The Chandler News. (Chandler, Okla.), Vol. 10, No. 21, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 7, 1901 Page: 1 of 10
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The United States Census Bureau reports the Population of Chandler at 1430; of Stroud, 800, of Wellston, 383.
FIRST PAPER PUBLISHED IN LINCOLN COUNTY.—H. B. GILSTRAP, EDITOR AND PUBLISHER.
TENTH YEAR.
1 CHANDLER, OKLAHOMA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1901.
NUMBER 21.
The Farmer and the Merchant are Equally Benefited by uocd Roads
OKLAHOMA"
STATEHOOD.
A STATEHOOD convention was held at
Guthrie last week. It was called in
response to a demand from the anti-single
statehood element, who insisted^ that some-
thing must be done to coun-
"GREATER teract the influence of the
South McAlester conven-
tion. Contrary to their
usual practice, the Guthrie papers did not
print a list of the delegates in attendance at
this convention because they were prompted
by a charitable desire to shield the promoters
of the convention from the embarrassment
of having it known that so few bona tide del-
egates were in attendance. Prom reliable
sources, however, we learn that there were
less than one hundred delegates present who
were able to show credentials from their
respective counties. This is a smaller num-
ber than were in attendance at the South
McAlester convention from Oklahoma, al-
though delegates had to travel nearly.a hun-
1 t
dred miles further to attend the South Mc-
Alester meeting, while the Guthrie conven-
tion had the advantage of the territorial
legislature as an additional attraction to offer
to those who might not be sufficiently inter-
ested in the program arranged by the state-
hood boosters. It, will be remembered that
the Clarice-Havens crowd of small-state
boosters grew very funny in discussing the
South McAlester convention and that: they
iusisted that it was a failure because the at-
tendance was not as large as the call provid-
ed for. Now that they have held a conven-
tion in the capital city of the territory with
a still smaller attendance they should be fair
enough to admit that the single statehood
fellows have the best of it. Of those who
were in attendance at the Guthrie conven-
tion a respectable minority were single
statehood men, and this minority was strong
enough to compel the adoption of a resolu-
tion endorsing single statehood in case con-
gress prefers to give us that form. Lincoln
county, the second largest in the territory,
did riot send a delegate to the convention,
and did not even hold a county convention as
provided for in the call issued by Sidney
Clarke. All of these facts and many more
point unmistakably to the conclusion that
the people of Oklahoma are learning to dis-
tinguish between an oratorical contest and a
genuine statehood convention where the in
terests of Oklahoma are considered para-
mount to the aspirations of a few worn-out
politicians. There are, of course, some who
would rather be big men in a little state
than to be little men in a big state, but the
majority of the people are expansionists and
not contractionists. l'hc farmers who pay
the taxes and count the blunders of these
small-bore, would-be statesmen are in a large
measure immune against the statehood itch.
They want a big state, and are willing, if
necessary, to wait for one. The advocates
of a "Greater Oklahoma" are growing in
number.
IN COMMENTING upon an article in a j 'T'HE frequent expressions of distrust of
recent issue of The News upon the sub-1 1
ject of " Assessment and Taxation "
our public officers in Oklahoma suggest
the that there is at least one respect in which
THE
TAX-DODGER.
Yukon Sun makes some good suggestions.
In the article" referred to
HOW TO CATCH rpHE jjews advocated the
assessment of taxable prop-
erty at its actual cash value
as the only means of reaching a fair and
equitable basis for taxation, pointing out the
injustice and insufficiency of the present
method of assessment. We stated that the
THE COST
OF
STATEHOOD.
