The Okemah Ledger. (Okemah, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 13, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 23, 1908 Page: 3 of 8
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THE FIRST LEGISLATURE
A Brief Review of What the Oklahoma Lawmakers are Doing
Friday tbs house passed the hill by
Senator ‘Brook amended almost be-
yond recognition limiting the cossecu-
tire working hours of railroad em-
ployes to IS and allowing the employe
at least 10 hours off duty before his
recall Train dispatchers or operators
shall work no longer than nine con-
secutive hours out of the 24 nor more
than 13 hours in towers offices and
stations operated only during the day
In cases of emergency the operator
may work four additional hours not
to exceed three days out of the week
The penalty against the corporation
or officer violating the law is 9560 for
each Instance No suit can be brought
however after a period of one year
following the alleged Infraction of the
law The corporation commission Is
authorised to lodge Information with
county attorneys against railroads
disobeying the law The act does not
apply to the crews of wrecking or re-
lief trains
J Forelgj building and loan compa-
nies areto Be barred from the state
after January 1 1909 Any building
and loan company operating In the
state must bo chartered as a domestic
corporation
Brook’s state fair bill was indefi-
nitely postponed on motion of the
author himself
The Smith bill regulating descent
and distribution of property in ac-
cordance with the Texas law failed of
a majority on third reading
Bills were introduced by Sorrels
prohibiting the sale of mineral school
land until 1916 and by Davis appro-
priating 1220000 for a new building
at the Agricultural and ' Mechanical
college
The house passed the bill providing
for a full train crew changing the
original bill so that five men Instead
of six shall constitute such crew
With reference to passenger trains
the bill as amended requires that in
addition to the engineer fireman
conductor and brakeman one addi-
tional employe shall be retained The
"other employe" takes the place of
the flagman designated In the senate
bill He Is to be the colored porter
but the house refused to dignify that
position by putting It into a proposed
law
A resolution was introduced by Mr
Bryan providing for printing 25000
copies of a pamphlet "The Initiative
and Referendum Laws of Oklahoma”
embodying the bill by Speaker Mur
ray which has Just become a law
The hill by Mr Whitehurst creating
the office of assistants to state offi-
cials and providing their salaries was
favorably acted upon Several
changes to correspond to bills recent-
ly passed providing for separate of-
fices were made An amendment by
Mr Vandeventer providing that the
' salary schedule shall not be binding
an future legislatures was adopted
A bill was Introduced by Speaker
Murray appropriating $2500 to as-
sist the Halochee Industrial Institu-
tion a negro school of Taft and s
branch of the Tuskegee Institute
The board of Colored Agricultural
and Normal Institute at Langston Is
authorised to expend the money A
hill by Anthony and Branson pro-
vides for a South Central normal to
be located by the legislature The
state board of education is given con-
trol of the Institution
' The school land question has been
brought before the house In a bill In-
troduced by Fisher but was finally
sent back to the committee with a
long list of changes It is quitee prob-
able that the present bill even with
the modifications recommended will
never pass
After a hard fight and a very spir-
ited debate In which the remarks be-
came quite personal on both sides
the chiropractic bill was passed In the
senate on third reading with a bare
majority in its favor As passed the
bhl provides for a board of three ex-
aminers but imposes no requirements
on the persons to whom licenses are
to be issued leaving that entirely
with the examining board
The speaker came back like a shot
directing his remarks at Mr Hollanc
who had taken his seat He declarer
that he had never In any way been
affiliated with the Standard and that
Mr Holland was aware of It He
eaid that any one who opposed the
ell Inspector’s work helped to foster
the oil trust’s interests Mr Hol-
land explained that he cast no slur
at any members mentioning no
names and only touching on the mat-
ter In a general way
The fish and game bill recently
killed In the house has been intro-
duced In the senate by Stewart
Both houses adjourned to visit the
Miller's 101 Ranch wild west show
Wednesday
Mandatory Primary System
The house-Thursday adopted twenty
sections of the Bryan bill providing
for the nomination of all officers In-
cluding United States senator con-
gressmen state Judicial legislative
district county municipal and town-
ship officers by the mandatory pri-
mary system The primary Is to ‘In-
clude all political parties and to be
held on the same day on the first
Tuesday of August In each even num-
bered year beginning with 1908 Reg-
istration Is required in cities of the
first class The ballots for each po-
