The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1912-10-07

and in violation or the endDHuB dct
which the constitutional convention
had irrevocably accepted, the quSs-
ton Of the location of the capital OF
the state was voted upon. Oklaho-
ma city by her official representa-
tlyes 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 paw sn
moving expenses. The pretended re.
suit of this special election was an
nounced ON the night of June II
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
eanvassed ana several months later
the supreme court of our state de-
elared the election Illegal The
governor at once called special
session of the legislature at Okiahoy
ma City and by q vote of that body
the capital was located in thatcity,
the citizens renewing their promises
In written contract, Of a million
dollar capital building, payment OF
moving expenses and free rentals
The capital is now at Oklahoma
City simply by legislative act and
not by the vote of the people, sub
ject to being moved by the legisla.
ture or the people at any time. Guthr
RE 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 s25,0OU
each month to the state and con-
tinue these payments until a million
| dollars had been paid. Not a single
dollar Of this has ever been pain
i and in March, i912. the attorney
| general OF the state held that the
| contract had not been complied with
and was no longer in any way bind
ing on the state. Their bond o.
| 100000 given for fulfillment or their
contract was forfeited and has new
er heen paid. Their agreement to
| furnish free rentals has never been
| kent and the state is now obliged
| to pay over $4,000 year in rents.
Their promise to pay the moving
| expenses was like all the rest OF
| their promises and the taxpayers
| maid 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 vio
lated by Oklahoma City and was no
longer binding the citizens of Gnth-I
| RE, on the solicitation of people from
all parts of the state and to righ'
a wrong done them and the state,
prepared the initiative petition lce
| eating the capital permanently al
Guthrie and it was signed by 51,f99
| voters, over 1900 more than thy
number required by law IN com,
parison with Oklahoma City's actor,
/ calling for a special election at q,
| cost Of 100000 to the taxpayers az
4 time when every farmer was busy
| and only able to go to the polls an
Il sacrifice and also a special session
Of the legislature at an additionat
expense OF $4,000. is Guthrle's pes
| tition submitting the matter to tht
| general election then every voteil
| will be at the polls and entaining not
i single dollar Of additional expense,
| Oklahoma city's Offer.
oklahoma city now offers in place,
| OF ,he million dollar capital, and the
moving expenses, $ltm,0DJ and $50,
acres Of land scattered all over the.
| northeast part OF Oklahoma county,
| the most valuable part Of which isl
| in litigation and that where they.
| wish to locate the capital, being I'm
litigation. 80 that no title can ba
made on IL. The residue or this 65n
acres is in small tracts ana the oil:
ficial State abstracters found about
200 defects in the titles to thest
various tracts.
The committee which put this land
in the hands OF Lee Cruce, as -
| private individual acting as theiN
trustee valued 1t at $l,40O000 bun
II. IT, Gardner, before the statei
board Of eqnili2ation, a director OF,
the Oklahoma City Chamber of Comi
| meree, while testifying swore that.
the tract was not worth over S1z1'-i
600. {
Fred Gmm, president Of one Of tha
largest investment companies OF Ok
lahoma city testified that as basis
for q loan the land was worth $l3,.
900 and as a speculation could non
be considered at over $4,000 anH
Governor Cruce in a recent letteh
published states that the land woulH
become valuable If retained until thd
capitol was built. Where then is the'
million or more dollars for capitos
building to come from except out on
the pockets of the taxpayers? ,
Guthre'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 halh
which was used by the state free for
the purpose of a capitol buidin7
and which cost $15a,00o and around'
which 1t has paved and parked the
streets and improved the groundsA
making a beautiful park, we'll set ont
in shade trees and Bermuda grass.
These grounds located in the
heart of the city which were reserv1
ed by the government for capitoS
purposes with all the Improvements
including the temporary capitol are
worth at this time fully half milk
lion dollars.
The state owns a school section
ono half miie eOufh of CaDitOf