Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-10-11
DEMOCRATS BEGIN
USUAL CAMPAIGN
Republicans Reply to the
Statement That Demmies
Will Slander.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oct 10
Making plea to the Republicans
of the state, believing that they are
sincere In wanting good government,
and sounding warning SOf what
might happen If conditions as he
believes exists are permitted to con-
tinue, Eugene GIL, a life long Demo-
crat, appeared before the Republican
state conventio here recently and
told OF conditions in the state gov
ernment as he claims exists Mr.
Gill was a candidate on the Demo-
cratic ticket for nomination for the
lower house of the legislature but
was defeated. He claims he has been
offered several good positions under
the present administration, but that
he declined them. He has associated
himself with the publication OF a
Republican paper in this city for the
purpose of doing what he can to
bring about changes In the admin
istratioH of the state government in
accord with the way he thinks 1t
should be.
Mr.. GIL said as follows:
This situation ia unusual and
somewhat embarrassing. only a few
| days ago | associated myself with
, Mr.. Appleby in the publication Of
! the oklahoma State Capital. In do
! ing so | took "A long step and one
which may mean the severing of
many ties Men whose friendship
esteem highly may misunderstood
and condemn me, but there are con-
slderatlons far above and beyond
sentiment and at least have the
consciousness of doing my duty to
the public and myself
~ may be imaginary. but TO my
| mind oklahoma Is on the verge Of .
great political crisis. The time is not
far distant when party lines will be
swept aside and we will divide upon
! the question of the perpetuation Of
this form of government.
cost Too Great
The cost of government to the
| people Of oklahoma last year was
$50, 100000. A rough estimate of ap-
| propriations ard estimated expenses
of government for this year reaches
| S66,0O0,010. This means the COM
| binod value of our wheat and oa,
crop. II means % per cent Of the
total production of this state, includ.
| ing all agricultural, oil and mineral
! products
This is the result of a policy that
| has continually increased the cost Of
government to this state. The first
| legislature appropriated less than
! S3,500,00O for state government; the
/ last legislature over S10,500. 900. The
| year prior to statehood the court eX-
! pense of the territory of oklahoma,
\ aside from Justice courts, was SiS5,-
| G0O-sevcn district Judges and %
| county judges performed this work
| The court expense last year for the
| territory comprising old Oklahoma
! exclusive of justice courts. was
] 1 ~
/ county Judges one-half Of a supreme
court of 2S members, federal DIS
| trict court and IL United States COM
| misSoners performed the work. In
addition there have been created since
statehood a corporation commission.
! and industrial commission, court Of
| inquiry, referee courts, and various
executive officers have been clothed
with judicial powers.
The expense of county govern
mont for the &c counties comprising
! old Oklahoma territory the year
! prior to statehood was 81 500, ,000 the
! aggregate cost of county government
| fer The same territory divided into 36
counties was last year $5.500,O00.
The result is felt by every indus
Try in the state. The number Of
mortgages on farms, homes and bus
'nesses that have been foreclosed has
There are today 10000 tenant farm
crs and $4,000 farm owners in Okla
homa. and despite an unparalleled
and unnatural prosperity, the num-
her OF business failures Increases our
| big institutions and industries are
suffering by reason of the burdens
that have been placed upon them un-
der prctext of regulation regardless
of tho fact that a great majority Of
the larger corporations can pass these
| burdens on to their employees and the
| pIblic.
These conditions afford problems
that must be solved. and to my mind
these problems must be solved within
tho very near future. Sixtv-thrce
thousand voters are registered as So
cialists AT this time. Ton thousand
of that number are fundamental So
ctalists Svho believe In government
that Is foreign to this republic. and
$4,000 are malcontonts who find pres
Scnt conditions unhelrablc. Unless
these problems are solved the 1000
malcontents and their recruits will
elect these 10000 Socialists to take
charge 81 this government. and
should this come about all the codes.
statutes and law books cf Slis state
VII be made into a bonfire that will
rCflect throughout the civilized world
The skyline of this magnificent city