litical party shall be separate no
voter being allowed to vote for candi-
dates of two political parties
The house Indefinitely postponed
the bill by Stettmund appropriating
about $2000 as additional reimburse-
ment tq certain school land lessees
near Stillwater passed finally the
Ulney bill creating a state court of
appeals which would pass upon cases
referred to it from the supreme court
the latter court having power of re-
view passed the Harrison bill pro-
hibiting the payment of employes in
script and adopted a resolution for
the benefit of the Tulsa boomers In-
viting people from other states to
come to Oklahoma and make their
homes here
Bills were Introduced Thursday by
Whitehurst appropriating $13000 to
enable State Auditor Trapp to secure
the assessment of farm lands on the
Indian Territory side Day to appro-
priate $82j)00 for new buildings at the
Edmond state normal Abbott appro-
priating $75000' for an agricultural
building at the Alva normal and Van-
deventer appropriating $200000 for a
new building at the state university
The senate passed finally the Staf-
ford bill requiring all coal to be
weighed at destination and the Holl-
man bill giving cities and towns power
to prohibit or regulate pool halls
bowling alleys and similar amusement
places The bill Includes a section
prohibiting the sale of soda pop cider
and other soft drinks in such places
The governor approved the Murray
initiative and referendum bill wblch
supplies the procedure for carrying
out the section of the constitution on
that subject
What the speaker was pleased to
consider a reflection on his attitude
In relation to the oil trust sprang
from remarks made by Mr Holland of
Tulsa in discussing tbe Hart bill reg-
ulating the sale of gasoline and coal
oil In the house Wednesday The
feature that aroused the pique of the
speaker was Mr Holland’s reference
to the oil inspector the official over
whose existence the two houses have
clashed The Tulsa member eaid that
there was not sn Independent refiner
la the state who favored the oil in-
spectorship hut that the office was
desired by the Stauuars
Endorse Good Roads Legislation
The members of the legislative com-
mittee of the Oklahoma Good Roads
association have endorsed the house
bill providing for township labor on
highways The commttee met with
the committee of the legislature which
has roads legislation in hand and
urged the enactment of the proposed
law
Senator Landrum of Tahleqnah
has introduced a bill for the entire
elimination of the Indian as a cigar
advertisement in the state His bill
will prohibit the use of such figures
whether formed from wood marble
or any other substance In a standing
or sitting position for advertising
purposes A penalty of from $5 to
$23 fine or Imprisonment is provided
RIVERS ARE UP
Parts of Eastern Oklahoma are Now
Flooded
MUSKOGEE: The Arkansas Verdi-
gris Grand Illinois and Canadian riv-
ers continue to rise in eastern Okla-
homa and are doing hundreds of
thousands of dollars worth of damage
The Frisco railroad has taken trains
off the division between Muskogee
and Fayetteville Ark ‘on account of
the high water In Fourteen Mile
creek at Melvin This Is ordinarily
a small creek but it Is now nearly a
mile wide and is over the Frisco track
for two miles In some places the
water is seven feet deep over the
tracks For a few days the trains
made regular trips and transferred
passengers on hand cars at Melvin
This had to be abandoned
John T Butcher for several years
Instructor In mathematics on the uni-
versity preparatory school Tonkawa
has been elected principal of the
county high school at Klamath Oregon
MINERI 60 TO WORK
Settlement Hat Been Reached and
All Work Start (
T6LSP O: The 200000 Idle mla-
ere in the cenlrfij competitive dis-
trict wll go to work Imdsdlstely An
amicable agreement has been reach-
ed by members of the scale coihollt
tees and this agreement waa later
ratified by the Joint meeting of min-
ers and operators Both sides are
satisfied with the results of the con-
vention and the conference adjourn-'
ed with the best of feeling between
the two parties to the controversy''
The terms of the agreement pro-
vide for a general resumption 6f
work throughout the district the
adoption of the old rate of 90 cents
a ton for mining coal a referendum
vote to be taken by districts and a
call of tbe committee to receive tbe
returns of the vgte the referendum
being on the proposition to make
the agreement hold for two years n
uniform screen of one nd one-
fourth inches an efght-hour-day the
referring of all local defenses as to
prices and conditions to the districts
for settlement an invitation to Illi-
nois operators to Join in the next in-
terstate convention and that the
next Joint interstate conference be
held In Toledo In February 1910
COMMITTEE FAVORS REMOVAL
Bill Will Put Six Million Acres on Ok-
lahoma Tax Roll
WASHINGTON: The house commit-
tee pn Indian affairs has reported fav-
orably the bill to remove restrictions
from the following lands In the five
civilized tribes of Oklahoma: I
All land of intermarried whites In?
