Cushing Independent. (Cushing, Okla.), Vol. 7, No. 2, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 19, 1907 Page: 2 of 10
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HUM'S IEGISUITIE
BRIEF REVIEW OF THE WORK OF
OKLAHOMA'S LAW MAKERS
WIT DLLS HE BEING INTRODUOEO
St
Both Houses Fully Organized and
8tart at Work With Determination
to Do 8orrtethlng—Some of the
Measures Introduced and Passed
To prevent the playing of baseball,
football, sports of any kind, the con-
ducting of amusement and play houses
the opening of cigar stores, pool or
billiard halls, nickelodeons on Sun-
day, Senator Smith introduced a bill
tn the upper branch of the legislature
providing for a heavy fine for a vio-
lation of any of the provisions of the
act should the bill pass the legisla-
ture.
Senator Cordell of Lincoln county
Introduced a bill prohibiting the deal-
ing in cotton futures, defining such as
gambling and providing a heavy fine
find jail imprisonment.
Gore and Owen ac Senators
^ Robert L. Owen and Thomas P.
Gore were chosen as United States
senators from Oklahoma. In the sen-
ate of the Oklahoma legislature Sen-
ator Eck Brook of Muskogee, close
[personal friend of Senator Owen,
(nominated Mr. Owen, while Senator
jR. A. Billups, a life long friend of
T. P. Gore, placid the Lawton orator
pn nomination. Senator Stanford of
Skmulgee nominated Clarence B.
ouglas of Muskogee and Harper S.
•Cunningham of Guthrie placed Rep-
Vesentative C. G. Jones In nomination.
(The legislature being overwhelming-
ly democratic. Senators Owen and
Gore were declared duly elected. Both
Gore and Owen were present in the
legislative hall at the time of their
election. The vote stood: Owen and
Gore, 39 each; Jones and Douglas, 4
each.
House Also Takea Action
The vote in the house for senators
showed 89 each for Owen and Gore
Snd 18 each for Jones and Douglas,
'wo democrats were absent. Sena-
tor Owen was nominated by Repre-
sentative Roff and Gore by Represen-
tative Ellis. Jones was nominated by
Representative Day and Douglas by
Representative McAdoo.
A concurrent resolution by Sena-
tor Williams in the upper branch of
the legislature provides that Secre-
tary Hitchcock's recommendations as
to private game reserves in McCur-
tain, Latimer and Pushmataha coun-
ties be not adopted.
Committee on Banking
Speaker Murray has announced his
committee on banks, banking and
trust companies. Robert M. Johnson
of Minco is chairman and the other
members are Martin, Briggs, Tillot-
son, J. Roy Williams, Hart, Stagner
and Howard Smith. This committee
was instructed to meet with the
banks and banking committee of the
senate in the senate chamber at 3
o'clock to consider the Williams bank-
ing bill and to hear arguments mads
by members of the State Bankers' as-
sociation.
Senator Williams introduced a res-
olution that had been prepared by
special committee memorializing con-
gress to authorize the secretary of
the interior to segregate certain town-
ships In Leflore, McCurtain. Latimer
and Pushmataha counties for home-
stead purposes. The lands referred
to are contained in the Gordon game
reserve and are occupied by settlers.
Protection for Railroad Employes
Senator Taylor Introduced a bill ab-
rogating the common law doctrine
with reference to what is familiarly
Jtnown as the fellow Bervant law;
protecting Injured persons in railroad
Wrecks and providing medical cases
find supplies; regulating hours of ser-
vice for railroad employes; fourteen
(working hours being made the limit
and eight hours rest In twenty-four Is
guaranteed; regulating the operation
of railroad trains and protecting em-
ployes and the traveling public by
requiring full train crews.
Opposition to the Murray printing
hills is in evidence and a warm fight
ts anticipated before this or any
other printing bill finally becomes a
law.
In the bill Introduced by Senator
Williams prohibiting the sale or giv-
ing away of cigarettes and cigarette
papers, provision is made that any
person under 18 years of age found
in possession of cigarette or cigarette
papers and any persons, firm or cor-
poration holding such in possession
for sale shall be fined not less than
$10 nor more than $100 and may be
confined in the county jail for 30
days.
Senate bill No. 51, introduced by
Taylor, compels railroads to maintain
a crew of six men on all trains and
providing a penalty of from $50 to
$1,000 for violation.
