The Daily Democrat. (Anadarko, Okla.), Vol. 1, No. 129, Ed. 1, Thursday, June 20, 1907 Page: 3 of 4
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the
That "Outrageous
Gerrymander."
(An opon letor to Frank Groer.)
By R. Shive of Custor county
Honorable Frank Greer;
You aro tho recognized
loader of tho Republican party
in Oklahoma. Sinoo you aro the
editor of tho loading Republican
newspaper in tho territory you
porhaps have as tnuoh influence
in shaping tho policy of tno Re-
publican party in Oklahoma as
any other tan men.
Of course everybody expocte
you to fight the constitution. We
know that you would do that be-
foro tho oonvontion mot. Noono
has over acoused Frank Greer of
being a fool and we aro told in
tho fablo that it was c. fool that
killedj tho gooso that laid tho
golden eggs. Wo do not blame
you for fighting it. If wo Btood
in your shoes wo would bo fight-
ing it too.
For eighteen years you havo
onjoyed a gruf t that no ono oIbo
ever had in the history of tho
world. Tho vaults of every court
houao in Oklahoma are loaded
and crowded with publio records
that were purchased from tho
Stato Capital Printing Co. at an
enormous expense to the tax-
payers and groat profit to your-
self. Every publio officer and
every juBtico of tho peace has a
pet of statutos that havo been
printed by your company. Ev-
ery lawyer in Oklahoma has a
set of Supremo Court Reports
that were printed by you. No
legislature ever moots without
appropriating thousands of dol-
lars to you for doing their print-
ing. A territorial form' of gov-
ernment is a good thing for you
and no one is fool enough to ox-
noct vou to work for statehood.
Yes Frank we know that you
would bo fighting tho constitu-
tion'juat as hard no matter What
thoy might have put into it oc
left out of it. And we dJ no
blamo you. Wo do not expect
you to point out tho godjj "things
in it. Wo expect ypu to" magni-
fy tho dof eots in it yes we" qx-
peotycu to lie a little in factf $
whole lot but.Frank.really dofi.'t
you think you aro oyor dojng.the
thing? It is true that the. ran$
and file of the Repubhoan party;
beliove anything they road ini 11
Republican pnpeitybu't Frank if
you btrotoh.them too much they
will discover that you are lying
and then thoy will lose- .confi-
dence in you and discover 1 that
you are only trying to uso.thpm
as a cat's paw to pull your chesty
nuts out of the firm .. ;
I want to oaution you Frak.
For instance I hold in my '.hnd
an editorial dipped from - iho
State Capital. Now I do not
have any money to throw at the
birds but in order to oncourago
tho noolo art of lying I am going
to make tbiB proposition: If uny
one can show mo an artiolo over
printed in a newspaper. Binoo '.jO
printing press was inventor' that
contains bo many up
squaro ino'h I will vaif
1-r omn ;.i rnA
.0 thj
"him t a
Your first statement is nJalSjv
hood. You say: 3
"Oklahoma county tho largest
in point of population and tho
wealthiest cast 7000 votes last
falljis allowed VA representa-
tives upon the basis of ono rep-
resentative for every 3160 votes."
Turning to tho constitution
artiole 5 Bee. 14 we find that
Oklahoma has throo instead of
2' as represented by you.
Your seoond sontonoe con-
tains two lies in it. You say:
'The countieB comprising old
Greer county oast 2507 votes."
and are allowed 5Js ropresonta-
tlveo opon a basis of ono for ov
ery 480 votes." Now read tho
following certificates:
Territory of Oklahoma Groer
county 88: 1 hereby certify that
at tho olootion hold in November
1004 tho total vote oaBt in Greer
county for delegate to Congress
was 5102 divided as follows to-
wit: Frank Mathews 8604; Byrd
MoGuiro 1801; H. E. Straughen
180; Charles Brown 38; O. S.
Loudormilk 60. I further certi
fy that at tho oleotion hold in
November 1000 for dolegato to
tho constitutional convention
tho entire voto oast in the county
was 2232. Witnoss tny hand ana
offioial eoal this 18th day of May
1007.
(Seal) Floyd McNeil Co. clerk
You know that this is not fair
Frank to take the voto Inst fall
as a basio. You know that tho
southern counties did not oast
half of their voto while in tho
northorn counties whoro tho con-
test was hot thoy oast tho big-
eiat vote in tlioir hiatory. Your
own paper shows it. I hold in
my hand an artiolo olippod from
the Capital last Novenibor. It
gives the voto of each oounty and
oompares it with tho voto of two
years provious. Speaking of
Greor oounty it says:
"Greer county republican 433;
democrats 2124; total 2567. Two
years ugo - republicans 1301;
democrats 3601; socialists 60;
total 5150."
