The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1912-10-18
ARGUMENT: WHY THE STATE CAPITAL SHOULD
BE REMOVED To GUTHRIE

| board OF equalization, a director 0l,
the Oklahoma City Chamber of Conn
merce, while testlfying swore that
the tract was not worth over $f-o !
600 {
Fred Cam, president of one OF thH
largest investment companies of Ok,
lahoma City testified that as basis,
for loan the land was worth $l34
900 and as a speculation could noi
be considered at over $65, 900 ans
Governor Cruce in a recent lettes
published states that the land woula
become valuable If retained until tha
capitol was built Where then is the,
million or more dollars for a capitos
building to come from except ont OF
the pockets Of the taxpayers?
Guthrie's Offer.
The city Of Guthrie offers to the
people of the state, capitol square,
containing fourteen acres, upon.
which it has built a convention hall
which was used by the state free for
the purpose Of a capitol building
and which cost $l50,000 and around.
which it has paved and parked the
streets and improved the groundsN
making a beautiful park, well set out
in shade trees and Bermuda grass.
These grounds located in the
heart Of the city which We're reserve
ed by the government for capitos
purposes with all the improvements.
including the temporary capitol arei
worth at this time fully hair Il mill
lion dollars.
The state owns a school section,
one half mile south of Capitot
Square which the state can plat and
sell for townsite purposes With
the capital located at Guthrie this
section of hand would bring five
hundred thousand dollars, as the
land lies within a half mile of the
court house and federal buildingI
with street cars crossing it and pay7
ed streets touching it. 81
The people of Guthrie have never
asked for any OF the public institu-
tions and integrity OF the people OF
the state and in the moral obligation.
Of the people to carry out the pro1
visions Of the enabling act proyid
ing that the capital shonld remain
at Guthrie until 1913, Guthrie rested
her claim to the state capital
The city has never sought to-
build herself up by tearing down
other cities in the state and robbing
them Of their public and private ini
and has never made %
promise or agreement which has not
been kept.
The retention of the capital by
Oklahoma City win require the taxi
payers OF this state to pay at lease
one million dollars in addition to'
their other taxes to build necessary
for the public Offices and
while the erection of these buildings
is going on, the taxpayers are payi
ing over forty thousand dollars ~
year rent 10 the property holders oG
Oklahoma City, this payment to COM
tinue for many years.
No Appropriation Needed.
Guthrie is practically in the cent
ter of the state, is one oAyhe finest
residence cities OF the state; clean,
lawabiding and heathful; is reach
eu Dy Gi&llt railways, Has SLlt'V
cars and every other modern con-
yenience and the finest drinking and
medicinal mineral waters in Ameri-
ca. The temporary capitol erected
by the citizens of Guthrie and pre-
sented free to the state viii serve
the state for many years, and with
the capital located permanently
at Guthrie no appropriation
for a building. or rentals would h@
until the taxpayers iihah
have had a chance to free them
selves from their present burden of
taxes.
The capital was moved from Gnth-
rie by fraud and Misrepresentation.
The people OF the city of Guthrie
ask the moral and law abiding citi
izens of the state who believe in JUS !
tice and a square deal, 10 on No
vember ;, 1912, settle the capital |
question permanently by locating
il at the city of Guthrie, thereby rec
tifying the great wrong done the peo-
pie of the state and to the city or
Guthrie, when the capital was stol- |
en- by Oklahoma City.