The Searchlight (Guthrie, Okla.), No. 476, Ed. 1 Friday, June 7, 1907 Page: 4 of 16
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THE SEARCHLIGHT
MURRAY'S ELECTION
PROCLAMATION.
Following Is the procJamatlon pre-
pared by President W. H. Murray call-
ing an election for August 6. The
proclatamnlon was withdrawn June 4,
It Is here printed as a matter of news:
TO THIS QUALIFIED VOTERS OF
THE PROPOSED STATE OF OK
LAHOMA: „ _ j
Whereas, An act of Congress ea-
titled "An Act to enable the people of ;
Oklahoma and Indian Territory to
form a Constitution and State Govern-
ment and be admitted Into the Union
on an equal footing with the original
States: and to enable the people of
N,-w Mexico and Arizona to form a
Constitution and State Government
and be admitted into the Union on an
equal footing with the original States;
Approved, this lfith day of Juao, A. u., j
1906; and , ,, . . j
Whereas by the terms of said Act ,
"All male persons over the age of
twenty-one years, who are citizens or
the r ill ted Sates, or who are mem- >
hers of any Indihn nation or Tribe in
said Indian Territory and Oklahoma .
and who have resided within the
limits of said proposed State tor at .
least six moil lis next preceding the |
election, were authorized to vote tor
and choose delegates to the Constitu- j
tional Convention for said proposed
Whereas, said qualified electors, un-
der the terms of said Act, commonly
known as the Enabling Ac', were per-
mitted to choose delegates from Dis-
tricts formed by the Ordinance as pro-
vided by Section No. 2 of said Act in
compliance with said Act to form and (
frame a Constitution and State Gov-
ernment; and,
Whereas, In pursuance to the .Joint
Proclamation of the Governor of Okla-
homa Territory together with the
Judge oenior in service of the United
fcjtates courts in Indian Territoiy, dele-
gates were elected and were convened
in Convention in the City of Guthrie,
the seat of Government for the Terri-
tory of Oklahoma, on the Twentieth
day of November, A. D._ 1907, pur-
suant to ihe terms of said Enabling
Act; and
Whereas, said delegates composing
said Convention, were duly sworn by
the Chief Justice of the Territory ot
Oklahoma, and organized by elect ins
Wni. 11. Murray, delegate from Dis-
trict No. lot. as President of said
Convention, and John McClain Young
as Secretary of said Convention from
the City of Lawton. Oklahoma Ter-
ritory, and after said organization,
said Convention on behalf of the peo-
ple of said proposed State (lid adopt
by resolution the Constitution of the
United Stales as provided by the
terms of said Enabling Act; and also
on behalf of the people of said pro-
posed State, did by Ordinance Irrevo-
cable accept the terms and conditions
of saij Enabling Act, and did adopt
a Constitution and Government tor
said proposed State of Oklahoma, i*
publican In form and in compliance
with the Enabling Act in the forma-
tion thereof; and ^
Whereas, in obedience to Section
Four of said Enabling Act, the said
Convention, agreeable to the rules of
' said Convention, and in compliance
villi said Enabling Act, did provide
by Ordinance for submitting said Con-
stitution to the qualified voters ot
saiil proposed State for ratification or
rejection, at an election to be held at
a time tixed in said Ordinance, to-
wit: August 6th, A. D„ 1907; and at
which election the qualified voters of
said proposed State are permitted to
vote directly for or against thy pro-
posed Constitution and for or against
any provision separately submitted,
and for officers for State, District,
County and Township government
and for members of the Legislature,
and for live representatives to Con-
gress; said Ordinance being entitled
''An Ordinance providing for an elec-
tion at which the proposedConstltutlon
of the proposed State of Oklahoma,
shall be submitted to the people there-
of for ratification or rejection, and
submitting separately to the people ot
the proposed State of Oklahoma the
.
proposed Prohibition Article, making la*> ,^'oposed State of Okla:
! he terms of the Enabling Act unl- voters of ^^''^^ted out bv said
K-XtlKr^r'^tS ran?3 ^t™VSi — 3
trictf'coimty, "and^ownshlp "officers Oklahoma extended to and Jt |»
i of «heuPro;
,he Legislature and for five represen- posed State of OUahoma,^ ^ o].
tatives to Congress," adopted by said authoilzed to vo c'nn«iitnt
!CS,U°„ 22;dd.y ot A,a;n. «.!«« eli
A. I)., 1907, which said Ordinance pro
vides in express terms for the sub-
mission of said Constitution in the
manner aforesaid, and for proclama-
tion for said election to be issued
within twenty days thereafter by the
Governor of the Territory of Oklaho
ma, together wi'h such other ma-
chinery necessary for the submission
of said Constitution and the election
or
ion,
and for or against the Article en-
titled "Prohibition" separately submit-
ted and providing for State-wide Pro
hibition and making the terms of the
Enabling Act uniformly applicable to
the entire State relative to the said
Prohibition question, and also to vote
for and choose certain State, District,
County, and Township officers created
and "authorized and made elective
2 surss
figures. Paris has the greatest num-
ber of inhabitants to the acre today.