'Thine own mouth condometh
thoo and not I yoa thine own
lips testify against thoo." Job
15-0. Tho constitution says that
Old Groer has iH instead of 5.'
as ropresontod by you. Your
third statement is:
"Comanoho cast 5020 votes
allowed 0 representatives basis
of ono representative for overy
857 votos." Tho constitution
says our instead of six.
Again you Ray: "Kiowu ooun
ty cast 2003 votos allmvod 2 '
representatives bails of ono for
every 1161."
The constitution givo6 Kiowu 2
instead of vq and one-half.
Further down you say: "Rog-
er MUIb county oast 1855 votos
has three representatives basis
of one for every 051 votos. "
Tho constitution gives Roger
Mills Vi instead of threo is rep-
resented by you. Again you say :
"Clovoland colinty oast 2418
votes allowed two represents.
.tivos baaiB of ono for overy 1200
votes"-
'Tho .constitution allows Cleve-
land lk inBtbqfl of" two. Lower
down you eay:"'
"Canadian. Qflunty oast 3131
yoti'3:' allowed one reprosonta-
fifty? ! w. -
$w constitution.' giveB Canadi
L . . UJ
an.!' 'i ihstoad ot.pno as ropre-
'alntjid by 'you. Again you say:
'ijDowey county .cast 1074
votes allowed Uv roprosonta-
tive'd basis one' for every 1316
voteB."
Tho constitution gives Dewey
one. As Dewoy is a uepuonoan
county I do not know why you
Bliovild misrepresent it by giving
if more than it roallyhaB. Don't
you see Frank that you have
gotton into tho lying habit bo that
you lie ovon when it is against;
the interests of your own party to
do so.
But tho crowning-lie or all wob
published in tho Capital of May
11th being an article of ono L.
S. Wilson of Pawnor. He made
the statement that two-thirds of
population of Oklahoma livo in
tho northern half of the state and
one-third in tho southern half.
That the one-third in the south-
ern Jiave two-thirds of tho legis-
lature. I determined to investi
gate that Btatomont. Taking a
map which I purchased from tho
State Capital I trimmed off all
tho margins Then I folded it
in the center dividing tho state
into Two equal parts.- Every
county that tho dividing lino
crossed I oountod us being on the
south sido. I then set down tho
cpunties on oaoh eido took the
constitution and wroto down the
number of Representatives that
each oounty has opposite it and
adding them up I found that tho
south half had 52 and the north
half 53.
Forjnineteenjhundred years tho
namo of Ananias has headod .tho
list of tho world's greatest liars.
For nineteen centuries his namo
has stood without a rivul or a
peer but from this time hence-
forth and evermore Ananias
must 'go way back and sit down'
while L. S Wilson and Frank
Groer take their positions at the
head of the class. Poor old Ananias
Yes Frank you aro liablo to
ovordo it. We do not oxpoct you
to toll tho things whioh aro un-
favorable to your party; wo do
not expect you to tell your road-
ors that tho republican from Har-
per county 'will only represent
0500 pooplo while tho democrat
from Latimer county will ropro-
aont 16000; tho republican from
Custor oounty will only reprosont
10775 and tho democrat from
Lovo 18000; tho republican from
Ottawa 13000 and the Demoorat
from McClain 18000; tho repub-
lican from Washington 14000
and the democrat from Okmul-
gee 18000; tho Republican from
Beaver 12000 and tho demoorat
from Sequoyah 25000. We do
not expect you to toll them that
Congress gerrymandered the
oongresional distriots in suoh h
way that tho democrats may oar-
ry tho stato by 300000 and tho
republicans will oarry three out
of five congressman; that in or
der to make tho Sooond district'
republican (as thoy thought but
wo will show thom) thoy had to
pull it and atrotoh it and stretoh
it and pull it until it roaohes all
the way from tho groaserB of
New Mexico to the mosback dem-
ocrats of Arkansas. Wo do not
expect you to toll thom that Bird-
io carved out for himoolf a little
distriot that is overwhelmingly
republican and contains only
224000 people while thoy made
two demooratio districts tho
Fifth containing 315000 people
und tho Fourth containing 306-
000 jpeoplo. Wo do not oxpeot
you to tell them that when Teddy
Roosevelt waB in tho New York
legislature the republicans ger-
rymandered that state in such a
