New party seeks independence, increased power for states
By SHANA HAWK
SNS Staff Writer
17 August 2000
The quest to return power to southern states is at the heart of a new political party headed on a state level by a Shawnee man.
The Southern Party seeks to secure self-government for the South and eventually seek independence, said Terry Sloan, chairman of the Southern Party of Oklahoma.
Though the party is split into two factions, one of which seeks secession to return power to the states, Sloan, who is also Southern Party Executive Committee secretary, said he is of the other faction who believe peacefully returning power to the states will eventually lead to independence for the South.
Formed two years ago, the national Southern Party has 17 member states and about 3,000 members, Sloan said. Ten dues-paying members have joined in Oklahoma since the inception in May, he added.
One of the party's main goals is supporting the 10th Amendment, which give states control over matters the United States Constitution does not address, such as abortion.
"The federal government is taking way too many liberties," Sloan said. He said he believes such decisions should be made state by state rather than by lawmakers in Washington, D.C., deciding for the entire nation.
"Anything that has to do with Oklahoma should be decided in Oklahoma City, not in Washington," Sloan said.
"I would be thrilled to death if the Republicans and Democrats would admit we need to get more power to the states," he said. "But I don't see them giving up power that they already have."
Sloan said another goal is repeal of the 16th Amendment and abolishment of the Internal Revenue Service. He believes state lawmakers should set up a tax system for Oklahoma, then give a portion of the funds to the federal government.
The state by state system would allow the people to closely watch how their money is spent, Sloan said, rather than lawmakers in Washington spending "$400 on a screwdriver."
The party also supports abolishment of the federal Department of Education to allow each individual state to set curriculum and disburse money to state schools, Sloan said.
"Right now, Kansas is fighting over whether to teach evolution or creationism," Sloan said. "That state should have the right to decide what to teach."
The Southern Party also supports protection of the nation's borders to stem illegal immigration, freedom of religion and freedom to keep and bear arms, Sloan said.
Sloan said the party aims to obtain ballot access and run candidates for city, county and state offices, including governor. He said the Southern Party doesn't plan to run candidates at the federal level, but would endorse them.
Sloan looks for the Southern Party to run one to three candidates in the 2002 election, and to run a gubernatorial candidate, five to 10 representative candidates and three to five senatorial candidates in 2004. In 2008, he hopes a full slate of candidates will be on the ballot.
Sloan is concerned that Census 2000 calculations will result in the loss of a representative from Oklahoma.
"Every southerner considers themselves to be American," Sloan said. "We have a shared culture, a shared history. But we don't have as much representation at the federal level."
"We want to acknowledge what is wrong within our state and aggressively pursue a course of action that the citizens of this state want and not what the federal government wants," Sloan said. "We don't need to push secession if we take care of the rest first."
The next state meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. Sept. 30 at El Reno Lake, Sloan said.
For more information, visit the party's Web site at www.southernparty2000.org, or call the national hotline at 1-804-675-7717 or call Sloan at 273-7382.
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