Bill No. 52, by Taylor, is a fellow
servant bill.
Bill No. 53, by Taylor, limits the
number of hourb of service of train
crews from 10 to 14 hours.
Bill No. 54, by Taylor, requiring all
train crews to carry an emergency
medical case.
Bill No. 55, by C. O. Johnson,
•mends section 3, article 5, chapter
61, of the statutes of Oklahoma re-
lating to marriage, provides written
consent of parent or guardian must
be obtained.
Bill No. 56, by Cordell, exemption
of homesteads from forced taxes.
WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 11
Senators Formally Etected
GUTHRIE: The two bouses in
joint session today elected the two
United States senators. Senator Bill-
ups nominated Thomas Pryor Gore
of Lawton. The name of Robert L.
Owen of Muskogee was presented by
Senator Brook of Muskogee; that of
Colonel Clarence Douglas by Sena-
tor Stanford and that of C. G. Jones
by Senator Brownlee.
Which House Is the Greater
GUTHRIE: Very little work was
done in either house today. Both
branches of the legislature met sep-
arately and did some preliminary
work preparatory to the joint session
for the formal election of two United
States senators. A joint committee
on rules met in the forenoon and
mapped out a program for the after-
noon session, but from later develop-
ments did not do their work well, as
a bottle royal took place as to which
branch was the greater, and upon this
question hinged who would be the
presiding officer of the Joint session.
Speaker Murray and Lieutenant Gov-
ernor Bellamy both claimed the right
to the honor. A truce was finally
patdhed up whereby the honor was
accorded to the senate's presiding of-
ficer, but the matter is not yet set-
tled as both houses are to battle later
for supremacy.
Both houses convened shortly be-
fore noon and agreed through the joint
committee to hold the se&slon for the
election of Senators Owen and Gore
in the Brooks opera house. The houso
adjourned to the opera house and
awaited the arrival of the senate.
When tfie question of who should
preside came up.
Promptly at 12 o'clock the speaker
rapped tho house to order. A roll
call showed a quorum present. The
house was ready to proceed with the
nomination of United States senators.
But there wa.3 no joint session as
yet. Several minutes passed. Pres-
ently a messenger appeared from the
senate containing the intelligence
that the senate had reconsidered its
action in adopting the rules that
should govern joint ses>sJons of the
houses and had changed that section
of the rules providing that the speaker
of the house should preside over joint
sessions, fixing it so as to confer that
honor upon the lieutenant governbr
and president of the senate, and ask-
ing the house to make a similar
amendment.
After the reading of the message
the house moved to not concur in
the action of the senate. Ashby raised
a point of order tha.t the house, which
had met here in joint session to elect
United States senators, could not
change t/he rules. Speaker Murray
declared the point of order well taken
and then recognized Mr. Bryan, who
moved that a committee of three be
appointed to wait upon the senate
and ascertain the wishes of the sen-
ate relative to the joint session. The
motion prevailed and Bryan, Williams
of McCurtain and Armstrong were ap-
poined.
The committee reurned with the In-
formation that the constitution pro-
vides that the lieutenant; governor
shall preside at all Joint sessions.
Speaker Murray found several reasons
why this section might b© construed
differently. The speaker called for
nominations for United States sena-
tors, which were made, but before a
vote was taken tho body adjourned
until 3:45. During this time all dif-
ferences between the two houses had
been settled and they were ready to
proceed.
In nominating Senator Gore, Sena-
tor Billups traced the career of the
blind statesman from the days when
he was a boy In Mississippi, telling of
his hard struggles and indomitable
courage.
Senator Brooks' nominating speech,
in which he placed the name of Rob-
ert L. Owen before the convention,
was eloquent and fervent. He briefly
outlined the conditions leading up to
the admission of Oklahoma Into state-
hood and concluded with a hearty en-
dorsement of the principles of Sena-
tor Owen, referring to him as "a ma*
through whose veins courses the best
blood that ever flowed through that
of an American citizen and a man
who represents the highest type of his
own race, he being a citizen by blood
of that great tribe now almost, ex-
tinct—an Indian of the Cherokee
tribe."
He told of his official career, of his
trips to Washington in behalf of the
Indians and of his accomplishments
before the bar.
Senator Stanford presented the
name of Colonel Clarence Douglas
and the nomination of Senator Jones
follwed.