manner that the demoorats may
carry tho state by 100000 and tho
republicans will still oontrol tho
legislature. Wo do not oxpoct
you to toll thom that tho repub
lican logislaturo of Oklahoma in
1001 gerrymandered our. territory
in a "way that is ton times worse
than under tho proposed consti-
tution: Lot us investigate a little
Frank: Suppose that Governor
Frantz should call tho prosent
logislaturo in special session how
would tho countios bo represent-
ed? Demooratio Pottawatomio with
a population of 45000 has ono
representative and republican
Woods about tho Bamo popula-
tion has two; the republican from
Custer would represent 16162
pooplo and tho democrat from
Greor 45000; tho republican from
Bluino roproaents 18000 and tho
doraoorat from Comanche 37000;
tho republican from Grant 18-
500 and tho demoorat from Okla-
homa 550C 0; tho lopublioan from
Kingfisher 10000 and tho dem-
oorat from Roger Mills and Day
31000. Now let ua look at some
of tho sonutorial districts: The
republican from the First dis-
triot Kay and Noble ropvesents
36500 people and tho domocrat
from tho Fifth Pottawatomio and
Cleveland 65000; the republican
from the Ninth Custer and Blain
31162 and tho demoorat from
tho Thirteenth Greor Roger
Mills and Day 70500
No Frank don't talk about
gerrymander. Remember tho
maxim says: "He who Boeks
equity must do equity." Ho who
oomeB into a court of equity must
como"with clean hands and ver-
ily the hands of the republican
part' pro as black as the hands
of any nigger in Guthrie.
No Frank do not overdo it.
Wo are your friond and want to
oaution you. Wo expoot you to
fight statehood until you are con-
vinced that it will bo a republi-
san stato whioh time will never
como When statehood dawns
in tho east the sun of Frank
Greer must go down in tho west.
He will be soperated from his
graft iofover. Do not lie too
muoh Frank. Theso old Re-
publicans may oatoh on to tho
fact that you are only using them
as a cat's paw to pull yourchest-
nutB out of' tho fire and your aun
will set before you are ready.
YourB for truth
R. J. 8HIVE.
Demooratio Presa Bureau.
DEMOCRATIC
PLATFORM
Broad Declaration of Principles
to Be Adopted.
Broadly Democratic und popu-
lar iB tho platform adopted by tho
domocratic state conven. ion last
night. The right of of aelf-fcov-ernmont
immediately and with-
out evasion is demanded. All
offorte to defeat tho coveted boon
of statehood is oondemucd and
tho constitution that has beon
framed is declared to bo the best
stato organic law over framed
fulfilling every pledge that has
been made to tho peoplo of tho
state and proteotlne tho peoplo
against th stealthy hand of
predatory monopoly. Tho plat-
form fdviitd tho salo of school
lands on equable terms proeorv-
ing the prjerc nee rights of lea-
boob the fund resulting to bo
faithfully proserved and invoated
us provided in tho constitution.
Maintenance of tho present
state schools and establishing
other schools and institutions
equitably throughout tho stato is
favored.
The party pronounooa unquivo-
oally in favor of the purchaso of
segregated coal and asphalt lands
at an agreed prioe between tho
stato authorities and tho Choc-
taw and Chickasaw governments
subject to approval of contract
by voto of tho pooplo.
Tho party expresses opposition
to tho pasbing of timber lands
and other natural resources into
tho hands of great monopolies
and favors tho removal of re-
strictions from tho sale of Indian
lands;
Tho platform doclores that tho
question of prohibition should be
loft to vote of tho peoplo accord-
ing to thoprinciplo of referendum.
Tho platform as adopted by tho
convention for its consideration
follows:
Wo tho representatives of the
democratic party of tho state of
Oklahoma in appealing to tho
citizenship of our stato for thoir
support do respootfully submit
thoao principles of aelf-gov?rn-mont
for whioh wo stand and
whioh aro of special interest in
tho ponding campaign.
LOCAL ISSUES.
We believe wo should have tho
right ot local self-government
immediately without donial de-
lay or ovaBion.
Wo beliove tho people of Okla-
homa should and will condomn
at tho polla tho efforts of thoso
who have been trying to defeat
statehood for our people.
