The El Reno Democrat. (El Reno, Okla. Terr.), Vol. 6, No. 49, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 2, 1896 Page: 1 of 8
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7
The El Reno Democrat.
T. F. HEM"SLEY, Proprietor.
The Official Organ of the War Department and Canadian County.
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY.
$1.25 PER YEAR
Volume VI-
B.L RR.NO, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY, THURSDAY, JANUARY Li,* 1B90.
Number 4-9
B
II
J
/
/
I
1
DEADLY PARALLEL
A Rotten City Government
Shown up by the Grand
Jury and the Judge
On the Bench.
Pig Headed Mayor
Strikes Back, and Is Squelched
A Second Time by the Court.
Grand Jury Reports,Coun-
cil Resolves and the
Judge Lectures.
Territory of Oklahoma, I
Canadian County f '
Hon. John H. Burford, Judge of the
Second Judicial District.
We the grand jurors, duly empan-
elled and sworn, have the honor to sub-
rait the foiling report:
* ***. *■# **<
We have included in our cursory in
vestigation the city jail and a part of
the city officers, and beg to submit
that we find good grounds for complaint
in many respects. In the first place
we find an almost total disregard of the
law on the part of the mayor and the
city coucil, of the present as weli as
past administrations, in the mat-
ter of appropriations of public money.
We find it to be no uncommon thing
for large sums of money to be taken
out of the treasury on one pretext and
another, unauthorized by law, and for
purposes in which the general taxpay-
er has no interest.
In the police department we find the
grossest kind of brutality practiced by
the police in making arrests and
handling prisioners. In addition to
the brutality refered to we find gross
partilality shown in meting out jus-
tice to offenders. In some instances
we find men working out fines upon
the streets with ball and chain to their
legs, while in other instances we find
that men with less character are al-
lowed to depart from the police court
under heavy sentance of fine without
bond, by the payment of a small frac-
tion of the fine assessed against them,
simply turned loose upon society un-
til they can rob some one by gambling
or otherwise, of money to liquidate
the fine in full.
We further find that the law against
gambling and against houses of prosti-
tution have heretofore been winked at
by the officials of the county. The
city has taken some steps to enforce
the law in such cases, but the result
has been apparently, encourageing
in its nature rather than corrective of
the evils.
In our investigation of certain abuses
in connection with the lire department
we feel constrained to suggest to the
mayor and city council in particular,
and to all executive officers in general
the importance of exorcising the power
of removal whenever a public servant
proves himself incompetent or unwor-
thy of filling a public trust.
Respectfully submitted
Clint Accff, Foreman.
December 12, 189.">.
18H5, of the district court of Canadian
county, said territory, and
Whereas, said grand jury in said re-
port have reported and submitted to
the Hon. John H. Burford, judge of
said court, that there are good grounds
or complaint of the said mayor and
eouncilmen in this: "That they find
an almost total disregard of the law
and the councilmen in the matter of
the appropriation of public money; and
that said grand jury find it no uncom-
mon thing for large sums of money to
be taken out of the treasury on one pre-
text or another unauthorized by law
and for purposes in which the general
taxpayer has no interest, and
Whereas, Numerous other charges,
general in their nature, are in said re-
port preferred against this body, and
Whereas said charges are so vague,
uncertain and indefinite, as not to ap-
praise this body of the matter and
things giving rise to the same, and
Whereas, it has been the aim, object
desire and sense of this body to act
legally and properly and for the best
interests of the taxpayers of said city,
in respect to all matters coming before
it, as such body and in the discharge
of its duties as such in the past, and
Whereas, it is the desire and inten-
tion to so act in the future, and
Whereas, this body is unable from
said report to ascertain wherein it has
failed in the discharge of its duties as
aforesaid, and is not aware of any such
dereliction on its part, and
Whereas, said report unjustly reflects
discredit on such body.
Now, therefore, be it resolved by the
mayor and councilmen oj said city, at
regular public meeting and session
thereof, held on December 18, 18S).">, wo
invite and court a full and fair inves-
to believe, that she had permission to
carry on her business without inter-
ruption from "the officers of the law.
