The Weekly Oklahoma State Capital. (Guthrie, Okla.), Vol. 18, No. 44, Ed. 1 Saturday, March 2, 1907 Page: 4 of 8
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THE WEEKLY OKLAHOMA STATE CAPITAL, SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 1907
!
THE OKLAHOMA STATE CAPITAL
By Tlhe State Capital Company.
FR4MMK H. GREER. EDITOR.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
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SUNDAY EDITIUNl
One year by malt • I -OO
WBEKLYl
Blx Montha
K. R. Williams has a hut box on.
It's good-bye "Jim Crow" thin lime sure enough.
Opinion and action are the two pillars which up-
hold the commonwealth.
"Take time!" It only nmoiits to a trifle, $2.44
per minute or $1,400 per day. "T-a-k-e t-i-in-e!"
The long, lost Populist party has been found. At
least a wild, hairy man has been found in Mexico.
The promoters of the Caney, Oklahoma and Texas
railror.d, which is to run to Guthrie are getting
busy.
Some of the pledge breakers in the convention
will have to "jump Jim Crow" when they return
home.
"Jim Crow" will be the medium through which
many political aspirants are "put out of business"
in August.
President Roosevelt's power rests in the fact lhat
he lias a great head and that he always "delivers the
goods.''
Banrpio's ghost wasn't a circumstance to what
the "Jim Crow" boggy man is to the constitutional
convent ion.
Boss Haskell uses the "bij; stick" in driving his
fellows into line, in a way to prove his power as
a thumper. i
About all that is left of the war between the
I nited States and Japan is a few skirmishes in the
newspapers. v
So far i:u one has attempte 1 to blame l'rof. Brash-
er'* big sun spot for the freakish actions of the fel-
lows over the way.
llie present constitutional convention will jo
down in history as the biggest error that ever broke
into the organization of the I ti ion.
Though licdhetter failed to make good as a spell-
binder Thursday, lie might do on the vaudeville
stage. Pretty nearly everything goes there.
The Sequoyah* were opposed to statehood before
the election. They are opposed to it today. How
then can loyal statehood advocates justify their pli-
ability to the will of Boss Haskell*
If the democrats who are talking of nominating
Roosevelt for President early in the campaign carry
their poiut the democrats will at least have nomin-
ated a candidate who can be elected.
The "Jim Crow" dance performed for Boss Has-
kell Thursday by several democrats who were wont
to cut the dance out shows that not only chickens but
demochatic bantams go home to roost.
Professional circus and museum freaks are talk-
ing of organizing a mutual benefit society. Why not
strike out the word "professional" «0 that members
of the constitutional convention can get in on it. too?
"Take time! take time!" says delegate McClain
It matters not to him that the time taken amounts
to about $2.44 per minute. Yes. "take time;" take
the tax payers good money at the rate of $1 400 nor
day. 44Take time!" 1
A Chicago preacher says dancing makes the
feet grow large. Possibly excessive talking
also has the same effect on the head.—Washine
ton Tost.
Gosh! if it does, won't the constitutional eonven-
tion turn out a lot of big heads.
DRIVEN TO DESPERATE MEASURES
THROUGH THE "JIM CROW" PLEDGE
Our democratic friends are driven to desperate
measures when they attempt to
Prove justification in the "Jim Crow" action of
Thursday, 1
By misquoting republican speakers.
To this dire extremity have they come, it would
seem.
Instance the speech of Gov. Frank Kraut/. Thurs-
day evening, us reported by tjie Oklahoman's- (iuth-
rie correspondent.
The telegram reads:
"Speaking at a meeting of the local republi-
cans in the Brooks theatre here tonight, Gov-
ernor Frank Frantz declared positively that
President Roosevelt will reject the constitution
if it contains a 'Jim Crow' clause.
"The statement created quite a sensation, not
only among republicans who were present, but
among delegates to the constitutional conven-
tion who attended the meeting.
"In referring to the separate coach question,
Governor Frantz said that it seemed to him that
it had taken the democrats an 'awful long time'
to discover the clause in the enabling act which
prevents any discrimination between the races.
"He quoted the delegates in the convention,
saying that they were "d—d if they do and
d d if they don't;" that if they incorporate
the clause the president will withhold his pro-
clamation and if they leave it out the people
of Oklahoma will reject the constitution.
"He told the truth," said Governor Frantz,
"if they put the 'Jim Crow' clause in the con-
stitution, the president will reject it and if they
leave it out, the people of the state will reject
their work."
Governor Frantz said nothing of the kind.
The brazenry of the attempt to bolster up a cow-
ardly subterfuge by garbling an address carefully
delivered from manuscript, as was the governor's,
is indeed the limit of yellow journalistic gall.
Fortunately Gov. Frantz delivered liis address ver-
batim from manuscript, and this taken from that
manuscript, is what be did say:
"What legislation have democrats ever point-
ed to with pride? In the last campaign their
entire cry was 'Negro domination' and 'Jim
Crow law . This in view of tile fact that there
is less than seven per cent of negro population
in the two territories, and now with the almost
brutal majority of 100 to 12 in tin' Constitutional
( (invention, they have not the nerve to redeem
the promise made to their people in the last
campaign and put such a clause in the Consti-
tution. Apparently for tlie first time these
statesmen have discovered that provision iu the
Knabling Act which says, 'There shall be no
distinction in civil or political rights on account
of race or color.'