We submit to the pooplo of
Oklahoma the best Btate consti-
tution that haB over been writton
aud in asking tho suffrage of tho
patriotic citizenship of this stato
wo firmly Btand upon this consti-
tution in its entirety as our plat-
form. In this splendid organio law we
havo carried out in perfect good
faith overy pledge made by us to
tho people of tho stato and havo
drawn a constitution whioh not
only protects the right to life
liberty and tho pursuit of happi
ness of the citizens but a consti
tution" thuTTTakoa tho most ad
vanced" ground of any organio
law in existonce for tho protec-
tion of tho proporty rights of tho
peoplo ngainst the stealthy hand
of ingenious modern monopoly.
SCHOOL LANDS
Wo believe that as soon us
possib'o and practicable tho land
held by tho stato for educational
purposes should bo sold upon
tormB that shall bo absolutely
fair to the peoplo of this stato
preserving tho preference right
enabling aotto tho end that suoh
lands should become taxable and
bo made moro valuable and pro-
ductive by tho aotual owner there
We beliovo that the fund de-
rived from the salo of suoh lands
be faithfully preserved and in-
vested as provided in tho con-
stitution to the lessoe8guaranteed by the
Wo beliovo that tho presont
stato schools should bo maintain-
ed and that othor nocoBsary
schools and stato institutions
should bo established equitably
throughout the state.
coal and asphals lands
Wo favjr tho purohase of tho
segregated ooal and asphaltlands
at a fair price to bo agrood upon
betwoon the stato authorities and
tho Chootaw and Chickasaw gov-
ernments subjeot to the approval
by tv vote of the people of thi
state before the contract of pur-
chase shall becotno effective.
We favor tl. fullest develop-
ment of suoh lands in the in-
terest of tho schools and charit-
able institution? and the pro-
duction of cheap fuel for tho
people of this stato.
We favor tho immediate tulo of
the surface of such segregated
coal and asphalt lands in small
tracts to aotual auttlero.
We strongly oppose the timbor
land and other natural reaourooa
of this stato into tho handa of
great private monopolies.
REMOVAL OF ItKSTRICTIONS
We believo tho pooplo of this
sovereign state should have tho
full measure of 'iborty enjoyod
by citizens of othor sovoroign
statos.
Wo believo that tho vanouB
federal buroau ostablishod in tho
stato should bo immodiatolv
terminated and that tho basis of
this kuruau government tho re-
strictions on tho salo and lease of
land of our oitizen should bo
removed summarily oxcopt as to
homosteads of full-blood; and
wo favor tho immodiato settlement
of all tribal affairs and immodi-
ato distribution of all tribal funds
Wo believe that tho eetato of
thoso mentally incompetent of
whatsoover race should bo pro-
tected' by our Btato probate courts
We will take oaro of our own de-
fectives of whatevorraco or color
and will noc rely upon tho feder-
al government to discharge this
proper function of our own stato.
INVESTED CAPITAL
Wo believe that it is of tho
greatest importance fo the de-
velopment of our now Btato to
givo porfect safety and uBBUranoo
to' invest oapital and that whore
complete seourity is afforded
capital will gladly Book invest-
ment at tho lowest rates of inter-
est. Wo draw a broad lino of dis-
tinction between oapital invested
in honest onterprisea and preda-
tory capital engaged in conspir-
acy againBt tho prooooda of labor
of tho American pooplo. Wo
oppose thoao crafty corporations
whioh artfully oontrivw fo do-
Btroy competition and thus fix
arbitrury prices on tho neooaai.
tioa of lifo and on thoso thingB
whioh are produced by our own
pooplo. Wo do not intend to
oncourago predatory capital in
this atato. Wo do intend lo pre
teot our peoplo in tho prpooeds
of thoir honest labor. Wo favor
espeoial oaro for tho protection
of tho rightB and interests of the
laborinc people ouch as tho
farmer tho miner tho urtieuu
tho small tradesman and tho
women and children of this stato.
NATURAL RESOURCES
Wo favor tho speedy dovolop-
ment of all our natural roBouroeB
and oBpeoially ot our oil and gis
region.
Wo favor tho development of
evory form of manufacture for
whioh our natural resources &o
well qualify the state.
Wo pledgo tho passage of a
road law that will enable tho
peoplo in eaoh oounty to provide
for therasolvoa a good system of
roads.
