The New Era (Davenport, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 9, 1910 Page: 4 of 8
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60V. HASKELL
ANSWERS EDITOR 0E
SHAWNEE HERALD
Executive Emphatically Endorses the Pending
State Capital Bill and Gives Reasons for Im-
mediate Selection of a Permanent Capital
Location.
expresses doubts as to sena-
tor *c6fcell'8 real belief
I eanno*. believe that Senator Hi§-
t«II, one of iht ar*d nxit in-
duvtrlouA a>n a oar t:n:e, ant
•loci in Gatbr.e a sacred r:gst, for I
rta*®"b«r that In tie legislature two
rears ago .a i winter be secured tfce
adoption of a legislative rew^ution
aa'bor;z: g the location of a jx-raii-
nett itate capita] in a new towa. the
land of which ehoaM be purchased by
the state and be platted into and built
up ai an independent city That ques-
tion u alio voted on by the ptopie
at the general e>ctioo two years ago
next November t'ae rote for tbe prop-
osition being 117,441. and arainst tbe
proposition only 75 TS leaving a ma-
jority of aU tfco*e who voted on the
question of 41.MJ. bot like the other
5 -ei: : n so far m tie statehood
- - r..=S!
proa o.tion provision Irrevocable
for twenty-one years. and tbe
cons:: tot iona) convention submitted
the prohibition que-siion to the
peo>> ©f our state and tie
people approved it by their affirma-
tive vote Sow as to the location of
the stats capital the statehood bill did
not command gs to write it in oar
state constitution, and when the ques-
tion came before the constitutional
convention it was rejected by ap ov-
erwhelming vote and. therefore, no
mention of it is found in our state
constitution, and in accepting the gen-
doubtless i.ffer hi some particular
from what others would think proper
1 have carefully read the pending bill.
I have read the criticisms of those
who oppose the BUI. Of course I can
readily understand that no man on
earth could write a capital removal
bill that the people of Guthrie would
approve—certainly nott because they
don't want the capita; removed and
no bill would suit them. If we were
t® wait until 1913 they would not be
suited with any bili that removed the
capital at that date, hence their crlt
Icisms must be taken with great al-
lowance.
You lay great stress on the asser-
tion that the pending bill is in the
USE YOUR OWN JUDGMENT IN SELECTING
(MIL CITY BUT CAST YOUR VOTE F1JR THE BILL
In recent issues of the Shawnee Herald the editor of the fortma^e *ad owr.<-r ofWv-- 'I
that paper has addressed numerous editorials to Governor '^"aVfoTrh! c^t'o" t^bund"^'
. eral provisions of the enabling ci
proposition the vote being taken at only such would be included as it was
a genera! election It failed only be- with* the power of congre« to T"
e ™ Tvl a *iority °f tbe upon a new state which no one !*fsl uve department of 0ur state at
J/r 0f r°tM ef" ,for will claim included a state capital lo- and' ^erefore. it is simply
\\ V e.t'-.on brut cation- In this form OH' peop'e ap- horrid for the governor to even read
^ ,lW° J «>« constitution ignoring the ' « '«■ *>« this-the pend-
ly snowed that t-e Tast majority of state car ital question- 'h ' evident cf :nS bl!1 imposes duties upon the gov-
•ae p^op.* of tie state want tbe ;er- the Cn.-.J States approved our coast:- «r.Eor of « >« state: the people of Ok-
tna ent location the capital Hide tntion. a.so ignoring the s'a'e canltal aaom#- lD case they adopt the bill,
w.tuout 4elny, and they a.so want the question. Both yourselves and Sen- wi!1 elPect the governor to discharge
th* i' ? ? a v64, vaiaM of 2tor Russell ignored that trade of Mr hi> olIiciaI duties in a way to protect
the local real estate business and MeCuire's when you sought -w0 ve'ars the rishts of the people, bence It is
residence lot. to the extent that the aeo t0 i.^te the caphaf and the v^-' mJ *ai* to look ahead and to furnish
ers of Oklahoma, as above sta-ed by tae people of the state that informa-
almost SO.OOO majority two -.ears ago ! "0D so that they may decide in the
repudiated Mr. McGuire s trade with lsh* of. 'he truth as to what they
Guthrie really w;sb done. One of these duties
_ . ill be for the governor, through, a
tou remind me that I ousht to know board of commissioners, to acquire any
state's share cf this profit shall cover
the cost «' the stats capital bniHUiJs
Instead of giving ail these profits nf
many of tk* eopi« ol the lUto Mi
join I* this feeling, tut It M estWtf*
a matter within your own discretion.