Law to Enforce Another Law
Enforcement of the state prohibition
law and regulations governing that
enforcement are contained In a bill
to be presented by Senator Billups.
This bill Is said to meet the approval
of Governor Haskell. Rev. Dinwiddle
and other prohibition leaders. It In-
corporates the detailed provisions of
the ordinance that was submittel to
the people and provides several uni-
que and interesting features. I<t is the
longest bill yet drafted, covering 100
lengthy sections.
A state enforcement commission Is
provided for. This commission is to
be composed of three members ap-
poin'ed by the governor, nl. of whom
*hal3 possess the qua'-Pcatlrns of a
good moral character and having never
engaged in the sale of liquor. They
shall each receive a salary of $3,000
a year and each execute bond In the
sum of $2,500. The commission Is
authorized to appoint enforcement of-
ficers In each county, who shall re-
ceive a salary of $1,000 a year.
INSANE HOSPITAL MATTER
COMMITTEE WILL VISIT NORMAN
AND FORT SUPPLY—8ENATOR8
TALK TO THE LEGISLATORS
The appointment of a committee of
the house to make an investigation of
conditions at Norman and Fort Sup-
ply with a view to enacting the proper
kind of legislation for the state in-
sane asylum, the report of the banking
committee, and the declarations of Mr.
Murray with reference to cutting
down expenses constituted the bulk
of business of the house.
Three important bills were consid-
ered in trae committee of the whole Of
these the most important and the
one which took up a big portion of the
afternoon waB that of Representative
Murdock and related to the improve-
ment, equipment, furnishing and main-
tenance of the Oklahoma hospital for
insane. There was much discussion
as to the passage of the bill as recom-
mended by the committee. A majority
of the members opposed a big appro-
priation without a thorough investiga-
tion.
Expenses of 8upreme Court Em-
ployes
House bill No. 96, introduced by
Mr. Bryan and which concerns an ap-
propriation for the payment of the
salary of the justices of the supreme
court and for contingent expenses of
the higher also occupied a great deal
of time. Various amendments 'were of-
fered to cut down the extent of the
proposed appropriations. Finally it
was recommended that a committee of
three be appointed to investigate and
make a detailed report of the money
needed for expenses of the supreme
court employes. Speaker Murray
named as this committee, Representa-
tives Bryan, Ellis and Ashby.
House to Investigate Asylum
After changing and re-changing the
matter of various items in the appro-
priation part of the bill and it was
found that no solution could be
reached, a motion for appointment of
a committee of three to investigate
the needs of th proposed new asylum,
the expenses and the appropriations
necessary, carried. The duties of the
committee will simply be "to investi-
gate" as Speaker Murray explained.
It is probable that they will go to
Norman first, find out exactly the
number of inmates, what officials re-
ceive, and then go to the Fort Supply
and ascertain what is needed there in
the way of buildings. Speaker Mur-
ray named Representative Murdock as
chairman of this committee, and Dr.
A. J. Sands and Dr. Riddle to compose
the rest of the investigating board.
An amendment asking that three
members of the senate be invited to
join these three from the house was
also passed.
Owen Tells of His New Bill
Senator Robert L. Owen in a speech
before the state senate outlined the
leading features of a bill which he
will introduce in the United States
senate for the removal of restricting
from the sale of Indian lands in Okla-
homa.
It removes the restrictions upon all
surplus lands except of fullbloods, and
upon the homesteads of those of one
fourth or more of Indian blood. In-
dians of one-<fourth blood or over are
classed as fullbloods, and these may
sell their lands upon approval of an
agreement of the secretary of the in-
terior, one such agent to be in each-
county. In cases of extreme necessity
the homesteads may be sold upon ap-
proval of an agent of the Interior de-
partment. Homesteads to the extent
of eighty acres are non-alienable and
non-taxable.
If the fullblood Inherits non-alien-
able land the consent of the county
court is necessary for its sale. Parents
may represent their children without
bond, and execute leases for their
land, subject to approval of the court.
No will of a fullblood is to be valid
if disinheriting wife or parents, unless
approved by the county judge.
Senator Gore was present and spoke
briefly upon the conclusion of Sena-
tor Owen's address.
PA8SE8 BANKING BILL
U. 8. Senators by Popular Vote
Important among the resolutions
presented in the senate was one by
Franklin which aligns Oklahoma with
26 other states of the Union in the
petition that congress provide for the
holding of an election to amend the
constitution that United States sena-
tors may be elected by direct vote of
the people.
