The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1913-01-08
BILL MURRAY
GIVES SOME ADVICE

measures ana tllHSS lnaI SHOulu De
considered by the present Oklahoma
Legislature, gave out het following
statement today:
While | am rot member of the
Oklahoma Legislature, and my direct
and official obligations will be con-
cerned with the affairs at Washing
ton City, yet | feel X my duty to as.
sist in the solution Of the problems
which concern Oklahoma as State
and shall take the liberty to do this,
even though there be those who in
sist that it does not concern me.
All of the matters can scarcely be
enumerated which should be taken up
and considered by the present legisla-
ture, but I shall give you the most i'm
portant.
The first is the enactment of di-
rect primary general election law
This is Of first Importance because, as
Governor Wilson has we'll said, Back
of every reform is, How are you going
to get it?"
Second, The enactment of such laws
as will tend to reduce the expense of
Government, and thereby the rate of
taxation. This ian most satisfactorily
be done by the abolishion of certain
unnecessary offices and officers Among
them are, the State Election Board as
a salaried position, placing the records
in the hands of the Secretary of State,
and one from the two dominant part
les, without additional salary; the
abolition of the Board of Public At
fairs and the sustitution therefor of a
Financial Agent; the abolition of the
Supreme Court Commission, When
ever the Supreme Court cannot do the
business, then additional Judges
should be added, but the principle of
permitting an appointive Commission
to investigate and pass upon vital
questions of law, and thereby permit
the Supreme Court Judges to escape
the responsibility, is wrong in princi-
pie. Indeed, it is an indirect admiss,
ion that Judges should not be elected,
if such commission were wise.
The Game Warden's Department
should be abolished, except the Super
intendence of the enforcement of the
laws should be placed under the con-
troll of the President of the Board of
Agriculture, and the enforcement un.
der the control of the Sheriff and Con-
stables, with such additional local
game wardens, appointive by the board
of County Commissioners, as may be
needed in a given County; the abolit-
ion of the State Board of Education.
as now constructed.
In addition to this the North Carl
lima system of rotating District Jud-
ges should be adopted, with a provis
ion of law requiring the active contin-
uous labor of such Judges, and that in
any event no such Judge shall take
more than thirty days vacation in any
one year, without a corresponding re-
duction of his salary If this measure
were adopted it would relieve the
Judge from the influence of favored
friends, and from the scenes of animos
ity against the attorneys who happen
to oppose him for election. BY this
method twenty Judges could do the
business of the State, just as sixteen
serve the State of North Carolina, and
fill the place of District Judges and
also County Judges
Public Education
is always of vital Importance, not only
by the establishment and maintenance
of Common Schools. but Academies,
Colleges and highest institutions of
learning. No consideration of expense
should be balanced against the necess-
ity of every phase of Education The
appropriation for the State A. & M,
College and the State University
should be ample to meet the growing
conditions and the future welfare of
the State | repeat what have said
before that if we appropriate half
million dollars annually for the State
University, and produce one Thomas
Jeffercon in a lifetime, that would
compensate this state and humanity
for all the expenditures of any gener-
alton, and should we appropriate a
half million dollars for the A. & NJ.
College for a corresponding period of
time, and it produced one Luther Bur
bank, the State would be well paid for
all such expenditures. The public
knows my views with reference to dis
trict A. & NJ. Colleges; it will become
the real farmers school. If these are
continued upon the present basis for
two years, the Federal Government,
in obedience to its Democratic Plat
form, viii provide for their mantain-
ance. without burden to the State. To