OPTIONS CAN BE WRITTEN TO ■■
ABSOLUTELY BINDING
Your conclusion of law that the p
tlons could not be so written as to be
binding and, therefore, the state Bight
be deceived by options being revoked,
Is unworthy of extended notice. Is
the first place they can be drawn with
complete legal certainty, and I assure
you that an/ effort on the part of tbe
successful candidate to repudiate tkle
obligation of either legal or moral ef-
fect would simply result In an abso-
lute refusal on my part to proceed at
all, or to In any way permit the peo-
ple of thi. stats to be the loser by any
ones attempt to repudiate their op-
tion contract. i can 0nly say that It is
with regret that i see you evidence a
desire to deny tbe people of this stats
the fullest possible light on the sub-
ject before they cast their ballot. The
criticism of your paper that it Is wrong
for xue to give all the facts ths "wid-
est publication" In order that every
voter may know the truth is unworthy
of you. I certainly shall publish the
option cm land, location and price that
will Inform the voters of the state and
the Intimation of your paper that the
expense of publishing this informa-
tion would be paid by the state I
will say to you here that It certainly
will be so paid. It may cost the tax-
payers of the state forty or fifty dol-
lars to publish these facts, but if so 1
shall consider it incftiey well spent In
the Interest of the people This quet-
phoice of a capital location.
Haskell asking his position on the pending state capital . V:Uh ' le record of attempts that neither Guthrie nor Shawnee are existing two thousand acres of land
kill Tr, nn rnrr, *i (' 11 *L~ . . ,? *tate capital two year* ca didat® at the approaching elec-, within five miles of the city desig W
Mill# All an open letter th6 '.jCACnnor &DSW6r8 <lll thlG 5 -e ** of *.<■(••? tion for State capital I don't know nated by tiie vote and to pay therefoi^ tion is too great to withhold thf e4-
Questions asked and declares in favor of the immediate c^T^L ' VL'* ' ar'd 2r]d hy hc* 1 s-ould have knovn lhis as the not exceeding $600.000. You do not penditure of forty or fifty doll&rs thm
Hucanuiia dSKeu ana aeciare> in ia\Or 01 me lmmeaiaie Senator Can - Ra- ell on ta< oti, new,paper, of both these cities hav^ want me to anticipate and look into ; might be necessary to publish the
er am at a -- to know when, if frequently averred that you are can- this question at all and yet you have facts to all the peotfe. Shawnee has
?v W'v c nTertf* t° * * <J*o*tes, and you have filed no request taken the liberty of suggesting that for years occupied a proud place la
that Out> -A tarred r:gh's the state election board to be re- if this duty ever came upon the gov- the esteem of the jeople of the entire
rlor to t..e r - of a,l tbe peor .e of moved from the ticket However, I ernor he would discharge it so reck-
tte state of Oklahoma. do not wish to be understood as pro- lessly as to result in great loss to the
Hegardte-s above policy that teetinf afal^st Guthrie being chosen taxpayers and graft by those in
you heretofore pursued let us see if Jt *8 the capital site, and I certainly charge of the work. I am sure you
mean this, but you have said
-- I must deal with what you say.
.tory Snawpee selected, but I want the peo- Inasmuch as vou are alleging there
W-6re . in congress by Hon. pit ef Oklahoma by their uninfluenced will be graft if the bill is passed and
will be a reckless expenditure of the-
EXTRACTS FROM GOV. HASKELL'S LETTER
I want the* people of Oklahoma by their un-
influenced and unprejudiced T«te to elect the
Mate capital location, and I dray the right of
any one maa or «et «f men to throttle the peo.
ple'i choice and trade off the location for their
own kenefrt.
