The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-08-30
AN Oily EXEMPTION.

AN OtlI1 llO.Ns
Tulsa Times: James r. Whiteside is
Muskogees only millionaire. 1t is some
! thing to be a millionaire-the million
| aire-down there. Up here in Tulsa,
where they grow in clusters on the
tree OF fortune, we make no distinc-
! ton between a millionaire and man.
! But down in Muskogee it appears that
they draw the line very distinctly. The
millionaire in Muskogee is specially ia
vored Of the gods-and Of men. Like
| the kaiser he rules by divine right.
| He is the 1t Of Muskogee.
Mr.. Whiteside is young man, and
we are glad to know that he is physical
ly fit The doctors have looked him
over, thumped his vital spots, inspected
him and passed him for the army draft.
Mr.. Whiteside was pronounced AL.
But Mr. Whiteside claimed exemption.
He had a wife to support That was
his claim. With various gushers gush.
ing two-dollar crude, and which not even
defeat Of our armies by the kaiser could
keep from gushing, Mr. Whiteside felt
that it was his family duty to remain
at home and support his wife. BE it
far from us to insnuate that his claim
was founded upon sand-even upon pc.
troleum sand.
| But il appears that Mr. Whiteside
doubted the stability Of his first eXemp-
tion claim, so he went to the expense
of derricking up another. 1t must have
cost him some money-and he has a
wife to support. Verify, the war.god
is hard on the poor! We are told that
Mr.. Whiteside's second exemption claim
the one upon which the board has ex.
cused him from service consumed some
twelve pages Of typescript
Then there was another item Of paper
consumption; and in these days Of the
high price Of white paper too. United
States Senator owen, whose local habi.
tation is in Muskogee when he is at
home, is said to have written a letter
from Washington pleading for the
young millionaire's exemption. The
press has been unable to get the orig.
inal Of this letter, or even a copy. The
letter has been lost! Perhaps it has been
u bundled into gunnysack Of waste pa.
per and sold as a matter Of wartime
'' conservation. Who knows?
= Anyhow, Mr. Whteside is exempted.
3 His successful claim was to the effect
that he could serve his country better
D. by staying at home and developing Ger.
). tain oil properties than by carrying a
/ rifle at a cantonment and possibly into
, Berlin. The United States and the allies
! need oil. Airplane motors must be fed
u Automobile engines must not suffer
. stomach pangs. The bowels Of big ships
: needs must be oiled often to keep then
d from getting the tummyache
J. Wherefore. why shall not Mr. White
VI side be permitted to do his solemn duty
by the country in producing more pc
= troleum, and more and more petroleum
e at s. per barrel2 Besides. the pric,
Y may 90 still higher unless Mr.. Whitesid,
II be permitted to develop his new gush
e ers, listed in his twelve pages Of type
: script
u Some railroad employees at Muskoge,
u have filed a protest against the exemp
Il tion Of Mr. Whitesidle. They have beer
II drafted They set forth that the govern
T. ment needs railroad service in trans
e porting troops and supplies which i,
= not 20 be disputed. They are a par
u Of that service They are willing t,
K 20 and fight. If need be- but they insis
> that they should be exempted If Mr.
Is Whiteside is exempted They feel. n,
10 doubt, that IL is important that locomo
II tives be oiled and some Of them do IN,
a. oiling OF what avail were IT, they ask
= that Mr.. Whitesde produce the oil 10
II this oilng Of the oilers are taken ava.
" from the engines?
' The selective draft principle is demC
y cratic, we have been told. We an
81 fighting for the upholding and develoI
y ment OF democracy. The exemption O
James T.. Whiteside OF Muskoree. new
.S of which is carried TO the far corner
- Of the republic ON the wires and place
: before the ten millions Of drafted me
" by the press has the appearance q
y being AN oily exemption.