The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-02-11

| put an embargo on the development OF
J oil leases and is clearly an impairment
| of both the state and federal constitu-
! tions."
But, couldn't test case be filed at
once, and the law tried out quickly in
the supreme court?" Governor Will
liams interrupted.
Speedy Test Proposed.
81 assure your honor it will be test
ed both speedily and expeditiously if
it passes your scrutiny" Ledbetter re-
piled.
81 have received probably five hun
dred kilograms and telephone mes
sages from producers and others inter
ested, asking me to sign the BILL" Gov
ernor Williams said, and although |,
too, may have grave doubts as to its
constitutionality, | don't think | should
take the responsibility of deciding it
without letting it reach the courts. If
| we're to take the stand you ask me
to, these people always would think
that the law would have been good had
| it been signed"
IL think the governor should use
his power on this matter rather than
let the bill become law, turned into
maelstrom of litigation and shortly
stricken down." Mr.. Ledbetter insist
ed"
Mr.. Ledbetter declared that by no
possible construction could the bill be
made to control contracts that al
ready had been made. He said it was
possible it could be construed to gov
ern future transactions.
If this bill is put into effect, man
who makes a contract today does not
know whether it will be worth the
paper on which it is drawn tomorrow,
and according to its principle, man
may commit an act today that is not
a crime and yet be punished as felon
for it tomorrow" he concluded.
Petitions Presented.
G. n. Hanley of Gushing presented
to the governor petitions bearing the
signatures of more than one thousand
workingmen of Cushing, Drumright
and Yale, asking Governor Williams to
veto the bill.
You are governor for the workmen
Just the same as for the producers,
Hanley asserted. 81 represent the COM
mercial clubs of those three towns and
through them represent all the peo-
pie"
IF this bill becomes the law, it will
be a calamity to the working classes
of the state" said Judge l.. NJ Poe of
Tulsa. at will mean shutdown of
and will create havoc in
now prosperous regions. 1t would
bankrupt half of the oil men in the
state if in effect just six months"
Robert Galbreath, an Independent
producer of Tulsa and once the big
gest operator in the old Glenn pool,
registered a strong kick again the bill
and urged the governor to veto it.
E. w. O'Brien of Gushing, boiler
maker, pleaded that the bill would
ruin workmen in the field.
'If you sign this bill, what am | to
do?" he shouted. "Do you want to tell
me and the ten thousand like me to
leave the state? If the governor is a
governor, he'll veto this act"
First for Bill
Declaring that I'VE should quit tax
ing pittance from No. 26 Broadway
and begin to look after ourselves" c.
J. Wrightsman, one of the largest op-
orators in the field, was the first speak
er to defend the bill. He declared he
voiced the sentiments of the majori-
ty of the producers.
The law may cause some difficulty
for the present" Mr.. Wrightsman
pointed out but we should look after
tomorrow as well as today"
Writ Franklin of Ardmore, repre-
senting Healdton producers, argued
briefly in support of the bill. He urged
that it would benefit not only the pro
lucers but the laborers, too, in the
ong run. Mr.. Franklin has been in
terested in oil legislation since the
legislature convened. He was the last
speaker.