I limply, firmly believe that bow the people
of Oklahoma can get their capital grounds and
bflildingi free of cost, and 1 do not believe that
opportunity will ever come again after the pre -
eBt era of progress and town building has passed.
A vast majority of the people of the state
want the permanent location of the capital made
without delay.
I find Guthrie, Shawnee and Senator Russell
til combined to defeat the present capital bilL
you ner- a.ore pur-viea let us see ti it u the capital site, and I certainly charge c
is honest t0 Tff-is« to recognize Outh- would go farther rfad sav that person- do not r
rie's sarred rights. In 1906 tbe en- ally I wouid be delighted to see it and I
tire p««;.> ' ' OV'ahoma Territory Shawnee selected, but I want the Deo- Inasmnri
state. I believe you make a mistake
when you retreat from the advance-
ment of an ambition of which you are
worthy as a community and assume
the roll of an obstructionist.
Sincerely yours,
C. N. HASKELL, Governor.
The fuil text of Governor Haskell's letter is as
ifollows:
! Editor tUiairnee Jlerald. Shawnee, business man would adopt any «uch
Okl*.: Dear Sir: I havo read your foolish policy of delay, but would
{r*c«at editorials which are in the ua- strike while the iron was hot. My per-
!tur ot Uqutoies as to my position on sonal views aro that It is better'to
tka various featured of tho state cap have a state capital building that doe*
Ital question. I also have It from yon not cost more than about one and a
feraosally that you would bo pleased half million dollars than it would be
40ify ' *m wur from me U> ha e one that cost a sreat deal
I IfW |8 *n"Wer.. ,. "lore' for th" reason that the amount
! If I do not cover all the points you I mention would build a sufficient cau
C«slre me to, kindly call my attention Hal building In every respect and that
to th# fact ai d I will do bo. n extrav;mant building even though
U tne first place you are quite right. | it originally cost nothing to the tax-
Payer* would set a pace for general
extravagance and large expenditure*
that would every year be a burden on
the taxpayers. Olve Oklahoma a spa
clous, comfortable capital building
that costs not ovpr one and a half
million dollars and which sets a stan
dard 0f economy In a multitude of oth
er ways that will mean permanent j
economy for years to come
il have reason to be very grateful to
many pcopVr In Pottawatomie county
■nd, personally, 1 appreciate that fact
As to my cboloe of capital cities 1
have not personally nor through my
•ewspaper at any time expressed anj
preference except that I think Shaw
nee an excellent loratlon for the cap
Ital arid would be delighted to *e« It
:iacce'*d These are my personal
view* and have be'-n for a long time.
Shall It be now?
As to question of when the capital
location s'oould he made From the be
glnnhig of statehood I have be> n In
favor of that queetlon being s< tiled at
oltce and am (till of that opln n
Among other pnasons are the follow
lag: We are rapidly building a new
state; Its capital location Is a <|ti< Uon
for the consideration of the whole
state and not of one locality; the right
to locate the capital Is a privilege that
every citizen of the stale is Interested
In regardleas of whcth< r it boosts a
particular locality or not, and for g<ro
eratlons to count the decision of
the present will either make the cap-
ital location convmlcnt or Hi<
••at. The lines of railroad Uut
will make travel to and front
the capita' convenient have al-
ready been or are being construct-
ed and the capital location will no
doubt be considered In providing con
venlent means for the people to tra-
: *«l
now the ACCEPTED TIME
FOR THE SALE OF LOT8
Again, It Is a well known fact that
while our local and general trade cen-
ter cities are being created It Is ea«
lly possible to And n ready profitable
market for city lots, both business and
residence, which will not oxlst when
our towns are built to their sufficient
slxe to meet the demand i of com-
merce, and after fala period of devel-
opment Is ended and we have become
an old settled state like Mlasour! or
Kansas, for an example, you could not
sell enough town lots to build btiv
kind or state building* The result
would be from such delay that the
taxpayers would continue for seveisl
years to pay over twenty-two thous-
and dollars a year rent and mainte-
nance for office rooms for siate of
Detail, and after paying this rent fot
CHARLES N. HASKELL
Governor of Oklahoma
You know. Mr. Editor, that person-
ally I entertain a very high opinion
of yourself and therefore I feel like
criticising you as one friend may an
other when I believe that you are In-
consistent or in error of judgment. I
And Guthrie. Shawnee and Senator
Hu*sell all combine to defeat the
present capital bill. If you have all
united on the proposition that to lo-
cate th.- capita! before 1913 would be
an Invasion of Guthrie's sacred rights.