"The city officials have testified that
it was the custom, and the records show-
it to be true, that at regular intervals,
once a month, these women were re-
quired to appear and pay a stipulated
price. The police judge and city mar-
shall have testified that they made no
arrangements with these parties, that
upon the payment of monthly lines
they would be allowed to carry 011
their business undisturbed. Giving
them the fullbenefit of their statements
and conceding that they are true, yet
the effect is practically the same. For
the city authotities have regularly,
once a month, required these people to
to appear and pay a stipulated fine, and
then did not disturb them or make any
effort to suppress them or prohibit
their business for thirty days longer.
This amounts to nothing more than
one of two things: it is either legal
blackmail or a license to carry on the
business. That is the legal effect of
it and I repeat that I have no sympa-
thy with such administrations of public
affairs.
The purpose of a court, whether it
be a police court or a court of higher
jurisdiction, is to aid in the enforce-
ment of the law against those guilty
of its violation, I have no sympathy
with that kind of justice which at-
tempts to enforce the law against one
class of violators only. If there is any-
one with whom 1 sympathize in cases
of this kind, it is with those poor un-
fortunate ones who have by force of
circumstances or by choice, to gain a
livelihood, fallen into a life of shame.
And certainly no law abiding citizen
who has the good of the community at
heart, who is in favor of good morals
tigation of our acts in the past, by fair
minded and unprejudiced parties; and and R°°d ciln have an>' sJ mPa"
that our future acts may bo closely
watched and scrutinized, to the end
that our shortcomings may b3 known
and public, in order that we may rec-
tify any and all such errors, and
Be it further resolved that a copy of J
these resolutions be presented .to the J
Hon.Jno. Burford, Judge of said court 1
and to the papers.
Moved by Maney and seconded by
Kern that the resolution be adopted.
Carried.
Moved by Kicker and seconded by
Kane that the grand jury report be re-
ceived. Carried.
BURFORD'S ROAST
Last Friday -ifidge Burford in pass-
ing sentence upon a woman for keep-
ing a bawdy house paid his respects to
the city administration in the follow-
ing pointed and forcible manner:
"I will say in connection with these
eases that the object of the law is to
prohibit that which by its terms is
made unlawful. The purpose of the
thy with attempts to extort money
from persons of this kind, either for
revenge or for the benefit of a corpor-
ation. They are entitled to our sym-
j pathy and to our pity, and in enforcin
the law against them it should be done
I in no spirit of revenge, and never for
| the purpose of paying officers salaries
or fees. As a taxpayer of this county
I would rather pay two or three per-
cent more, high as taxes are in this
town, rather than have it understood
or known that it was the policy of this
city to tax or license prostitutes in or-
der to keep money in the public coffers.
I believe that every law abiding citi-
zen would rather pay an increase of
tax to support the city government than
have it go abroad that it was the policy
of the people o'this town, in order to
pay public officers, that they were will-
testimony in this case indicates, then
the law abiding people In this city-
ought to rise in their indignation as
the people have done in New York
City, as they have done in Chicago and
as they are doing in St Louis and drive
from power any official who will at-
tempt to licence that which is prohib-
ited by law. I speak of these matters
because they come up in the testimony
of this case, and because I do not desire
that these people on trial shall receive
the full condemnation, if the
facts as stated here are true.
If they have been led to believe
by the city officials that by reason of
paying a monthly stipend into the city
treasury they would be protected in
this business, then they have been mis-
informed by those in authority, and in
this way they have been led on in
their crimes in violation of the law by-
being made to beleive that they would
be protected. And whilst that is not a
matter for me to deal with in this case
I feel like remarking as Judge McAtee
did in another ouse, that as a matter of
justice, these officials ought to be made
to come in and pay their fines and
costs. In view of the (circumstances,
however, I must asess a punishment,
and in assessing this punishment. I
will state to the defendant that it is
not to raise money for any purpose.
The purpose of the law is to punish
violations of the law, to prevent per-
sons from engaging in those things of
any character which are prohibited.
I shall not make the fine excessive.
You have been convicted in one case
and have pleaded guilty to two more.