eluding homesteads all lands of the
freedmen except homesteads all
land of adult allottees who have been
non-residents of the reservation for
the past three years all lands except
homesteads of mixed bloods having
half or more of white blood Freed-
men are permitted to lease their land
for agricultural purposes for five years
and for mineral purposes for fifteen
years without the approval of the de-
partment Tbe secretary la author-
ized to remove the restrictions on full
blood lands both surplus and home-
steads and on homesteads of the
mixed bloods whenever he deems It
to the benefit of the allottee
All land from which retrlctlon arf
removed shall be subject to taxation
This will put about 6000000 acres' oq
the tax roll of Oklahoma All deed
already given to restricted lands r
contracts to sell are declared null A$d
void ' i
MAKE INJUNCTIONS HARDER
Three Judgee Muat Pase en Matters
by New Bill
WASHINGTON: Injunction against
the enforcement of state law can
only be issued by a majority of
three federal judges wo are to pass
upon them If a bill that passed the
enate becomes a law The bill was
dratted In the judiciary committee
from a number of measures under
consideration A substitute by Sen-
ator Burkett was disagreed to The
Overman bill was opposed by Mr
Heyburn on the ground that the great
distances between the federal courts
In the west would operate to delay
the granting of necessary Injunctions
Senator Knox favored passage of thl
bill and opposed Mr Heyburn’s ar-
guments NEW YORK UNINSTRUCTED
Delegates to Denver Convention Are
Bound to No One
NEW YORK: After a two days bit-
ter conteest over the seating of dele-
gates to the state convention Patrick
H McCarren leader of King’s county
democracy was unseated and an un-
instructed delegation selected to go
to Denver
TAKE BANK’S MONEY
Starr Reported to Have Tapped An-
other Bank
COFFEYVILLE KAN: Coolly
pleasantly and without Interruption
two men one Walter Tenant the
other believed to have been Henry
Starr entered the Citizens’ State
Bank In Chautauqua Kans at nine
o’clock Friday morning locked Cash-
ier Walterhouse and Del Easley in
the vault secured $3000 In cash
which had just been taken from the
safe and laid on the counter sacked
their booty walked calmly up the
street to where their horses were
hitched and rode out of town In the
direction of the Osage hills in north-
ern Oklahoma
Thirty minutes later President J
II Edwards reached the bank unlock-
ed the vault liberated the banker
prisoners and notified the authorities
A posse at once set out over mud bur-
dened roads in pursuit of the robbers
It Is reported that the two men were
surrounded in the hills fifteen miles
south of Cbav taqua but have sot as
yst boon capt
COUNTY BEAT ELECTION! PAIR
Oklahoma House Paaeee Bill With
Rigid Restrictions
Guthrie Ok— Acting on the theory
that men la county seat elections
lose sight of meral principles and
often resort to questionable means
to win and citing the county aeat
wars In Kansas as -an example the
house today finally passed ths Thom-
as county seat election bill from the
enate It hedges such elections
around with the most rigid restric-
tions to prevent fraud
The bill provides that a non-resident
inspector shall manage the elec-
tion In each precinct of a county
where the location of a county esat
la involved and that after being
canvassed In tbe precinct the bal-
lots shall be sent to the governor
who baa comprised the state canvass-
ing board for the election Each vot-
er shall take an oath that he la a
legal and qualified voter of his pre-
cinct before casting his vote
The senate passed the Whitehurst
hill from the house appropriating
$3370999 for furniture and supplies
for the state legislature
The hiU by 8orrells creating a
tat mining board of four members
one hoisting engineer one mine op-
erator one miner and mining engi-
neer paaaed both houses and was
aent to the governor The board has
power to examine all mine employes
who cannot he employed unlesa they
have a certificate of competency from
the board It la believed that this
bill will to a great degree prevent
the shipping In of strike breakers
Tbe senate passed Its general appro-
priation bill tad sent It to the house
The house committee on ell and
gts killed the hill by Japp providing
for a state oil refinery and the bill