I hesitate to come to this conclusion
when I remember that two years ago
la*t winter the members of the
legislature from your county secured
the submission by the legislature „r
a constitutional amendment authoriz-
ing not only the Immediate permanent
location of the capital, but authoriz-
ing the removal immediately of the
temporary capital to such point as
might be designated by law That
proposition was submitted to the vot-
ers of Oklahoma at the genera! elec-
tion two years ago next N'ovembcr
and although It failed to receive a ma-
jority of all the votes cast at the elec-
tion yet it did receive a vast major-
ity of all tho votes cast for or agnlnst
the proposition to remove the capita!
the vote being In favor of removal
120.352 and against the removal only
71,933. showing 4R.419 majority of all
those voting on tho question declar-
ing that tho people of Oklahoma ham
n right Whenever thev see fit to relo-
cate their state capital I may say
now that your members of the legis-
lative worked faithfully for the wel-
fare of your community and as 1 be-
Ilcve. for the we!faro of the enllre
state, and I w,r |n hearty accord with
their efforts. I believe that if the
people of your community had work-
ed as dllli'ontly ,,n that question ss
your members of the legislature did
Bird McOuIre as th->lr delegate; be
was supposed to represent every pari
of Oklahoma Territory In the drafting
of the statehood bil'. Jlr. McGuire.
however, finding that he would reside
In tbe congressional district of which
Logan county U a part and Logan
county being one of the largest coun-
ties of tbe district with a republican
vote of about 5,000. It might be very
useful to Mr. McGuire In his ambition
to remain in congress and, therefore,
he was so unmindful of the entire peo-
ple of the territory as to seek to take
away their right to govern themselves,
the right to locate their o*u seat of
state government, and trade it off for
his Individual political benellt. Con-
siderlng the pre-' nt 1 have been Iti
Guthrie during three campaigns when
a republican candidate for congress
was being nominated and elected, and
In every one of these campaigns you
find that no other republican aspirant
for the congressional nomination has
a ghost of a show In Gutllrle; the
question Is invariably settled In favor
of Mr. McGuire so far as the great
vote of Guthrie and vicinity Is con-
cerned by the simple argument we
are under obligations to support Mc-
Guire as long as he keeps the capital
at Guthrie and the result has always
been that every other republican can-
didate for congress in the Guthrio
district Is absolutely snowed under by
the overwhelming vote of Guthrie and
vicinity In which no other republican
candidate except Mr. McGuire has a
ghost of a show. Now, 1 am not ar-
guing the propriety of keeping Mr.
McGuire In congress, but I am deny-
ing that the location of the Oklahoma
• tale capital was to be a personal as-
set of any one man to boost his Indi-
vidual ambition and deprive a million
and a half of people of this state of
the right lo govern themselves and
locate their own seat of state govern-
ment.
swsii, " u nner payinr ims renr Tor ' " uimw n.i> crue l
several ye«r would llnd the real es- ''"'n and Oklahoma would not he pay-'CAPITAL QUESTION IS APART
Ute market dead and tho taxpayers •"* r<lnl today for a lot of office FROM PROHIBITION PROBLEM
"•ft to go down In tholr pockets for rooms Incrnvenlentty scanned all Again, there are some who liken
•on.y to build .tat. buildings. No j over .«n. tL„ Quost|on u5{* ^
and unprejudiced vote to select the
state oapital location, and I deny the
rlBht of any one man or set of men to
throttle the people's choice and trade
off the location for their own benefit.
So far as any official act of mine Is
concerned, it will be carried out cheer-
fully In any locality that the people
may select.