the cost of statehood may not have been
properly estimated. T h e
idea has been often ex-
pressed, that nuless our
officials—and the people,too,
sometimes—be hedged about with federal
limitations they will carry the matter of
issuing bonds and otherwise inccrring in-
debtedness for the taxpayer to pay to too
only objection, perhaps, to the assessing of great an extent, and yet this matter has not
property at its actual cash value would be j been taken into consideration very much in
that by such a method the aggregate valua- j figuring on the question of statehood. Of
tion of taxable property in the municipality,! course when we enter upon statehood the
county, or the territory would be greatly in-1 bars must be thrown down in a certain sense
creased, and, therefore, the amount of bonds j and the constitutional convention will decide
as to the extent to which bonds may be
issued for various purposes. It is cus-
tomary for the statehood agitators to say
that it will not cost any more to run a state
government than it now costs to run the terri-
tory, and they come forward with a string of
figures, said to show the experience of other
commonwealths, in proof of their state-
that could be issued or the amount of in-
debtedness that could be incu rred by such
municipality or county or by the territory
without exceeding the liijiit wisely tixed by
act of congress would be increased in a like
ratio. The Yukon Sun suggests that the
assessor should schedule the taxable prop-
erty of each individuid at its actual cash value
and should require theindividual to make oath | ment. They claim that the only additional
as totheeorrectness of the schedule, and that, | expense incurred in becoming a state will
in a separate column, to the right of the one j be the payment of the salaries and expenses
containing the actual cash value of the sev-
eral items of property listed, the assessor
should enter one-third of the value of each
litem. After the assessor's work is cotn-
of the territorial officers who are n w paid
by the federal government. Here is where
something is overlooked. WhenOklahoma be-
comesastatethe "four per cent, limit" which
pleted the assessment rolls should be pub- has frequently stood bet ween t heterritory and
1*1 -1 • ... X" I " 1 A ' ..... .!.... i ..Ill I i-v ft ft • V. . . I 1 ... 1 11 ft. 1 . 1 . . . . 4 I t ft
lished in a newspaper of general circulation,
thus giving every citizen an opportunity to
see the amount of his own and his neighbor's
excessive taxation will be removed unless the
constitutional convention retains that limit.
When this becomes a state the barriers
assessments. The real estate and tax lists! which now prevent a city, township, or
might be published only once in two or four j county from voting bonds to aid in the build-
years, but the personal tax list should be
j published every year. Aboard of review
ing of a railroad or any similar enterprise,
will be swept away. When, Oklahoma be
could then hold a session at a stated time to comes a'state her control of the school and
hear complaints and make correction. This public building lands is likely to become
lis when the good effects of publishing the ; absolute, with power to sell these lands and
[assessment roils may be seen. Any tax- i squander the money if foolish officials are
j payer would have the right to show up the elected and clothed with the power. When
false report of any other taxpayer, and any statehood comes the promoters of schemes
! one found guilty of making a false schedule for booming towns by the erection of public
should be liable to imprisonment in the pen- buildings at the expense of the territory will
itentiary and a fine equal to at least double have free rein. All these things may prove
the amount of the property hidden from the j expensive, and they should all be taken into
assessor. Some of the rich tax-dodgers consideration in counting the cost of state-
would have a narrow escape from getting I hood. Of course statehood is not to be
into the penitentiary where they belong if shunned because it brings with it I'esponsi
such a law should go into effect, but they bilities and dangers any more than the
would probably learn to tell the truth. The young man should remain under t he parental
Sun says that such a law as this is in oper- • roof-tree because he will face hardships and
ation in Illinois and that its results are very defeats when he goes out to do for himself;
satisfactory indeed. We like the idea very but it is best to realize fully what is before
well, though we are not especially al raid of us w]ie,, we enter upon statehood, and not,
like the thimble brained politician, shut our
eyes to all else than the offices and the pub-
lic institutions that statehood may place
having the property go on the tax rolls at its j
actual cash values. The provision for
punishing the tax-dodger would bear whole-
some fruit in Oklahoma, and the publicity
which the Sun's plan would give to assess-
ments is very much to be desired. We
would like to see snch a law enacted.
within our reach. There are grave responsi-
bilities connected with statehood, and Jionest,
thoughtful men are needed to meet them.
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Gilstrap, H. B. The Chandler News. (Chandler, Okla.), Vol. 10, No. 21, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 7, 1901, newspaper, February 7, 1901; Chandler, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc117245/m1/1/: accessed April 25, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.