She has but 19,275 acres, and 2, 731,000
inhabitants, which gives each acre
142 people. Berlin has 15,508 acres,
and on this space 2, 034,(OO people
live, or 131 to the acre. London has
75,370 acres,, and on this 4,536,000
live, or sixty to the acre. Vienna has
42,503 acres, and a population of 1,675,-'
(IKK) people, or thirty-nine to the acre.
New York lias 3,716,o0t0i inhabitants
spread over an area of 203,866 acres,
or elgihteen to the acre. Hut on the
island of Manhattan the people must
be more dense than either of the other
cities named, liecaiuse the houses are
higher. Her sparsely settled region
is that of 'Greater New York," which
is outside of Manhattan. *
Government, and did provide that up-
on the failure or refusal of sa d Gov-
ernor to make proclamation within
the twenty days from date of ?aid or-
dinance, to issue said proclamation,
that said duties, powers, and responsi-
bilities as provided in said Ordinance
and the laws governing the holding of
elections extended over and put in
force in the Indian Territory,
duties, obligations, and responsibili-
ties shall devolve upon "VVm. 11. Mur-
ray as President of said Constitution-
al Convention; and
Whereas the said Governor ci Okla-
homa Territory has failed, and re-
fused, and still fails and refuses,
though demanded so to do, to exercise
the powers, functions and duties de-
volved upon him by said Ordinance,
and to make proclamation aforesaid;
and •
Whereas,-a Constitutional Conven-
tion is a body with highest Legisla-
tive functions, together with modified
ppwers of the executive and judiciary, ,
and that such Conventions under the
American Law possess all Legislative
functions which are uot denied by ex-
press terms or by necessary implica-
tion by the Act creating said Conven-
tion and by the Constitution of the
United States; and,
Whereas, said Constitution has ac-
cepted all terms and conditions of said
Enabling Act, and has formed a Gov-
ernment republican in form in con-
formity with and agreeable to the
terms of the Constitution of the Uni-
ted States; and
Whereas no limitation exists upon
the power of the Convention to pro-
vide for an election officer for the pro
posed State of Oklahoma, and for a
custodian of records pending the hold-
ing of said election; and,
Whereas, there has not been created
by Congress, any such or other officer
of the proposed State; and.
the election of members of the Legis
lature, and for five representatives to
Congress to form and Constitute a
full State Government as contemplat-
ed and directed by said-Enabling Act
and the County Clerk and Board of
County Commissioners in each County
named In said election ordinance
shall provide, agreeable to sa-.d elec-
tion Ordinance, for holding elections
in each voting precinct in each of the
proposed Counties named in said Con-
stitution and make returns agreeable
to said ordinance and the election
laws of the Territory of Oklahoma, ex-
tended over the proposed State as
aforesaid, in duplicate form, the ori-
ginal to be forwarded to the Secretary
of the Territory of Oklahoma, at the
seat of Government thereof; the dupll
cate copy to be forwarded to John Mc
! ciain Young, at Lawton, Oklahoma
Territory, as Secretary of an advisory
and additional State canvassing board.
. And the sovereign citizenship of the
proposed State of Oklahoma are here-
by called upon to exercise said citizen-
: ship and sovereignty in their light to
frame and form local self government,
as guaranteed to them by the I reaty
of France ceding this territory to the
United States, by the Declaration of
Independence, by the Constitution of
the United States, and by the Act-and
will of the American people as ex-
pressed through their representatives
in the United States Congress couched
in terms of the said Enabling Act;
and
Whereas, there being no funds with
which to print the ballots, purchase
and provide election supplies, clerk
hire, or conduct said election, I, Win.
H. Murray, as President of said Con-
vention, do hereby call, upon said
citizenship to contribute to tlie said
expenses by forwarding same to B. R.
Brundage, of Tishomingo, Indian Ter-
ritory, whom the undersigned has ap-
pointed Treasurer, and caused to ex-
AN OLD SOLDIER TALKS
1 *• I » ' |IUIItt' ti i icaoutvi | "
Whereas, the said Wm. H. Murray , ecute a good and solvent bond, condi
ti I _ it . .1 J < ..t I f III !> ill 11 1 I i J iL I, , . nrill ri /in/mrl 4 fr»t« ill
as President of said Constitutional
Convention was designated, in the
absence, refusal or failure of said
Governor of Oklahoma Territory to
exercise the duties and functions for
the proposed State and to make due
proclamation; and
Whereas, when in the course of
events of 'a sovereign people, that
their rights shall be denied by those
in authority and their rights are de-
nied under the laws of the State enact.