SCHOOLS
Wo recognize tho education of
the peoplo as absolutely essential
to the development of this state
and to tho oontinuanco of su-
premacy of the demooratio party.
Wo pledgo tho party to vigorous-
ly promote in overy reaoonablo
way to our school syBtem so that
this stato ahull stand in the front
rAnk in tho eduoational oolumn.
ECONOMY
Wo pledge to tho peoplo of this
atato an economical and faith-
ful administration of its affairo
and that the Btato taxes shall he
as low nq possible for the con"
dust of a state govornmont pro-
porly administered.
SEPARATK COACHBS
Wo approve tho reaolut'oni Of
the constitutional oonvontion of
Mnroh l10D7pledging tho onaot-
ment of laws at the earliest pos-
sible data during the first aeailon
of the Aral legislature providing
for separate ooaoh8 or accom-
modations and waiting rooms for
the negro race. We pledge in
liko mannor to oarry into e flout
the provisions in the constitution
for eepatate schools for tho negrs
PROHIBITION
Tho question of prohibition hue
boon removed from partiaan
politioa and haa been left to a
vote of the people in aooordane
with tho prinoipleaof tho referen-
dum. FUPILLMKNT OK PLEDOTW
In the constitution whioh wo
submit wo oall attention to tho
important faot that we havo faith
fully oarried out overy pledgo
made to the people in tho last
oampnign. Wo unreaeryedly
ondnrse the notion of the demo-
oratio majority in its faithful
oomplianoo in drawing tho qon-
stitution in aocordanoo with our
plodgos to tho people and wo
pledgo that tho domooratiopafyy
if now entrusted with power in
tho administration of tho atato
govornmont will faithfully en-
force oxoouto and oarry into
offoot ovory prinoiplo of said con-
stitution us adopted by tho poo-
plo and a striot onforooment of
every law enacted by tho people
or logislaturo of this stuto. '
NATIONAL ISSUES
Wo hereby oxpress our allog
ianco to the groat principles of
govornmont advooated by the
national domocratio party upon
whioh ve boliovo the future wel
fare of this republic muetdopond
Wo reaffirm our nlloginnoo to
that greatest living exponent of
demooratio principles WJllium
Jonningu Bryan and ondorso him
for our presidential nominee in
1003.
Wo omphattoally demand tho
reasonable and pFbperfco1htfolfof
transportation and transmission
companies and tho auoorvioion
and ooritrol of nil enterprise's en-
gaged in inlorstato oommoroo.
Wo favor tho improvement of
tho waterways of tho Mississippi
valley and tho establishment of
wator transportation whorbver
praeticable throughout tho union.
Wo bolievo' that 'tho' patriotic
olomont of the rvopublipjin party
is no longer able a .optrplj or
greatly influonoo that great politi-
cal organism. Wo beliovo 'that
tho machinery irt'tij'itt'piiirry has
fallen undor tho inbla'iouB'frill'uone
jf tho groat plutocratic powers
and organized monopolies of this
nation.
Wo denounoo and condemn tho
national republican party for the
lavish use of money belonging to
the people of Oklahoma in tho
reclamation service in other
states and pledge our momboro
in our national congroae to uso
their best offorte to require tho
reclamation service to uso tho
money belonging to Oklahotmv in
Pklahoma.
Wo bolievo that the vast con-
tributions of money by those
special interests hayo given such
interests suoh power over tho re-
publican party thut a remedy for
national conditions under whioh
the peoplo suffer is impossiblo
ttiroutrh that party.
Wo appeal therefore to uvery
good citizen who places patriot-
ism above commercialism happi-
ness and tho welfare of tho great
body of our producing claHSee
above tho enriohmont of tho few ;
and who bolievos in lqoal self-
government to join ua in a holy
crusade for tho restoration of tho
people to thoir rights.
Wo enjoin upon tho advooates
of domocraoy that they truat with
special rospoot thoso of our fol-
low citizens who by environment
affiliation or by othor reasons
havo heretofore affiliated with
othor parties and wo urgo them
to uso only sound argument in
appealing to thoir roason and to
uso the force of courtesy und
kindness in pursuading them to
join us in tho great tusk of re-
storing to the Ameriaan pooplo
thoir rights in tho pursuit of
happinosa.
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The Daily Democrat. (Anadarko, Okla.), Vol. 1, No. 129, Ed. 1, Thursday, June 20, 1907, newspaper, June 20, 1907; Anadarko, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc81521/m1/3/: accessed April 25, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.