For every day you have carried on a
house of this character you have sub-
jected yourself to a fine which may be
$500 or imprisonment for one year in the
county jail. The amount of the line
and imprisonment is in the discretion
of the court. I will make your iine
in each case and you will stand com-
mitted until the line and costs are paid."
It is but proper to state to the pub-
lic that Councilmen Kane, Maney and
Gerrer, are as a rule, with the people
on all questions of good morals and
honest city government, but they are
in the minority and are helpless in pre-
venting many of the outrages perpe-
EXPENSES OF STATEHOOD
In our last is ue we endeavored to
show that th" maintenance of a state
government will be cheaper than our
present territorial form of govern-
ment. In proof of this position we in-
vite attention to a number of letters
from the auditors of the new north-
western states published below, which
were received by this paper a few
months ago in reply to inquiries upon
this subject. By a careful study of
this correspondence it will be seen that
in each of the new states the imputa-
tion and property values have rapidly
increased and that the percent of levy
for state purposes is less than in Okla-
homa at the present time. In each of
these states more than enough of
revenue has been derived from the
sale of public lands to defray the ex-
penses of the public schools and to
erect and maintain all of their public
buildings.
This would be the case in Oklahoma
under statehood. While under terri-
torial government we will be compelled
to meet these expenses by a direct tax
as wo are doing today.
STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA.
auditor's office.
J. E. Hippie, Auditor.
pierre. .
T. F. Hensley,
El Reno, Oklahoma.
Dear Sir:—Your favor found await-
ing my return from an absence of two
weeks and in reply would say that we
have no printed matter giving com-
parisons and contrast of expenses be-
tween territorial and statehood period,
but 1 am of the opinion that circum-
stances being taken into consideration,
the expense during statehood has not
been as great as that during the terri-
torial period. One chief feature of ex-
pense has been our legislative assem-
blies which in four years have been
four in number This was necessary
on account of the provision by the con-
stitution for the purpose of electing
United States senators as well as the
regular sessions. Another thing, the
niembership of the legislature was in
the beginning outrageously largo and
at this time is no doubt much larger
| than is necessary, although being but
and the tide of emigration has been
two-fold over any period in our terri-
torial existence. And further, and
perhaps the greatest source front
which the extra expense, incidental to
statehood, will be noticed in the fol-
lowing statement. We had from gov-
ernmental appropriations the following
to-wit:
Forl'uplle HulldlngsatCapitol, i:jB,oooaeres
For State University purposes.. . . 4tl,(W0 "
PCH1.1C I.AKBS.
Acues
Agricultural College purpose* U0.000
For Srlentlflr Schools lOO.OOn
For State and Normal Schools 100,000
For other Educational Institutions. 200,000
Our Common School Lands 3,4,111,520
So that our expense incident to state-
hood was largely, in fact more than
fully compensated for by reason of the
free appropriation by the government
of the public lands above set forth, the
same being the exact figures from the
enabling act of congress passed tor the
six states, to-wit: The two Dakotas,
Montana. Wyoming, Idaho and Wash-
ington. The above, however, is for
the state of Washington alone, the ap-
propriations being given separate!/ in
the compilation,aud it must bo remem-
bered, white of necessity, the expense
of statehood in any caso is greater
than that of territorial existence.
This, us above stated, is far more
than evened up by the appropriations
of lands by the government.
State admitted Nov. II, 188!>. Local
advantages, as to management of the
Judicial system, county and state offi-
cials, are also very considerable.
Yours,
R. II. Hutchinson.
T. F.
THE STATE OF MONTANA,
auditor's Office,
A. B. Cook, Auditor.
Hensley,
El Reuo, Oklahoma.
