The West Side Democrat. (Enid, Okla.), Vol. 1, No. 26, Ed. 1 Tuesday, April 17, 1894 Page: 1 of 4
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DEMOCRAT PUBL.1SH IS ti CO.
PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY.
rn
$/.2j PER YEAR
VOLUME 1.
ENID, COUNTY 0, OKLAHOMA, TUESDAY, APRIL 17, 189J>.
NUMBER 26
TALK UP YOUR TOWN
Modesty Should Not Prevent Its
Good Points From Being
Known
If you live in a town, you ?>lioold be-
lieve in it. If you don't l eli«*\ • your
town oi* city is a little better in most
respeets than any of its neighljors, you
should move out. Like other places, it
has advantages that others have not,
and your modesty should not prevent
you from making t hat fact known when-
ever the opportunity presents itself. At
home
Primary Election
The democratic voters of this county
are anxious to try the experiment of a
primary election. They believe by
adopting this method of selecting can-
didates that the ring practices employ-
ed by the tin-horn politicians to defeat
the will of the people by foistrlng up-
on them candidates that they do not
want, can be thwarted. We desire to
A Chip Off The Old Block.
Colonel Hreekinridge is now serving
his fifth term and is close to sixty
years old. He has a family of grown
up children, three girls and two boys,
one a lawyer, aiding in the defence of
his father. The other. Robt. J. Breek-
enridge. is of a wild disposition. Hob,
as he is known here, got into frequent
difficulties, and figured in newspaper
articles.
Just before the breaking out of the
suggest to the candidates who expect | Hroekenridge-l'ollard scandal Hob got
to come up for office'this full, that they on a spree anil htul several fights.
I Colonel Breckinridge telegraphed
tv a chance to have their
or abroad, whether lml'suil,S | ,i0 not, the probablliti
pleasure or engaged in business, do not
neglect to give those with whom you
come in contact to understand that you
live in a live town populated by onter-
paising, go ahead, progressive people
and one that is advancing instead of
retrograding. If you can truthfully
speak in commendation of the ability of
your professional men, the square
dealing methods of your merchants,
the excellence of your mechanics, the
superiority of your churches, schools
and public institutions and the indus-
try, energy and sobriety of your citi-
zens generally, let nothing prevent you
from exercising that privilege. ^ ou
should learn to believe, if you do not
already, that we have all these, and in
addition the handsomest women, the
best located town, the finest country
surrounding it, with the most fertile
farms, tilled by the most intelligent
class of farmers to be found in the
United States.
If there are any drawbacks, it will
not be necessary to mention them.
The people and newspapers of compe-
ting towns will relieve you of that task
by attending to tliat part of it them-
selves. Strangers seeking a location
are always greatly influenced in favor
of any place whoso citizens are enthu-
siastic in its praise. No city or town
• can expect to attain prominence over
its rivals unless its inhabitants appre-
ciate the excellence and virtues of each
other and will collectively spread
abroad their faith in the present pros-
perity and future greatness of their
own locality. Talk is a cheap com-
modity, but when rightly utilized it
caabe made effectivA in many direct-
ions, and this is one of them.
had better give the people of the conn-
If the f|>om Washington to put him in jail
' and keep him there until h^returned,
that there , wj1j<«j1 instructions were followed.
will be a lot of statesmen hunting for a j Jt was decided to send Bob on a sea
job the next day after election. The j voyage, to be away three years and
people of this county have been imp*.1 JUBt as he was boarding a vessel at San
j Francisco, he read an account of his
ed upon too long and too often to quiet- ( wUh M|sg ptoltapd(
I.V submit to any kind of treatment the | llis brother Desha here: "Put
TRAIN ROBBERS.
