The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-10-25

and Attorney General ETocling hai
well said IN referring TO Section l2a
surely no one will deny that
tho people may provide In the Con-
Hituttou that he part ot tn" tax
which comes indirectly from all
the people, shall bo so distributed
that all may have the benefit of
"a Just proportion. To deny that
tho people may accomplish the
purpose clearly Intended by this
amendment. and which we sin
cercly bolicvo Us clearly expressed.
is 20 deny the sovereignty Of the
people"
rho Citizens of every school dis.
/ uict I'm oklahoma contribute TO the
funds which pay public service cor
porltion taxes for ma ntaiuinR com.
mon achools aud every school dis.
/ triCt has ne same right to use and
benefit ~ the same that they have
To share IN the interest collected
I uDOn our common school fund or
the rentals collected upon school
. lands tScCtioug lG and 3G)
I n somebody undertook TO appor-
, ton these rent moneys 10 the par
| ticulnr school districts I'm which the
! land II located wouldn't It cause q
riot2
Tho platform upon which our
present Governor made his success-
ful campaign FOR nomination said:
- believe that when o. constitu-
uounl amendment or an iuitiat-
cd question hrs been duly sub
mited apd r1tlficd by tho people
tha, q should be Ntali2cd by the
Legislature. unless subsequently
repealed by the affirmative action
or the voters This H. the plain
mandate of the Constitution and
Cnnnot he ignored without Injury
to the integrity of our institutions.
nnd tho spirit of our laws and
form Of government"
Thomas jefferson said;
absolute asquioscenco in the
decisions of the majority ~ tho
fundamental principle Of ropub-
lies"
one Of tho black spots upou Okla
homa history n the reputation OF
this fundamental principle by the
Oklahoma Legislature. This matter,
by initiation. has been brought be-
fore the voters OF the state for u
final verdict 4 "ycs' vote upon this
measure ~ n vote To compel respect
for and compliance with the win of
the people OF Oklahoma, regularly
nnd constitutionalIy expressed
Prepared and submitted upon be-
half uf the citizens OF Oklahoma
who believe In popular government
and who are willing to "acauiesco
IN tho decision Of the majority" re-
pcntedly expressed
Argument Opposing the Adoption Of
State Question No. 90.
Initiative Petition No. 81.
The text Of the measure reads:
The proposed bill ~ for vttalizing
liza" OF the constitution and
provides for the lovying OF an an
Z nual tax upon the property OF
every railroad company. pipe line
company telegraph company, and
upon the property of every public
service corporation which opcr-
atos In more than one county in
this state; such tax TO be equal Gas
near as may be) to the average
rntd ~ tax levied upon other prop
prty In this state for like pur-
poses. and with tho further pro-
vision that there shall he per
capita return to each district based
upon the enumeration of such dis
trict The bill also provides the
local districts from levyiug for
their benefits any school tax on
such public service corporations
within its limits.
The above measure IN for the pur-
pose OF vitalizing and putting into ef-
feet section l2A OF the constitution.
adopted by the people OF Oklahoma
August 9th 1913. This matter has
been before every Legislature since
tts ratification and their failure To
act Cavorably can only be attributed
TO an extraordinary condition. Va
rlous legislatures chosen from the
body OF people have viewed the
yitalization unfavorably aud failed to
adopt same
when section 12A was adopted
there were but Few school boards
within the state. and but few people
who realized tho full Significance OF
the measure. Like many other ques
tious submitted to AN uninformcd
public, it was permitted to become u
| part OF tho constitution. Many hun,
drcds of school districts losing from
! 20 20 95 por cent of their schoo
| taxes unknowingiy voted ,his meas,
ure upon themselves.
Nor was this at all surprising. 4
| was tax measure intricate In Il,
7 UsfdNuIts hl ltflinE tNtlN WHbpl ulh
| irict I'm Oklahoma. No two schOo
/ districts were affected alike. TC
| know the full force OF tho measure
IL WAS necessary TO take the averag,
taxable value OF the public servic,
corporations OF the state, operating
| IN moro than one county and appl,
/ the proceeds to the per capita popu
latior some 5000 school districts II
the state. Until this was done, tn,
effect OF vital!sing the measure
| could not be known, nor could one
cast an Intelligent vote upon tn
measure,
The question OF vitalizlng "t2A'
was submitted TO the various legis
lltures and hy each in turn has beer
, thoroughly investigated and after
weeks OF exhaustive study and re
search each legislature has In turI
I failed To act
The reason is that the bill I,
; fundamentally wrong In principle
J II purpurts TO take from the stronI
/ districts that do not need the none,
/ and give to tho weak districts thal
/ do need the money. Upon itH face
I this seems 20 be fair and Just. II
WAS NOT until the acid test Of Figures
/ was applied that the real injury OF
, the proposed measure could be as
{ certainod.
Its effects, IL put into operation