tioned that he will account for all
funds coming into his hands from this
source, and simultaneously..with the
transmittal of such funds u such
Treasurer, forward to the undersigned
a statement of the amount forwarded
to the said B. It. Brundage, that I
may correctly check and audit said
accounts. All Boards of County Com-
missioners and County Cl.erks elected
by the Convention and named in said
election Ordinance agreeable to the
illtMl (IllUfI III" ia» .1 wi iuc wiuiv ■ ficttudl v/iuuuui\,c i 1 "iv.
ed by the Federal Congress exercising i terms of the election laws of the Ter-
the attributes of national powe.', made
for the protection of the rights of life,
liberty, property and the pursuit of
happiness, are trampled under foot by
those in authority sworn and entrust-
ed with official duty correctly to con-
strue the law and to administer the
same impartially to all,men;
Now Therefore, I. Wm. H. Murray,
as President of the Constitutional Con-
vention. by authority in me vested,
by said Constitutional Convention,
composed of the duly accredited repre-
sentatives of the sovereign citizen-
ship of the proposed State of Oklaho-
ma, duly elected and qualified, agree-
able to the terms and conditions of
saidEnablingAct, and the Constitution
of the United States, do hereby make
proclamation for an election to be
held in all election or voting precincts
in all the Counties throughout the pro-
posed State of Oklahoma and to all of
the qualified voters thereof, on TUES-
1 DAY, THE 6TH DAY OF AUGUST,
^ A. D., 1907, between hours named by
ritory of Oklahoma extended to and
put in force in the proposed State
aforesaid. And the County Clerks and
Boards of County Commissioners of
the organized Counties of the Terri-
tory of Oklahoma, (and recognized by
the Constitution,) are authorized and
directed as named in said election
Ordinance to perform the duties as
designated in said election Ordinance
agreeable to the terms of the election
laws of the Territory of Oklahoma
aforesaid and to make due returns
thereof.
Given under my official signature,
as President of the Constitutional
Convention on this the 3rd day of
June, A. D., 1907.
WM. 11. MURRAY,
President of the Constitutional Con-
vention for the proposed state of
Oklahoma.
El Reno, Okla., June 3.—A morning
paper published at Guthrie is harping
every day about the disfranchisement
of the regular soldier. If the old
coffee cooler who served a few months
in the volunteers during the civil
war, and who is now drawing a fair
sized pension, and at present writing
a lot of rot for the Guthrie morning
paper, would read the "Blue Book'
whloh every regular soldier is fami-
liar with, he would learn that when a
mail raises his right hand to "Support
the Constitution of the United States
and to obey all orders from his su-
perior officers," from the commanding
general of the army down to tihe
junior corporal, in the company in
which he is serving, he is nothing
but a machine. He loses his identity
as a citizen and cannot even think
out loud. Take for Instance, a young
man who was reared iu El Reno, he
owns bis ihonie here and pays taxes
every year into the county Ireasury.
This young man becomes despondent
and enlists at Fort Reno, leaving his
family in this city. One night iiis
mother is taken down dangerously
sick, word is sent to him. Does he
start at once for bis city like be
world do if he was a citizen in tihe
employ of the government at Fort
Reno^No he does not. lie goes to
his first sergeant and asks permission
to speak to the company commander.
That company commander may be a
! "shave tall" second lieutenant fresh
| from West Point. He states his case
j and his superior officer says, ."No,
you cannot go." That settles it.
The soldier feels very bad and know-
ing be will get into trouble, he conies
to see his mother. He returns to
Fort Reno in the morning without
missing a call, lie is met by the
officer who refused him pel-mission
to go s'ee bis mother and asked:
"Did you go to El Reno last night?"
The soldier says, Yes." That man
is confined in the post guard house
and tried by a general courtmartial
and is sentenced to pay the sum of
$00.00 of his month! ypay for the
period of six months and to be co.n-
tined in the guard house at Fort Reno
for a like period of time, not for go-
ing to El Reno to see a sick mother,
but because he thought he had some
rights and because he disobeyed the
orders of his superior officer.
Has the soldier any redress- Not
on your life. He swore to obey his
superior officer and did not do it.
Because he owns property and pays
his share of the taxes, can he call
that property this home and live here
in El Reno? No. sir. He connot do
anything of the kind. If he enlists
in ti. Conip. n.v of the Thirteenth
Infantry liis home is where tihe rolls of
the company are kept. The company
may be quartered in tents or quarters,
| but will ere ever the books and rolls
| of the v-onipany are kept, there is the
j home of the young man who pays
I taxes on*a home iu Canadian county,
but who swore to obey the orders of
his superior officer.
Can a regular soldier voto In Kan-
sas, the place the managing editor
of the Guthrie morning paper halls
from? Not by a long shot. Here are
three instances where soldiers in ac-
tive service were deprived of a vote.
Commissary Sergeant was stationed
at Fort Riley, Kansas. The sergeant
How people are huddled in the
great cities may be seen from a few
.Continued on Page 9
f
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The Searchlight (Guthrie, Okla.), No. 476, Ed. 1 Friday, June 7, 1907, newspaper, June 7, 1907; Guthrie, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc284902/m1/4/: accessed April 19, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.