The Granite Enterprise. (Granite, Okla.), Vol. 3, No. 3, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 15, 1902 Page: 1 of 8
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The granite enterprise.
Vol. 3.
Granite, Oklahoma, Thursday, May 15, 1902.
No. 3.
WEATHERFORD
A
NOT CONSIDERED
> m
t
/B
So Say the Legislators Who Voted On the Southwestern
• #• ; • «
Normal Measure.
Shall the Will of the People and the Intent of this Legislature Be
Defeated By a Legal. Technicality?
The recent decision of Judge Burwell
sustaining the contention of Weather-
ford that the Barnes committee was the
legal one shows no signs of being but a
cold blooded review of facts and law.
The will of the people and the plain in-
tent of the legislature that passed the
act were not considered, and a section of
%
Oklahoma containing nearly 9,000
square miles is to be robbed of an insti-
tution of learning, to the support of
which the same section contributes
nearly the entire amount, by the illy
advised and poorly executed actions of
the second section of the divided house
of Dennis and an unfortunate tangle in
the family affairs of the great O. O. P.
That the intent of the legislature was to
locate the school in Greer county was
never doubted here and in order to
show conclusively to the public that
this was the case the Enterprise some
days ago addressed the following circu-
lar letter to each member ot the house
and council asking a list of questions
among them the following;
Dear Sir—As a member of the last
legislature, and ono who voted on the
Southwestern Normal bill, you will con-
fer a favor on the people of this county
by answering the following questions:
1. Is it not a fact that the bill origi-
nated in Greer county?
2. Was it not fought through by
Greer county men?
3. Was it not your understanding
that the school was to be located in
Greer county?
4. Did you, when you voted on the
measure, consider that Weatherford
was in Southwestern Oklahoma, as
designated by the bill?
J. W. Ryder.
Of the fiist eight replies received
everyone states positively that Weath-
erford was never contemplated. Below
are the answers by numbers:
No. I. The bill was regarded as a
Greer county measure.
No. 2. The bill's passage was urged
by Greer county men.
No. 3. It was supposed by me that
the school would be located in Greer
county.
No. 4. Weatherford was not con-
sidered at all.
S. E. Seely.
No. 1. 'Yes.
No. 2. Yes.
No. 4. No.
J. H. Decker.
No. 1. Yes.
No. 2. Yes.
No. 3. Yes.
No. 4. Weatherford was not con-
sidered so far as I am informed.
F. L. Winkler, 8th District.
No. 1. Yes.
No. 2. Yes, with Pottawatomie's
assistance.
No. 3. Yes.
No. 4. No; never considered it a
possibility. R. E. Wood.
No.J. Yes.
No. 2. Yes, mostly.
No. 3. Yes.
No. 4. Weatherford was not men*
tioned.
J. P. Woolsey, 2nd District.
No. 1. Yes.
No. 2. Yes.
No. 3. Yes.
No. 4. No.
J. W:. Comp, Edmond, O. T. •
No. 1. Yes. '
No. 2. Yes:'* ?
No. 3. Yes.
• No. 4. Voted against the bill.
Frank Rogers, Kremlin.
No. 1. Yes.
No. 2. Yes.
No. 3. Yes.
. No. 4. No.
Unsigned, but written by either John
A. F9ster or Miles W. Allen, Guthrie.
The tone of the next three replies is
not to be mistaken:
No. 1. Yes.
No. 2. Yes.
No. 3. Yes.
No. 4. No; and if it had been to
locate the school at Weatherford I would
have opposed the bill.
J. H. Campbell, 24th District.
No. 1. Yes.
No. 2. Yes.
No. 3. Yes.
No. 4. No. I spoke at Granite in
favor of that place and had no place in
Yny mind but Granite and Mangum. I
stated to your representative that I had
a notion to vote against the bill if he
did not specify the place, Mangum or
Granite. A. T. Snioos.
No. 1. Yes.
No. 2. Yes.
No. 3. In Southwest; Granite or
Mangum.
No. 4. No.
Chas. R. Alexander,
Oklahoma City.
Eleven more replies from eleven more
members of the legislature that passed
the bill are lying on our desk but can
not be published this week for lack of
space. The sentiment of the entire lot
is unanimous. Weatherford was no
• •
more considered .in the bill than was
Pawhusk^or Beaver. Every single one
states positively that it was for Greer
county alone and no other place was
considered except Granite or Mangum.
, While it is no doubt true that the
English language is elastic and ex-
pressive enough for the drafters of a
bill to express their intent in unmistak-
able terms, is it not a fact that a court
is not only justified in and of right
should consider the intent of the statute
when the same is placed before them in
unmistakable terms?
Even if the position of Burwell is
sustained by the supreme court when
the Normal case goes before them on
appeal, the school should never go to
Weatherford, as it is in fact not in
Southwestern Oklahoma, and even if it
was the plain intent <of the legislature
as indicated by the above letters should
defeat so rank an overriding of the
people's will.
Hattey-Hughea.
Mr. J. R. Hatley and Mrs. Kate
Hughes of Mangum were married last
Sunday. Mrs. Louis F. Winters, of
Granite, and Mrs. Fred Fees, of Lone
Wolf, attended the wedding. Mrs.
Hatley is a sister of Mrs. Winters.
Special Rates.
The Roek Island will make one fare,
$4.66, rate to Oklahoma City May 16
and 17 on account of the Bill Cross
ratification.
One and a third fare to Mangum May
22 and Hobart May 23 oft account of
Howe's London Circus.
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Ryder, J. W. The Granite Enterprise. (Granite, Okla.), Vol. 3, No. 3, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 15, 1902, newspaper, May 15, 1902; Granite, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc404428/m1/1/: accessed March 28, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.