As to Senator Russell's proposition,
I have always thought of It as having
much merit. However, I see so little
difference between the real substance
of Senator Russell's proposition and
the pending proposition as to be trif-
ling One calk for a capital location
In a newly laid out and platted town
and the other calls for the platting
and laying out of a new town not
more than five miles from such exist-
ing city as the majority of the peo-
ple may designate. Now the question
of whether It Is five miles from som
existing city or twenty-live miles
from an existing city is practically
the only difference between Senator
Russell's proposition and tbe pending
bill. Senator Russell's authorizes the
purchase of sixteen section, of land
and the pending bill autborlxes tbe
purcba.e of 2.000 acre, of land. In-
asmuch as It Is probable that 2.000
ucres of land will furnish all the town
lota that could be sold, I do not deem
the additional twelve section, of land
e.sentlal. Indeed, if the .tate found
that more than 2,000 acre, of land
could be sold, the legislature next
winter might provide means to go
farther Into the real estate business
Like all laws, whether we pass them
on June II or whether we defeat this
one and then voto next November on
another one and possibly defeat that,
and vote next spring on another one,
you are bound to concede that laws
are a matter of compromise, that no
one man get. hi. Individual views
adopted.
LEGISLATION ON THE QUESTION
NECESSARY AT THIS TIME
Legislation Is necessary to com-
bine the view, of many peoplo; indi-
vidual view, are tbe result of dicta*
L;
taxpayers' money, I deem It my duty
to invite every town, the name of
which is to'be upon the ticket June
U, to clearly designate a tract of land,
or several tracts of land, they would'
off.r to the .tate and the price, if any-
thing. that the state would be com-
pelled to par therefor and to execute
these offers in writing so that the peo-
ple of the state could vote intelligent-
ly and know Just how much money
they were obligating themselves to
pay and Just what particular pieces
of land the capital might be located
upen. I call this proper business
seft.e. If aay candidate for capital,
after getting the vote of the people,
should later swell the price of real
estate that might be needed within
five miles of their town, then I am
sure you would condemn me for not
having protected the people
WILL NOT STAND FOR USE OF
TAXPAYERS' MONEY
Let me say further that it is now
and always has been my belief "that
if the capital is permanently located
while Oklahoma is in a progressive
age the taxpayers of the state
will never be required to put up a
single dollar to cover tbe cost of suit-
able state buildings, and if this bill
should pass, I answer your inquiry
distinctly, so long as I am
governor I will not have a
board that will buy a single
acre of land nor build buildings that
require the taxpayers to put up a sin-
gle dollar of money, although tbe bill
carries a possible appropriation of
S600.000 to be advanced if necessary
to ibuy real estate. I will leav
tbe enforcement of that law to
my successor in the governor's
office rather than advance money to
buy any real estate. 1 want to say
further that at this progressive age in
Oklahoma, the fortunate land owners
of the locality that the people may
choose for their state capital will, or
course, reap the reward in the en-
hanced value of their real estate. It
is right and proper that the taxpayers
of the state should reap enough of
this profit to build the buildings that
the state may need and acquire the
necessary grounds and parks where-
on to locate these buildings without
the taxpayers going down into their
pockets for a .ingle dollar, and yet
thi. bill, if adopted, gives the gover
nor and the commissioners the right
to proceed on the understanding that
that right should only be exercised
when we can proceed along sensible,
business lines, and with complete Jus-
tice to the people of the state, and I
will either proceed in that manner or
not proceed at all and leave the job to
my successor I simply firmly believe
that now the people of Oklahoma can
get their state capital grounds and
buildings free of cost and I do not be-
lieve that opportunity will ever come
again, after the present era of pro-
gress and town building has passed.
Your editorial might be taken as insin-
uating that I have a personal interest
In the success of some one of the
candidates Thi. i. untrue- I have not
a .ingle dollar', worth of property of
any kind in either Guthrie, Oklahoma
City or Shawnee, excepting an inter
est in the Now State Tribune, a week-
ly newspaper published at Oklahoma
City. This newspaper being a weekly-
has very little local patronage. Its cir-
culation being throughout the rural
districts of the state and Is only lo-
cated at Oklahoma City on account of
favorable mailing facilities. The news-
paper own. n0 property In Oklahoma
City and can be removed In twenty-
four hours to Shawnee if Shawnee
gets the capital. Tne New-State Tri-
bune never In any way obligated It-
self to favor any town for the capital,
and there i. not a living man who will
say to me that I have the .lightest
financial Interest in the capital ques-
tion. Bo long as I am chief executive
of the state the peple have the right
to rely upon me to watch these pub-
lic questions to protect the Interests
of the people, and see to It that wo
know what we are doing before we
do It. You say you do not Intend to
offer a elf
I rntrtl v.
