The Caddo Herald
April 27, 1928
Endorses Stand of Guy A. Crossett
Tuesday, April 17th, the Daily Oklahoma had this to say of the stand Guy A. Crossett takes on public matters in his race for State Senator from the Twentieth District:
“In announcing his candidacy for the state senate, Guy Crossett of Caddo presents a platform which declares among other things that he will not endorse any of his relatives for political appointments or resort to any subterfuge to increase the emolument of the office. He admits that he already knows what a state senator is paid and that he will expect not remuneration except that fixed by the constitution.
The Crossett promise concerning nepotism naturally appeals to those who are acquainted with the callous manner in which the state law against nepotism has been abused. Too often the election of a single citizen has been tantamount to the addition to the payroll of entire families. These careful provisions for numerous relatives have ranged all the way from gross indiscretion to near corruption.
Moreover, it is wholesome to have an avowed candidate take a pre-election stand against left-handed evasions of the constitution in the matter of salary increases. Oklahoma has had entirely too many treasury raids masquerading as stamp appropriations, provisions for “expenses” and self-serving interpretations of the 60-day limit on legislative sessions. Although the constitutional provision concerning the legislator’s per diem has never been changed, the legislator now receives considerably more money than he did ten years ago.
Prior to 1919 the legislator received $6 per day for sixty days and $2 a day thereafter. But the seventh legislature excluded Sunday from the 60-day count and by taking pay for Sunday just the same, made sixty days actually mean about sixty-nine days. The eleventh legislature went even further and excluded both Sundays and days when the body was not in session from the 60-day limit fixed by the constitution. Thus it is that the term ‘sixty days” has come to mean anything or nothing at all.
It is universally admitted that our legislators are underpaid and no one acquainted with the real conditions can deny that the constitution should provide for a more liberal remuneration. But the constitution has not been amended as yet and until it shall be amended any evasion of its definite mandate is open violation of the organic law of the state. “
Mary,
Thank you so much for posting this. It is always such a surprise and pleasure to open your blog and see my family on there. I have some of his letters, I will forward them to you.
Mary Arteaga
Posted by: Mary Arteaga | February 01, 2010 at 12:30 AM