by Holland making oil pipe lines
common carriers by reporting that
they do not pass The house this
afternoton considered the Bryan pri-
mary bill and the Taylor bill requir-
ing all freight trains to be equipped
with a full train crew of five men
conductor fireman engineer and two
brakemen The original bill contain-
ed provltfbn for a flagman but this
was cut out on motion of Speaker
Murray
The Graham bill making it a fel-
ony for any officer board or commis-
sioner of the state officer board or
commissioner of the state county
city district or township to recelvs
any money or other valuables for
awarding a contract passed the sen-
ate All persons soliciting contracts
re required to register with the
register of deeds In the county where
the contract Is sought to be made
SCOTTISH RITE AT M’ALESTER
Spring Reunion Will Last Four Days
Seventy to Take Degrees
McAlester Ok — Monday night be-
gan the spring reunion of the Scot-
tish Rite bodies of McAlester which
will last four days closing with the
annual Maundy Thursday banquet A
class of seventy will receive the de-
grees Te Bell Bank's Assets
Shawnee Ok— The assets of ths
defunct National Bank of Shawnee
which has been in the hands of a
receiver are to he disposed' of at
public scale within the next thirty
days te satisfy a judgment claim of
$2$ 000 la favor of the Oklahoma Na-
tleaal Baak of Shawnee allowed by
Referee In Bankruptcy J H Woods
Den O Eggerman is receiver In the
ease The sale wHl be at public out-
cry Te Appralas Buildings
Guthrie Ok— Speaker Murray has
advice from the department of the
Interior Indicating that congress will
pass an amendment to the Indian ap-
propriation hill making it possible
for Oklahoma to purchase such pub-
lic buildings property of the former
Indian tribes as It desires and that
the Indians wish to sell The state
will probably take over many of the
school buildings used by the Indians
Tbe letter says that appraisers will
soon be appointed to fix a price upon
the buildings and as the state is
likely to be the only available pur-
chaser it will be the policy of the
department to expedlate transfer of
properties in event the state desires
1 them
TWO FARMERS ARRESTED
Are Charged With Being Members of
White Cap Band
Muskogee Ok— Sam Horton and
T W Osborn farmers were arrested
at Sulphur Ok Thursday charged
with being members of a band of
whltecappers who horsewhipped two
farm hands Tuesday night The vic-
tims were taken from their beds
tied to trees and whipped until blood
came
Want to Transfer
Lawton Ok— In answer to a peti-
tion asking that tbe Apache Indian
prisoners at Fort SHI be transferred
to Warm Springs N M President
Rooeevelt has sent Col Scott of
Washington her to Investigate the
condition of the tribe and the advis-
ability of removing it
COTTON BUYERS TO ORGANIZE
Oklahoma City Ok— The Oklahoma
State Cotton Buyers’ Association will
he organised la this city at a meet-
ing to he bald April 22 it Is expected
that ths association win ahve a mem-
bership of 200
Tb Prccidsat Receives Tuba Dccchzd
BOOSTERS FROM TULSA TAKEN only give to thn very able very aJ-
TO THE WHITE HOUSE Vftacefi fediao the same g±9V that
you give to the white man hut that
Roosevelt Recognizes Old Friends In
the Delegation— Gore end Owon
Escort Party
Washington D C— One hundred
and thirteen boosters from Tulsa Ok
arrived here Friday morning and
have spent the day In Washington
seeing the sights and hobnobbing
with President Roosevelt Vice Pres-
ident Fairbanks and other statesmen
at the Capitol
The boaters are on a two weeks’
tour of the east the trip being taken
In the Interest of Tulsa and sur-
rounding section which they term
“tbe gold mine of the universe” They
are traveling in a special train of five
cars and carry their own band They
claim to have an exhibit car contain-
ing peaches wheat corn alfalfa and
other products of the new state but
the car was not attached to the train
when It retched Washington and the
Tulsans said Its absence was due to
tbe fact that the tunnels la this
neighborhood were too low to admit
tbe passage of the car-
Senators Gore and Owen accom-
panied the Oklahomans to the call
on the president who received them
In the White House instead of the
executive offices
Mr Roosevelt recognized many old
friends In the party whom he greeted
most cordially
