Farmers' champion. (Elgin, Okla.) 1912-1922, 1912-11-14

Dewse tAaa ~ oeAW s0slal = -
state. Yet u ~ e1ocutjoa q ~
laws Of this statot un1or ~ 0ta1neoo
that have been enaeted .Ader cur co.
stitution. the govornor mas very little
moro power than The humblest citlaoa
In Oklahoma.
In order that the governors author.
ity may be defined aa1 that his 70
quests may be observed by local ON.
ciais. this Legislature should five him
the power TO remove summasily from
IL to enforce the criminal u Of Oh.
lahoma. who fails, neSlscts o. refuses
to enforce them; and this power on
the part OF the governor should not be
restricted to he prohibition law, but
to all criminal laws. Clothed with
this authority the question Of local
sentiment would play very little part.
II would result In another thing which
would be Immediately helpful to better
local government; Il would remove
the bootleggsr and gambler from local
politics.
don't believe that an occasion
would often arise In Oklahoma where
an ofiicer would have to be removed
by the governor. II would be sufficient
with the average public oflicial to
know that the governor had that ~.
thority, and when the governor in.
structed him to enforce the law. he
would not be met with Q smile Of con.
tempt, and with the plea that public
sentiment 10 against It's enforcement"
! recommend that you pass . law
giving the governor authority to re-
move at once any public official whose
duty II 10 to enforce any criminal law,
when he 10 convinced that such pub
tic oficial through neglect, failure or
wilful design. 10 not enforcing the
laws and to appoint In his stead sue
cessor. Given this authority I guar.
antee to you and to the people Of the
state that We will have Q better On.
forcoment Of the law In Oklahoma dur.
Ing the next two years than we have
had during the past two. The present
method Of removal Of Officers. through
the process Of court proceedings. 10
20 tedius and cumbersome as to be
practically useless. The method that
propose will work no hardship upon
any honest man: and the public ON.
cial whose conduct 10 called into Ques-
tion will, In my judgment, before any
man whom the people Of Oklahoma will
ever elect to the high ONCE Of gov.
crnor OF the state receive as patient
and fair . hearing 10 he would receive
through the courts.
EDUCATION
There 10 probably no one subject
that interests more people In Oklah0-
ma than the subject Of education. The
enthusiasm Of our people for higher
educational development has been
made means by which self.interest.
Cd individuals have effected A. en-.
trance into the pockets Of the tax-pay.
ers OF this stats. OutraSes against the
state and against real educational
progress have been perpetrated In the
name of education. The number Of
we'll informed men In tho state who
believe that the number Of higher cd
uCational institutions we now have are
necessary. 10 90 small a. to be inc0n-
siderable. There is almost uniform
agreement ON the part Of the people
that some Of these schools should be
abolished. The trouble II. however,
that there are few men In public life
who have undertaken to designate the
schools that should be eliminated.
Oklahoma has more schools known
as higher educational institutions"
which are supported largely or entire
ly by state revenue, than any other
state Of like population In the Union.
II is hardly probable that Oklahoma
needs this class Of schools more than
any other state; not II It at all true
that It Ia able to support more schools
OF this character than other states OF
like wealth and population. The trou.
BILE with Oklahoma u this these
lished not because there was general
need Of them. but because some local
ity desired . state institution, and
was able to bring enough influence to
bear upon former Legislatures to effect
the location Of such IN institution In
that district.
We have q University, an A. 4 M.
College. a Girls College, School of
Mines, two University Preparatory
Schools. six District Agricultural
Schools, six State Normals. and an A.
4 M. school for nsgroes.-nineteen
In all. There was appropriated to main.
tain these schools for the two years
ending in June 3Oth. 1918. 31.40s.000.
or an annual outlay OF $74S. 100000; and
recent report submitted by the super
intsndent of instruction indicates that
II will require this much or more to
maintain these schools during ne next
two years.
Practically thirty per cent Of al the
revenue collected By the state for gov
ernmental purposes 10 expended In
these nineteen schools. The question
is, how long will the people of Okla
homa stand this sort of school system.