The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-08-18
OKLAHOMA OFFICES FOR OKLA
HOmaNS

|
gin soil, uncovered her matchless re-
| sources and wrought the marvellous
changes now manifest. Imbued with
the American spirit Of progress and
enterprise a few good people came
this way and saw a land Of goodly
, parts waiting for the touch Of ener-
getic hands to make it give forth its
plenteous harvest. They built them
selves rude homes and began the sea
son OF conquest Informing others
OF the rich possibilities to be encoun-
tered. they induced them to cast their
lot here and Join in the work of trans
formation. AS is the case with every
undeyeloped community, these pio-
neers were caleld upon to endure many
/ hardships. but with true grit and de-
/ termination. they went about the task
and in a remarkably short time con-
duered the difficulties that beset their
way. Productive farms were carved
out, thriving cities were built and
prosperous factories installed, all min
istering to the happiness and comfort
Of the people. Quickly grown from in
| fancy to strong young manhood, Okla
homa presented such a vigorous petit
| tion for statehood, supported by such
| ncontestable proof of fitness for the
! honor, that it was admitted as a state
This change in political conditions
naturally brought forth a necessity for
fairs of the people. Is 1t strange that
| these people who had built the state
should expect that these Offices would
be administered by the men who had
made the state possible? Certainly
: to them and their posterity living in
the state should the first consideration
be shown.
That this view was generally enter
tanned and accepted is to be found
exemplified in the fact that the con-
stitution provides that one of the nee
essary qualifications for holding an
elective executive office is three years
bona-fide residence in the state. When
the constitution was being written, no
member of the convention was bold
enough to suggest that we could get
a better governor from Texas, a bet
ter superintendent of public instruc-
tions from North Dakota, or better
attorney general from Kansas. In fact
gress, when we asked for admission as
a state, we rightly assumed, and easily
maintained, that our people were as
honest, as intelligent and as capable
of administering government as the
people of any existing state. The
Ardmoreite has not departed from that
position We contend that our people
are constantly advancing to higher
things, and that they are better quail
fed now than ever before to fill with
credit the various positions necessary
for the conduct of our public affairs.
We do not believe that there is a po-
sition now held by an imported Of
fetal that could not be ably filled by
an Oklahoma citizen. Mark you, We
are not advocating the removal of any
man who has been appointed to posi-
lions in the state who came direct
from other states to accept those posi-
tions. TO do so would work an in
justice upon such appointees and
might injure the departments with
which they are connected. We do con-
tend however, that the time has come
to call halt in such promiscuous ap-
pointments. Some of the most i'm
portant and lucrative positions in the
state are held by men who had no in
terest whatever in our state or her
people until given these appointments.
If We have no men among us capable
of properly administering the affairs
of these positions let us frankly admit
our incapacity to self-government and
return to the days when all of our
public officials were imported from
other states. If we have men within
our borders capable of administering
the offices OF highest Importance
among us, such as governor, supreme
court justice and the like, we should
not have difficulty in finding men ca
palle of filling subordinate appointiye
positions.
"Oklahoma Offices for Oklahoma
People" is the motto Of The Ardmore-
ite and We believe this sentiment is
echoed from the hearts of practically
all Of the two million people who make
up the population Of the state. If pres
ent elected officials take a different
view of the matter. and persist In
sending abroad for their appointees.
thereby Haunting into the faces If the
DpDn'p tLis estimate of tb,ir ,,- O. ,,..