Friday night the visitors were giv-
en a reception in the rooms of the
Chamber of Commerce by the Wash-
ington chamber The only legislation
In which the Oklahoma visitors ap-
pear to be interested especially Is
that which proposes to repeal re-
strictions upon the alienation of land
by Indians
Senator Owen told them that the
House In which the bill Is now pend-
ing was favorable to the measure
and that only two or three Senators
would vote against it
The train will leave here Saturday
night for Baltimore Philadelphia and
New York The trip will cost Tulsa
about $12000 and It looks as though
he will get more than the worth of
her money
' Rsosevelt Makse Speech
"After all gentlemen he Is ths
oldest American of all of us so give
him a fair show give him a chance”
In these words President Roosevelt
spoke to the members of the Tulsa
(Ok) commercial club
‘‘It is a great pleasure to greet you
here I take a peculiar Interest In
your great state for St is a great
state and It Is going to be a much
greater state I endeavor to find out
what Is really for your Interest and
then to dl it I went over very care-
fully with your representatives this
question of the removal of the re-
strictions and came to the conclusion
that substantial justice would be
done to both the Indiati and the white
man by keeping for the Indian a
homestead of forty acres of good agri-
cultural land and allowing him to
alienate the remainder I do not think
It 13 to his advantage or to yours
and there should he large tracts of
non-taxable and nonlmproved land
Pisa for Indiana’ Rights
“I will help you to see that you
get your rights Now I want you to
help me see that the Indian gets his
rights I will help you in any legiti-
mate way and I will do my best to
try to see that the Indian is not kept
as an obstruction to the growth of
the state But you know as well as I
do that there are plenty of Indians
whp are not yet as well able to take
care of themselves as the rest of you
extremely able gentlemen from Ok-
lahoma You can not afford in your
own interest to do less than justice
to the Indian and I want each of you
to make It your work to see that your
own state courts your state officials
earefully preserve the rights of the
Indian and that you try to give him
the chance to which he Is entitled
I will do all I can to secure him that
chance
“After all gentlemen he Is the
oledst American of all of us so give
him a fair show give him a chance
I have no sympathy with that maud-
lin sentimentalism about the Indian
which Is most Intense the farther
you get away from where the Indian
is All I want Is that you shall not
Fell Into Well
jay Ok— A W Bell who bus-
Injuries by falling into a well
iding nicely He fell about
feet landing on his head and
rs in a bucket In the bottom
welL No bones were broken
was considerably bruised
details of the accident were
ows: Ed Hill who was dig-
le well and had got to a dis-
of about eighteen feet touch-
some blasting powder the gas
by the blast did not escape
and Mr Hill was overcome
fumes Mr Bell was lowered
e well to rescue Hill He sue-
In placing the rope around
ody and the latter was drawn
surface Mr Bell caught hold
rope to be drawn from the
a l -k waankafl
1700 Acres In Corn
Geary Ok — A cornfield consisting
of 1700 sores will be the one novel
sight of Blaine county In the vicinity
of Egie City this year Several ether
fields will contain as much as 300
aortt
ths Indian who needs to be brought
along for a decade or two needs to
be educated and trained until he cu
stand entirely on his own feet shall
hive your help”
W H MURRAY NOT A CANDIDATE
Will not Seek Chairmanship of DenJ
ocratic Convention
' I
Guthrie Ok— William H Murray
of Tishomingo and Speaker of the
Oklahoma House of Representatives
will not be a candidate for perma-
nent chairman of the National Ddk
ocratic convention at Denver
It was Mr Murray’s secret ambi-
tion so expressed by him at the Mus-
kogee convention to occupy that
place but according to an announce-
ment made Friday he does not feel
the new state would be Justified in
asking for the distinction and at the
same time for four additional votes
of delegates at large The Muskogee
convention elected eight instead of
four delegates at large
The Oklahoma 8peaker does not
believe the National committee will
allow one state more representation!