Last Monday night an attempt was
made to rob the Rook Island south
bound express at or near Pond C reek,
in the Strip. It seems tlmt one of the
would-be robbers secreted himself
about the'tender of the engine, and at
Salt Fork Creek, about two miles north
of Pond Creek, he captured the engi-
neer and fireman and made them stop
the train! then from out of the dark-
ness rode a number of masked men
who broke open the express car and
mado a dash for the inside. They
were received with a broadside from
Winchesters in the hands of the mes-
senger and a special guard named .lake
Harmon, who makes regular trips with
his winchester on all passenger trains
through the territory. One of the rol>
bers was shot dead and another cap-
tured. The dead man was taken to
Hound Pond and recognized as a farm-
er owning a claim near the scene of
the trouble. The other robber's name
is Pitts, a notorious character and an
all-round tough. No one seems to be
able to determine what gang of rob
bers made the attempt. It is reported
that one of their number was a woman
and everybody naturally* associates
Tom King with this sensation.
ring politician may see fit to inflict up-'
on them. There is not only dissatis-
faction among the masses, but a deter-
mination to retire a certain class of
men who have abused the trust impo. ed
in tliem at the lust election. There nre
but very few honest, intelligent vot-
ers who are not determined to avenge
the jury box scandal of a few months
ago, the railroad tax steal, and the
employment of the peoples' money to
bring countless prosecutions and law-
suits for political huneomb, or to grat-
ify the personal spite of a petty ottteer,
and if they do not have the opportuni-
ty of doing it at a primary election
they will do it at the general election
at the expense and defeat perhaps of
the entire ticket. The people know
who violated the sanctity of the jury
box: they know who are responsible
for the collection of double the amount
of taxes from them that was required
of the raib-oads; they know w ho it is
that has kept unnecessary clerks and
deputies; they know who were respon-
sible for the salary grabs, or increase
of salaries above the amount allowed
by law, and they are determined that
they shall not be returned to office, and
if by any hook or crook the machinery
of thedcmooratio party is so prostituted
that one of the guilty parties to these
outrages is nominated it will defeat the
entire ticket in the county. The sal-
vation of the democratic party depends
upon two things: First, it must say to
the people that we do not indorse these
practices, and that wo intend to throw
the perpetrators overboard at the first
opportunity, and second, in the selec-
tion of clean, honest, competent men
for office, whose garments have not
been smirched by any corrupt practices
either of a public or private character.
The best way to do this is to let tho
whole people of the county dump this
garbage into the gutter by the aid of a
primary election. A primary election
will serve two purposes. It will afford
the people an opportunity to kick cer-
tain unworthy characters out of office
and at the same time to name their
successors. It will do away with all
tricks and frauds practiced in delega-
ted conventions, and will leave the re-
sponsibility for good or bad selections
with the people direct. In this way
harmony in the party can be had, while
by any other method it is extremely
doubtful.—El lteno DEMOCRAT.
the old man in jail and keep him there
until I return."—Lexington Dispatch.
There are numerous accounts of peo-
ples' hair turning as white as snow in
a single night, but we seldom, if ever,
hear of a man going to bed in perfect
health with a long flowing beard, and
find, on arising in the morning, that it
had all disappeared, but such was the
case with Mr. C. II. Cowden, a man
about "0 years old, living west of this
town. About two weeks ago he had a
heavy head of hair and a long flowing
beard, when, without any sickness, in-
jury or previous warning, his hair and
beard all came out by the roots, leav-
ing his scalp as bare as a new-born
babe's. This is certainly a very unus-
ual phenomenon and one which will
furnish an interesting topic for discus
sion at the next meeting of the medical
association.—El Reno Democrat.
Capt. Woodson, the Indian agent sit
Darlington, did all that he could to
controvert the lying reports that were
sent out by the Associated Press liar,
and other so-called newspaper corres-
pondents to the effect that the Indians
were on the war path a short distance
west of here. Such reports can not
help but result in temporary injury to
the country. They frighten people
away and do more toward retarding
immigration than all the honest ad-
vertising tho country can get during
the same period.
Statehood and Free Coinage.