My Dear Sir:—I have your favor of
the lotti inst., and have made up a
statement showing the receipts and ex-
penditures for three years, preceding
and following statehood, and have
given the amount in treasury belong-
ing to the school funds. You will ob-
serve that our values have steadily in-
creased. The state has no debt except
a warrant debt during a portion of the
year, and which is paid as soon as tax-
es are received. Wishing the good
tiattdhy the city „o\cmmcnt. ihi j littlt; larger than the minimum mem-1 people of Oklahoma success in their
made a manly fight for honesty in the L hlp 1)lovidlid bv t!lu constitution, struggle for statehood, I am,
fire pepartmeut but were out voted and
out generaled by such shameless wire
workers as Stanley, Kern and Ricker,
The other branches of the state gov-
| eminent are running at a less expense
than formerly, taking into considera-
Faithfully yours,
A. ii. Cook ,
State Auditor.
Pur K. M. Hutroll.
Statement showing receipts and ex-
assisted by Lassen and Ilardv. who ,, . , ,
•" Hon the amount of work and the sup- j
joined them it would seem for no other i ,. ,, , . , . . Statement showitil' reeoint*
! plies required to conduct and maintain ! allu l 1111 un-
reason thai, that the chief boodler be-. same [ pendituros for the three years preced-
longed to the same lodge with them, j Any other information desired will ing and following statehood:
Wc make this explanation to
lie cheerfully furnished, if in our power
public so that the obloquy reflected 11() furnish it.
Your., respe<
ing to license or pursue a course which j ))y the above procedings may fall where
is in effect a legal license, of public L belongs. The people will hold
prostitution. There has bjeti a great : such official rottenness in memory, and
deal said about these matters publicly. | will send it 'home to roost, not only
ift-lly,
.1. E.
Year Ifci'pts. K.\p'*<\ Ass'int. Kuto
!sn; $I7H,4IH II $l,tK.oi:i.iui fvi,07s,s"l,si 2 m
1887 1 96,880, #18,075.1# 00,098,483.T48 "
!>■-- 2r.s:,n:iK.2ii I n,:i,wi ti?, !:(0,."i:':i.70''1
i;
Our city officers have been charged
statute is not to raise revenue. The | with carrying on a licensed business of
intention of a statute or a city ordi- ] this kind hcrtoforc and for the purpose
nance, milking unlawful the acts pro-j of understanding what i- required of
hibited, is not for the purpose of fur-. these women, and to ascertain who the
nishing a revenue to the territory or officers have been in the habit of pun-
| to the city. That is furthest from the
j purpose of the legislature or law mak-
| ing power. In the minds of the latv-
| makers, the carrying on of houses of
prostitution in a city is considered to
be against good morals and corrupting
to society, tending to breed disorder
and lawlessness, and for that reason
they are considered to bo against pub-
isliing in connection with such offences
and I purposely drew out testimony to
that end: and it seems from the state-
ment of this woman and from the state-
ments of the city officiils, thai no
male person has ever be n arrested or
fined for visiting hous> s of. prostitu-
tion. Now is one class to be exempt
from punishment of the law, and an-
other class punished? ha t-no sym-
pathy with the man, c rather the an-
imal because he is not a mi.n,— he may-
go by the name of a nan but he is a
THE MAYOR KICKS
At the first meeting of the couucil ; lie policy, good government and society-
after the grand jury report was publish- j and the law is made prohibitory. It is
eJ, Mayor Hah n commented upon it and j not the purpose of the law to license
branded it as unwarranted and false, persons who engage in such conduct;
and requested the city attorney to | nor is it the purpose of the law that it I disgrace to the name- whe lives off of
draft a resolution refuting the charges ' shall be made the means under the the money which is ' cceived , -ora the
therein. The statement was made guise of law for blackmailing persons, sale of a woman's hum am virtue,
also that the streets of El Reno arc in I have no sympathy with the efforts j They are entitled to the condemnation
better shape now and at less expense that seem to have been made by the , of every individual, ma aud female
than ever before in the history of the ! city authorities under the evidence in alike. A human being it mal • attire
when such men conic up for office sixain
hut in their private business. The
people as a rule do not care to do busi-
ness with men who arc corrupt in
their official conduct: who, having 1.0
respect for their own homes will try to
destroy every other home in a commu-
nity by licensing gambling hells,
dance halls and houses of prostitution.
It is but just to the members of the
common council who are opposed to
such -policy, not only being excepted
but their names given to the public so
they may be known and their acts ap-
proved and also so that the infamy
which has already attached in
this case, may fall with greater force
on the really guilty ones.