pro rata than it does another which!
he says will confine Oklahoma to
fourteen votes the ten district votes
not being disturbed
“I do not want to be placed in the
attitude of embarrassing those who
are striving for additional votes by
asking to be made chairman of the
convention” said Mr Murray when
asked about the place
INQUEST OVER C E ANDERSON
Coroner Finds He Died from Poison
Administered by Unknown
Partita
Purcell Ok— W H Woods Assist-
ant County Attorney and E M
Price Justice of the Peace were'
called to tbe home of C B Anderson
live miles south of Purcell late Fri-
day afternoon to hold an inquest over
the body of Anderson who died by1
violence shout 4 o'clock in the after-
noon The coroner's jury found that
Anderaon died from strychnine poi-
soning administered by parties un-
known to them He leaves four small
children ranging la ages from 5 to 12
years
Lizzie Anderson his wife has been
lodged In jail here She formerly lived
in Hunt county Texas
Mr Anderson was a well-to-do citi-
zen and was highly respected In the
community
ONE WEEK’S RECORD $15000000
Assessor Pitts and Force at Muskogee
Working to Complete Task
Muskogee Okla— Fifteen millions
of dollars in real and personal pro-
perty placed upon the tax booka with-
in seven days Is the record whlchi
City Assessor Pitts of this city will1
have to make this week
The work began Monday and with
a large force of deputies the Asses-
sor is working day and night The
above condition Is brought about by
the tax laws of Oklahoma which
were in force In Oklahoma Territory
and which the Constitution put la:
force in the new state and the fact
that Muskogee has only been a city
of the first class since April 6 The
assessor was tlj'-id March 24 but
was not sworn In until April 6 and
all property must he on the tax books
and in the hands of the Equalization
Board by next Monday
Assessor Pitts says he will accom-
plish the task
Four Railroads
Mangum Ok— Hollis in the south-
western part of Greer county la the
objective point of four railroads — ths
Colorado Texas and Mexico the Al-
ton and EH Paso the Quanah and!
Northern and the El Dorado North
western Hollis has hung up $40
000 In cash besides right of way
and terminus at that point to the
first railroad running its trains Into
that town The in and out freight of
Hollis amounts to about $30000 per
annum
Guthrie Creamery Wine
Guthrie Ok— The first bi-monthly
contest for the creameries of Oklaho-
ma was held Monday afternoon at the
Rumroell-Braun Ice plant Twelve
creameries were represented Joel C
Winkler of the dairy division of the
United States Dairy Association scor-
ed the butter The Guthrie Creamery
won the highest score The Orlando
Creamery Company was second with
ninety points scored The criticisms
of the judge was that the butter lack-
ed thd fine flavor of “extra" butter
and showed that the creameries were
receiving poor cream The contest
was conducted by Prof Roy C Potts
of the dairy department of the A Jk
M College at Stillwater
Dead Man la not of Texas
Shawnee Ok— The young man
whose head was beaten to a pulp by
an unknown assailant near Rash
Springs a week ago and who died
a few days later baa been ideatlfted
as William Bates of Pekin 111 AM
first R was supposed that the maaj
warn Charles Cooper of Texas There
Is yet no clew to the murderer nor
has any new light been threw oa
tbs killing
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Gaston, O. C. The Okemah Ledger. (Okemah, Okla.), Vol. 2, No. 13, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 23, 1908, newspaper, April 23, 1908; Okamah, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1859699/m1/3/: accessed April 24, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.