? why wait
twenty. thirty or forty years for
convict system above the plane of
sordid gain, with convict labor I'M
known as regards competition with
paid labor? Why wait an indefinite
period 70 develop an agricultural edu-
eational system the peer OF states fifty
years older? Why not have all these
things now. since they could be had
without unreasonable burdens of tax
alton upon the people. since the illimit.
able corporate wealth OF the state
would pay the bills? And we pro-
eeeded TO have them What other
commonwealth can boast of acquiring
such an aggregation OF educational.
penal and charitable institutions I'm
any twenty years OF its life as we have
builded. equipped and supplied in
five? What other state has ever found
vlct army of 1900 and maintain It
Il necessary to so quickly house con
upon the plane OF nonInterference
with paid labor, which means the cost