Farming Tox,
T. F. Ilonsiey,
El Keno, (). T.
Dear Sir: -Your letter < !
inst.. to your brother C. 11.
referred to me for answer,
Wash.
the 10th
has been
which I
KtO
im
* H7,41)1,7:.' 11 s. ,illHi.KiH.U7
i I,* 7!',:)7 i,!Ul - m
i Nl.s<i7.ss it:.\U37.3H4
• .v.iI,'. •.( I ii.'.MO.vt.s ti
Total *'. 7.V4G7,0.'i *yiJ0,9SM,:jy fKU,.">lS),77iS
(V.xli In the statu school funds from the
Mile i f st :ii ■ hinds *107.110.
Out of forty-eight trials for murder
in the Strip since Sept Hi, ISM, there
has been but one conviction, that of
Win. Stover at Perry last week for the
the comparative advantages of state- mim](,
very chc
following
M-fully do, and compile the
statistic for you relative to
i 'avne
•r of lCdward Hall
! country. Chandler News.
Such a record is enough to damn any
county. It proves to the world that
' human life is without protection. Aye
L
hood over territorial-hood, and to that
end, without remarks or comment,
state as follows:
Area in square miles b9,991, acres 44,-
796,100. When admitted to the Union j it proves more than that: it proves
our state had a population of 240,000. I that the officers of the law are either
It has now a population of about 100. corrupt and in sympathy with crime
000 showing a handsome inereast
or that the juries are made up of crim-
this case to license the carrying on of j who will not resort to son
The fo1 lowing resolution was then prostitntion and houses of prostitution : means of making a livin
introduced: in this city. I do not know what the
41 Whereas, there has been brought facts are except as they are developed
before the mayor and councilmen of in the trial of this case. 'J he defend-
the city of El Iteno, Oklahoma Terri- ant has testified that on the payment
tory, a certified copy of the report of of a stipulated amount per month
honorable
't cinsists
upon the price of bartered omauhood
is not entitled to live in a d er t com-
munity. I do not care whet ) e be
a city official, or not: wheth : be
The newspaper without a policy, de-
cision or judgement, is like a deaf
mute at a carnival—just seen, that is
all.—Marlow Magnet.
El Reno has four newspapers *tbat
plead guilty to the above indictment,
all except the lirst count: they have a.
policy, and that policy is to pull the
advertiser's leg for ail it will bear and
give him just as nearly nothing for has
money as possible.
have to refer to sta
| The county in which we live alone has
I for tlie past. year. a> shown by the
assessment rolls, over $19,000,000 ofa>-
I sessahle property. This is the county
, of Whitman and i>. of course, above
.1 ustice Brewer of the supreme court the average in agricultural vaaie. \\ <*
high or low. And I will .-tat- further has been given a position on the Yen- hav. m-i-ii an immense .-tride in prop-
population since it.-> admission as a : inals filled with sympathy for their
state, and in the year 1889 in the fall I confederates who are tried before them,
of that year after the assessment had Public sentiment must teach both pub-
been made it showed assessable prop-j lie prosecutors aud trial juries their
erty in the state to the amount of duty in dealing with crime in this ter->
about $98,To.'t,000 and today it is more ritory before human life say nothing
than double that amount, but to get! of private property will have that pnv*
exact figures we would necessarily tection it is is entitled to.
licials for same.
The (Jlobe-Democrat says there ma\
be no war between England and the
United States, hut the Britishers wil
catch h— Ion St. I'atick's daw
ujry, uci - * ■ i -i • ,
the grand jury, of the November term she was given to understand and lead • that if these conditions exist ha* the I e/uelan commission and accepted. 4orty \ aim- fhico we w.-re admitted,
Joe Wisby has just returned from
Washington. lie did not succeed in
getting a place on the Yenezuelan
corhmission.
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Hensley, T. F. The El Reno Democrat. (El Reno, Okla. Terr.), Vol. 6, No. 49, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 2, 1896, newspaper, January 2, 1896; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc160050/m1/1/?q=j+w+gardner: accessed June 22, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.