Many"Bllls Presented
Bills were introduced authorizing
the sale or lease for oil, gas, and min-
eral purposes, lands in the Indian ter-
ritory belonging to minors, Imbeciles
and persons non compos mentus; pro-
viding that railroads shall operate
trains on 6Chedule time; prescribing
penalties for burglary; affecting mar-
riage contracts; establishing the
office of steam boiler inspector; de-
fining the principle of contributory
negligence; creatlg a state board of
health; authorizing county commis-
sioners to return to saloon men the
unearned portions of license fees; es-
tablishing a bureau of geology; and
providing compulsory education.
A bill by Senator Stafford provides
for the appointment of a university
board of regents to consist of ten
members, nine of whom are to be ap-
pointed by the governor with the con-
sent of tbe senate, who are to serve
for four yearn
Measure Has Approval of Governor
and Will Become Law at Once
The house Friday afternoon passed
the Roddie-Wllliams banking bill,
which has received the approval of
Governor Haskell and the State Bank-
ers' association. A few minor changes
were made. This bill was drawn In
accordance with the recommendation
of the governor in his first message.
It wHl doubtless pass the senate and
be signed by the governor before the
holidays. Being an emergency meas-
ures, It will become effective immedi-
ately upon receiving the governor's
signature.
Pips Line Regulations
Without debate the house passed
the Vandeventer measure regulating
operations of pipe line companies
within the state. No individual or cor-
poration, according to this act, shall
be granted right of eminent domain or
to use the public highways of the
state unless it first file with the sec-
retary of state an agreement to trans-
port its product only to points within
the state. A violation of this agree-
ment, or the piping of its products to
points outside of the state, shall of
itself and without further action on
the part of the state act as a forfeiture
of every right granted. Foreign cor-
porations are forbidden to engage in
transporting natural gas in the state.
Damages to property owners adjacent
to highways used are provided for,
and pipe lines must be laid under di-
rection of the mine inspector.
Special Messages From Governor
Special messages, 5, 6 and 7, from
the governor were received. He called
the attention to the fact that the pro-
hibition law is being violated and that
in some localities officials are failing
to attempt its enforcement. He con-
gratulated Oklahoma on the saving of
$1,000,000 in money and many times
more than that, in morals by the
reputed loss of that amount by a li-
quor firm in St. Louis. He insisted
that the legislature Bhould not defor
the enactment of laws enforcing the'
prohibition ordinance.
He Insisted also in both houses of
thr legislature passing a law bringing
to Oklahoma a portion of the tund
held by the government in order that
It may be employed to relieve the
financial situation. If the bill passes
he was assured by Senator Owen,
the first installment of $500,000 will
be sent at once. He recommended
immediate legislation for the relief
of counties of the state that have no
funds through bond issue, and rec-
ommended also that taxes in counties
on the Oklahoma side be remitted un-
til those on the other side are as-
sessed and payable. He thought the
legislature should not adjourn for the
holidays before it passed a banking
law which would give the entire citi-
zenship a Christmas present of the
much needed blessing of financial re-
lief.
For Board of Health
Mr. Stagner presented A memorial
from representatives of several state
medical associations in session in Ok-
lahoma City, requiring the enactment
of a law providing for a state board of
health and a board of examiners, im-
partially between medical schools be-
ing urged.
Mr. Tillotson, chairman of a com-
mittee appointed to investigate the
constitutionality of a herd law bill
recently presented, reported for his
committee that the bill was found un-
constitutional.
A resolution by Hi\ t was read al-
lowing each representative $10 for
postage stamps. A substitute by
Sands made the amount $5. Refer-
ence was made to committee on rules.
Some time was devoted in commit-
tee of the whole to the Roddie-Wll-
llams banking bill and the Bryan bill
providing salaries and expenses for
the supreme court. One objection to
the former was based upon an al-
legedly evasive clause in the bill,
which in effect prohibits officers of
banks from borrowing money from
their own banks in the following lan-
guage: "It shall be unlawful for any
acting managing officer or member of
the discount board" to borrow money,
etc. . Over an amendment in the other
bill making the salary of the supreme
court bailiff $1,200 rather than $1,800
as ordinarily provided a lengthy dis-
cussion arose.