In view of the recent veto of the
Iiiand seignorage bill by the President
and his well know n <>p|>ositiou to a bi-
metal basis for the currency of the
country, it would seem to lie utter folly
for the friends of the white metal to
devote another hour's time of the
present session of congress to the dis-
cission of this question. Any measure
I that could pass that body that would
meet the approval of the friends of
silver would meet its death by the veto
of the President. Then why spend
any more time wrangling over it, when
nothing can be accomplished'? The
public is tired of members of congress
introducing bills simply for political
buncombe, that hares no show of pas-
sage and making long-winded, patri-
otic (?) siweehes for campaign thunder
The most practical thing for mem-
bers of eongi'ess, who have the interest
of the west at heart and are friendly to
silver to do. is to make a strong pull
for the admission of Oklahoma and
the three other territories Into the
Union. The admission of four new
states in the west would, without doubt,
Increase the silver vote in the senate
by the entire strength of these states,
for no matter how much the political
parties in the west may differ upon
other questions they are a uuit upon
this one. If these states are admitted
at this session of eongi'ess, by the time
Mr. Cleveland's time has expired, they
will all have representation in both
branches of congress which will give
the west and south >o much strength in
that body that a free coinage measure
can he passed and many of the laws
that are now upon the statute liooks,
that have enabled few to grow im-
mensely rich at the expense of the
laboring masses, can be repealed.
A citizen of Oklahoma that is oppos-
ing statehood because he is now hold-
ing an appointive office under the ter-
ritorial government and is afraid that
he will lose it if the territory is ad-
mitted into the Union is opposing the
best interests of the people for his own
private benefit.
A PRIMARY ELECTION. KICKAPOO RESERVATION.
The question of a convention or Maj. Moses Neal, alloting agent for
primary election to nominate county j tj,e Kickapoo Indians, Is reported as
officers is now a debateablo subject ,, . , .
sav ing that the allotments will be cotn-
nnd we believe that u primary election
is the fairest and l«st thing for the i llleted ,>v M >' '• When tlle
party. The point is made that a con- j ments are all taken there is nothing to
volition will divide up the offices over j prevent the opening of that little res-
the country in tne fairest manner, ervutinn more than 110 or 40 days, un-
A primary will do it as fairly as a con- . . , . ....
•' . less congress should see tit to pass an
vention if each pn.'t of the county
.i, ... l act that is now pending, proving for
will settle on one man and be a unit 1 ' 1 "
for him. A primary election is dime | the sale of the surplus land in that
directly by the people and can be con-
ducted fairly an honestly if it is
desired. Tho convention Is usualy
Senator David B. Hill of New York
made a speech in the senate Tuesday
upon the tarriff bill. He made a bold
attack upon the income tax feature of
the Wilson bill and said that it
was pandering to the socialists.
"Against such a scheme" he said "I
enter the protests of the people of New-
York." In fact Hill is opposed to the
entire bill and it is doubtful whether
he will voto for it upon its final passage.
About all of the democracy that Hill
has left is his old stereotyped phrase,
"I am a democrat".
reservation to the highest bidder,
which might delay tho opening for
... , some time. There is certain to lie a
controled by tho politicians and some |
times men arc nominated who arc un-1 >« >'people disappointed in se-
tit and who do not dare to anounce | curing homes over there as it is avery
themselves as a candidate before the small tract of land, and while there is
people. I he primary election inake> B01U(> of the very best land in tho en-
tire territory, yet one-half of the res-
ervation would not be considered de-
way open | sirable land by the average farmer.
The Indians will take over 1100 80-acre
allotments and we understand
that they have taken their lands in the
"Kickapoo Flats." which is the best
part of the reservation. There will be
ii great many good claims left but not
all the candidates let the people know
running and there is no
A con-
that they are
chance for "dark horses
vention always leaves thi
for some disgruntled candidate to
claim that there was a job put upon
him while he cannot make this charge
in a fairly conducted primary election.
In Norman the business men can take
ten minutes to vote in a primary but
aunot spend a half a day In a con-
vention and are consequently denied t„ SU|iply (>n(1 half the people
representation
The only convention held ill the
county last year, that to nominate a
representative, resulted in a split in
the party and a defeat of the
regular nominee. Don't let us repeat
that experience. Norman Democrat.
They have organized a regiment
at Guthrie to join Gen. Coxey's com-
monweal army and march with him
to Washington. About twenty have
enrolled their names and have declar-
ed their intentions of going to the
Capital. Nearly all of the old political
agitators are interested in this pro-
ject, but it is safe to say that the Hon-
A. N. Daniels is to practical a man to
join any such a wild goose expedition
as this.