CAMPBELL RUSSELL'S
PECULIAR PROPOSAL
This capital question, if not settled
June 11th, will give tbe people no
rest until it Is settled. If the present
capital bill is defeated, then Campbell
Russell's proposal, which he has duly
Initiated, will come up to be voted
upon in November, and Guthrie will
have as hard a fight to make against
it as she now has against the pendinf
bill. The name "New Jerusalem-
is not a nickname, nor a Joke, nor *
slur at the Campbell Russell propo-
sition. It is the name which In all
seriousness he propose, to give to
the capital, and which he adopts in
his bill The principal difference be-
tween his LIU, which comes up is
November, and the bill which is t#
be voted on June 11th is that he oro-
po.e. a preliminary appropriation of
fl,000,000 instead of $600,U00; he pro-
poses five commissioners known a.
a '^Board of Control," Instead of three
commissioners known as a "Capital
Commission;" he also proposes that
they shall be appointed by the Gover-
nor and confirmed; he proposes that
sixteen sections of land shall be ac-
quired, and that at least four section.
shall be platted end improved at
once, which is a larger rea than the
city of Guthrie now covers. Suck
an area if platted Into ordinary 300
or 400 foot blocks would make about
108 miles of streets to ,be paved,
which is 13 miles more than Oklfe
homa City with all it. wealth aad
energy has been able to pave la
twenty-one years. It Is five or .U
times as much as any city in Texaa
now has paved.
He contemplates a relocation ef
piactlcally all the state institution,
within the limits of his sixteen sec-
tions, which means that all the .tat.
schools, the penitentiary, and every
one of the 28 state institution, al-
ready located at different town, in
the state will be taken away and re-
located In "New Jerusalem."
His bill specifically provides that
| he legislature shall have no power to
locate in the future any state Insti-
tution except in the "New Jerusalem Am,
District' without a referendum
of the people, which would mean a
state-wide campaign, such as we are
now going through, with all the ac-
companying turmoil, expense and bad
feelings, upon each and every insti-
tution in the state
His "Board of .Control" is a "Board
Uncontrolled. It elect, a chairman
secretary and treasurer from amont
its own members. The chairman of
the Board is given most of the super-
visory power, which, in the bill now
pending, is vested in the Governor
The purchases and sale, of the land,
and the contracts that are made ar.
not subject to legislative control. It
is expressly provided that all claim,
for money due on such contracts shall
be audited and approved by the .am.
Tioard ol Control," and paid by the
State Treasurer upon warrant, drawn
by the "TREASURER OF THE
BOARD OF CONTROL- approved by
the '^Chairman of the Board of Con-
trol" and countersigned by the "Sec-
retary of the Hoard of Control." Those
three are the whole works The
"Treasurer of the Board ol Control"
handles the money and gives such
bond as may be required and ap-
proved by the ''Chairman of the Board
of Control" acting jointly with tbe
governor.
,,'u i|>e bl" to be voted upon June
11th the three capital commission-
ers, though under a prescribed bond
of $50,000 for a faithful performance
of their duties, do not handle a cent
of money at any stage of the pro-
ceedings, and are at all times sub-
ordinate to the governor and legis-
lature, Instead of being created inde-
pendent and superior to all other de-
partments of the state government.
Tax payers, how do you like these
differences In details between the two
bllle?
That Is what you will be up agatn.t!
next—Campbell Russell's "Uncon-!
trolled Board of Control"—yes, next
November—If you don't vote In favor:
1
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The New Era (Davenport, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 9, 1910, newspaper, June 9, 1910; Davenport, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc151723/m1/4/: accessed June 5, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.