Senate bill No. 1, the Jim crow
measure of the upper house, reached
the house and was subjected to some
severe criticism on account of its fail-
ure to make explicit provision with
reference to the authority conferred
upon conductors as officers of the law
to enforce the provisions of this act.
Reconvenee January 6
A message from the house announc-
ing the appointment of Representa-
tives Williams, and Durst and Wil-
liams to confer with the senate on
joint rules, was together with a con-
current resolution that when adjourn-
ment on December 21 was made, that
the two houses should reconvene
Monday, January 6, 1908. The latter
was unanimously agreed to.
Following this a memorial to the
national congress was Introduced ask-
ing that congress appropriate funds
for the expenses of the courts which
were in session at the time that the
president signed the proclamation ad-
mitting Oklahoma to the union.
Rsetrletion Removal
Senator Winn, as chairman of a
special committee, Introduced a me-
morial to congress urging the removal
of restrictions on all lands excepting
thoso owned by Indian minors and
th« homesteads^ of the full bloods.
J' "
WILL NOT BE A CANDIDATE
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT WILL
NOT RUN FOR THIRD TERM
IB HIDDEN MEANING TO HIS 0ECLAIATI8N
Decision Delivered to American Peo-
ple in 1904 Is Still Good—Says He
Has Not and Will Not Change Hit
Position on Matter
WASHINGTON: President Roose-
velt will not be a candidate for a third
term. All doubt on this point has been
llspelled by the authoritative statement
from the White House that Mr. Roose-
velt still adheres to the declaratioi
of renunciation made on the night
of the election three years ago In
itfce statement President Roosevelt
bays he has not chapped and shall
not change the decision to the Amer-
ican people in 1904.
PRE8IDENT ROOSEVELT.
Who Positively Refuses to Be Candi-
date for Renomination
It appears that President Roosevelt
hud been awaiting the call for the
republican national convention to af-
ford what he considered the proper
opportunity for making his position
Clear and unmistakable.
The president's statement follows:
"In view of the issuance of the call
of the national republican committee
for the convention the president
makes this statement: ]
"On tbe night after election I made
the following announcement: 'I am
deeply sensible of die honor dene me
by the American people in thiu ex-
pressing their confidence in what I
have done and have tried to do. I ap-
preciate to the full the solemn re-
sponsibility this confidence imposed
upon me, and I shall do all that in
my power lies not to forfeit it. On
the fourth of March next I shall have
served three and a half years and this
three and a half years constitute my
first term. The wise custom which
limits the president to two terms re-,
gards the substance and not the form,
and under no circumstances will I be
a candidate for or accept another
nomination.'
"I have not changed and shall not
change the decision thus anounced."
INVESTIGATING OWEN8
Secretary Garfield Wants to Know
How He Got Indian Lands
WASHINGTON: Secretary Gar-
field of the interior department has
had one of his sleuths investigating
the ownership of 3,000 acres of land
in Oklahoma Just north of Caney,
Kan. It is alleged that Owen ac-
quired this big ranch and the gov-
ernment wants to know how he did
It. The inspector sent out by Mr.
Garfield has made his report, but
none of it has been made public.
Senator Owen heard a few days ago
that he was under investigation and
expressed great Indignation to Sec-
retary Garfield for moving against
him secretly. Garfield's reply was
that the government did not hunt big
game with a brass band.
The case against Owen hinges on
the interpretation of the federal laws
And their bearing upon the agree-
ments made by the government with
the Indian tribes. If the McCumber
law, which has been attacked in the
courts, is declared null and void, then
Owen will be able to hold the land
under the deeds he has already taken,
for under the original agreement with
the Cherokees the Indians were au-
thorized to dispose of some of their
land at the time Owen bought it.
Owen claims that the McCumber act
Is void because It cau not change the
terms of a treaty made between the
government and the Indians. If the
law Is upheld Owen will probably lose
the most of the land.
"It is a question for the courts to
determine," said Secretary Garfield.
"The government maintains that the
McCumber act governs, and that the
Indians can not give Senator Owen
title. The senator believes the law Is
void and that he has a right to buy
under the original agreement."
*
The negroes of Guthrie at a mass
meeting entered into an agreement to
boycott the street cars If the pro-
posed "Jim Crow" law Is observed
bv the- local company.
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Holland, Al. H. Cushing Independent. (Cushing, Okla.), Vol. 7, No. 2, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 19, 1907, newspaper, December 19, 1907; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc274322/m1/2/: accessed April 25, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.