In conversation the other day with
Gus Thelan, the post-trader at the
Darlington Indian Agency, we learned
many curious things concerning tho
customs of the Imdians with reference
to contracting debts, and the prompt-
ness with which the friends of a de-
ceased Indian liquidate all of his out-
standing indebtedness. Mr. Thelan
says that as a rule the Indians areas
good, or better, pay than the whites,
an 1 that the accounts of an Indian, al-
though poor in life immediately be-
come gilt-edged at hisxleatli. He says
that no sooner is an Indian buried than
the relatives and friends of the de-
ceased begin to make Inquiry as to bis
indebtedness, and that they immedi-
ately take up a contribution sufficient-
ly large to pay up every cent that he
owes. In this sense Mr. Thelan says
that Phil Sheridan's expression that
"all dead Indians are good Indians" is
certainly true.
that are expecting to locate there.
Since the formation of the Dress as-
sociation, Hensley, of the El Reno
Democrat, lins been a changed man.
Whether Hensley euchred the associa-
tion, or the association euchred Hens-
ley, is of no matter or consequence.
He was tailing up the administration
then with his mouth open and his
teeth out. He is tailing up the admin-
istration now with his mouth closed
and his teoth pulled. What lias made
the change?—McMaster's Weekly,
March 31.
Since penning the above a chang*
has come over the spirit of the dreams
of McMasters and his Weekly. His
mouth is closed and his venomous fangs
pulled so that the land office people are
no longer In danger of harm from this
viper, lias ho eunoched the land of-
fice or has the fifteen land notices that
appeared in his Yukon sheot of last
week with its circulation of five in
Canadian county, eunoched him? The
Democracy of the territory is waiting
for a reply.—El lteno DEMOCRAT.
Attorneys Keaton, Cunningham and
Shartell who were appointed a com-
mittee by Judge Dale, to investigate
the charges that certain attorneys
were advertising that divorces were
easily obtained in Oklahoma, through-
out the east, are hard at work and It
is stated that a number of the legal
fraternity will be disbarred, .fudge
Dale emphatically declares that the
courts of Oklahomi shall not be a.
dumping ground for played out mar- The populists are at work, and so are
the republicans, and unless we get to
In the majority of counties in Okla-
homa the cent ral committees arc being
urged by the local democrats to call
primary elections, or nominating con-
ventions, as early as possible to nomi-
nate county officers. It would be well
for the county central committee of this
county to begin to talk this matter up.
The editor is a patient, long-suffer-
ing much abused animal, but when he
does turn on bis tormentors lie is a
"bad man" to fool with. "Hell hath
no fury like no editor driven to bay,"
and the injunct ion, "agree with thine
adversary quickly" merits special
attention, should that adversary be
uu editor.
Mr, A. A. Myers, formerly a resident
of Guthrie but now county attorney of
county K, is spoken of by the Newkirk
papers as the Democratic candidate
for delegate to congress. Mr. Byers is
a young man of ability and a sound
Democrat who has many friends
throughout tho territory, but consid-
ering his youth and limited experience
in public life i.nd the fact that he is
now a resident of a county that is con-
sidered republican, we do not think
that li is nomination would add strength
to tho party in the territory. Wait
awhile, Byers, "everything comes to
him who waits."
11 is suggested that Colonel Brcckcn-
ridge, for purposes of recuperation
take a trip around the world by the way
of the North Pole.
ried people of the effete east.
On Tuesday of last week 911 members
of the House of Representatives were
absent; on Wednesday 105, and Thurs-
day 83. Tuesday was field day at the
Breckenridge-Pollard trial, a kind of
Black Crook entertainment now going
on in Washington.
There are a great many factions
in the democratic party and at the
presont time these factions seem to be
devoting their entire time to reading.
Their reading however, does not seem
to take a very wide range. They sim-
ply endeavour to read each other out
of the democratic party.
work we
race.
come out third in th«
The Oklahoman may not bo a scab
paper, but it certainly exhibited de-
cidedly senbbish propensities when it
put in a bid for legal publications at
less than legal rate. If it isn't a scab
the press of the territory should treat
it as such if it continues to pursue such
unbusiness-llke methods in order to
compete with other papers.
Down in North Carolina, according
to law the poll taxes were required to
be paid almost a year before the regis-
tration took place. The republicans,
in order to get their votes, paid the
poll tax of each colored citizen and
presented him a receipt. The demo-
crats heard of this with dismay. It
was a move that was hard to beat. The
tax receipt-, were in the hands of the
colored people and it seemed as though
everyone of them would register. The
democrats met tho difficulty, however;
they had John Robinson's circus go
through the stale and advertise that
poll tax receipts would lie taken as ad-
mission tickets to tho show. Not a
single tax receipt remained in a col-
ored man's possession by the time the
circus finished its season. Tho demo-
crats carried the state.—Charlston (Mo)
Democrat.
In almost every county in Oklahoma
conies the charges of "official corrupt-
ton." The county commissioners in no
less than five or six counties have been
indicted, and official corruption of tho
most monstrous character has been
traced to the doors of other officials in
different parts of the territory. The
people have had about as much of this
kind of work as they are able to stand,
and there is but littlo doubt but that
the voter will carry these grievances
to the polls this fall, and not only send
the guilty officers into retirement, but
drive the party responsible for their
election or appointment out ot" power.
St. Louis, Kansas City, St. Joseph,
Sodalla, Carthage, nnd a number of
other large cities in Missouri went re-
puplican last Tuesday, and the repub-
licans are now claiming that they will
Cam the state next full.
We notice that the Oklahoman lias
again taken the name of the Hon.
Samuel Small down from its editorial
masthead. From this time on Sam
will, in all probability, so far as Okla-
homa journalism and politics are con-
cerned, remain in a state of "Innocu-
ous desuitude."
Frank Greer is authority for the
statement that Brown Sequard, the
man who thought he had discovered
tlie elixir of life, is dead. Frank ought
to know as he has been adlcted to the
use of the elixir for several years.
An
year
the
exchange says "the time of
is now approaching when
man who has never taken his
party paper, or if he has, failed to pay
for it, and who has never aided it in
any way will come to the editor with
soft words and admiring glances and
ask hum to aid in securing him a
nomination for an office." We know
of a number of just such creatures re-
siding in this country, and can assure
them that they will lie remembered.
The Dallas News truthfully says that
ir the democratic party busts it will
be because Its leaders have persisted
in loading it down with explosive
materials.
The people vill hardly favor the elec-
tion of a man to office who admits that
he has lost his character.
The republicans are laying low and
taking notes ot passing events for fu-
ture reference.
There was a conference of some kind
between the would-be leaders of the
party at Oklahoma City last Sunday
or Monday. Nobody but holders of in-
vitations participated orknewanything
of the meeting. Oklahoma is a great
and prolific country in the production
of rings and secret political conclaves,
in which a half dozen self-constituted
leaders endeavor to do the conclave
act all by themselves.
in dismissing a libel against a news-
paper a level-headed Oregon judge
ruled "that whenever a newspaper
finds a case of flagrant wrong-doing and
evil whether in public or private life,
it is its duty and privolege to expose It
and give it the widest possible circula-
tion". That IS a good law and based
upon common sense. The dread of
such public exposure exerts a greater
rc straining influence upon some people
criminally inclined than does the fear
of the law.
Clark Howell, the editor of the At-
lantic Constitution, is fearful that Mr.
Cleveland will not leave enough of the
deinoeeatic party to hold a convention
in 18!h>. It is evident that if the list of
fatalities to this territory and Georgia
ontinues in the way of appointments
of "Cawga" Colonels to Oklahoma
places, there will not be enough of dem-
ocrats left down there to call u conven-
tion together let aloue to hold it.
The administration is learning how
to tame the old shrew that runs Mc-
Master's Weekly, and they are doing
it. Give him swill and he will become
as docile and harmless as a sucking
dove.
The latest newspaper venture in
Oklahoma is the Taloga Tomahawk.
It in a four column quarto, claims to be
democratic in politics. The mission of
the Tomahawk is doubtless to skin
somebody.
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Clute, William A. The West Side Democrat. (Enid, Okla.), Vol. 1, No. 26, Ed. 1 Tuesday, April 17, 1894, newspaper, April 17, 1894; Enid, Oklahoma Territory. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc127633/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.