In view of this perfectly safe and sane pro-
vision in the Knabling Act passed by the high-
est legislative body in the land, the Republican
party dares them to put the Jim Crow provis-
ion in tin Constitution. On the other hand,
turning to the pledges and platforms of the dem-
ocratic candidates <u the last campaign the rank
and tile of the democratic party dares them not
to put it in.
I heard one delegate on the tloor of the Con-
vention to-day make practically this statement:
'Boys, we are in a devil of a fix. If we put it
iu Theodore Roosevelt will turn the Constitution
down. If we don't put it in, o.ii .constituents
will turn us down. "
We venture to say that not one person iM the
vast audience who desires to be fait-, will accuse
Gov. Frantz with having varied from tli • portion of
his address as here given.
This being true, it involves upon the Oklahoman,
ill justice to itself, i„ correct the garbled language
of its correspondent.
frely and occupied time that as yet appears to have
been perfectly useless, may justly fall under the
head of luxuries
To the tunc of about $5,000.
Thus we might go on and enumerate until a good-
ly portion of the appropriation and that yet to be
drawn from some source or other, were accounted
for in unnecessary proceedings.
Is it any wonder that congressmen do not feci
like voting further appropriations?
THE STATE CAPITAL PROUD OF THE
HISTORY OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
The republicans have got wise.
So have many persons who haven't known until
of late that they were possessed of strong repub
lican symptoms.
No matter how much noise the democratic leaders
may indulge in, the
Republicans will not make of the next, a defensive
campaign.
The burden of proof will have to rest with th
democracy.
The record of the republican party is an open
bonk and every true patriot is proud of that record
Even our democratic friends in their loyalty to
country and to past national history, can not shirk
so popular a duty as that of doing honor to
The martyr president, Abraham Lincoln,
And to the people's friend. Win. McKinley.
By so doing they unwittingly subscribe to the
past excellency of the republican party.
The verdict of history has compelled the demo-
crats to
Retract their calumnies against Lincoln and Grant
and McKinley and other great republican statesmen.
And in good time they will, in the same manner,
take back their slanders of Roosevelt.
Give the democratic bosses a little time, good
friends, and they will swallow all their.base accu-
sations. .
There are compensations in nature.
Tho democratic man is capacious enough to hold
(ill the untruths invented by democratic brains,
And all such prevarications are generally swal-
lowed down iu from eight to ten years after they
are told.
Ten years is the full average life-time of a dem
oeratic slander.
And just here, lest we forget:
Another important fact is,
That all the time the democratic party lias been
slandering the republicans, it has never produced
a solitary statesman of its own.
Then again:
We would ask, what creditable chapter of Amer-
ican history has the democratic party written iu
the past tifty years?
We repeat;
The record of the republican party is an open
book.
Whether you refer to that record as made forty
years ago or twenty years ago, or us made under
Roosevelt's regime, the State Capital is equally
proud of it;
And challenge* any other party to show a history
half so illustrious in the achievements for
The prosperity and liberty of mankind.
Boss Haskell, with all his faults is moved to say
many good tilings in his talks. One of his honest
ideas of the press broke forth inadvertantly 1 hurs-
day. Said he: "S'ee what.your newspapers at home
says of the 'Jim Crow' situation." Then reading a
few lines on the proposition to leave out "Jim Crow
rather than endanger statehood, he vigorously
dangled the paper and the itlca before his hearers
Breaking forth later on with, "You know, gentle-
men. that newspaper men never write anything un-
less they have something to write about. And you
know that they in mingling witli the public know
the sentiments of the people."
A query has arisen in the minds of some of the
people who heard a certain speaker in the conven-
tion say yesterday that it had come through a par-
tisan paper that "the additional necessary money
to defray expenses would, could, and only be made
upon conditions that the convention do certain
things," as to what newspaper that was. If it be
that a "partisan newspaper" said that the constitu-
tion must conform with the constitution of the L'nit-
ed States, then we concede that many "partisan pa-
pers" have so cautioned. That the "big stick" is
not being used in any way to threaten is the truth,
and no loyal member need fear. If the constitution
documents the "big stick" will not bother it in any
conforms to rules used in the past in framing such
way, and no one knows that better than those who
would leave the impression to the contrary.
OKLAHOMA PARAGRAPHS
Hon. Henry Asp has proven himself the longest
headed, shrewdest delegate in the constitutional con
vention. When he arises to talk he is listened to.
Had his advice been taken and had he been coun-
seled with as such a man should be in a body of
men elected from the whole people, the constitution
would have been finished within the sixty day allot-
ment and it would have been a document that every
fair minded citizen, whether .democrat or republican,
in the new state could subscribe to with a will.
No man can justly say that Mr. Asp has at any time
advocated a measure that was not in the interest of
the people at large and the State of Oklahoma in
particular.
If a man ever had ft body of men more secure
under his thumb than has Bnss Haskell the Oklaho-
ma democratic members of the convention, we would
like to be shown. Boss Tweed or Buss Crocker, with
all the dexterity exhibited in their times in handling
men as a child would handle wooden soldiers, were
not more adapts at tin' business than is the Sequoyah
boss. Alas! alack! 'Tis true! "An pity 'tis 'tis true,"
for no great constitution can devolve from the
mind of one man, especially when that mind is set
igainst statehood.
Delegate Henshaw in his talk of Thursday said-
ti™""'.* /°i' 'mVe C°me ber" t0 1118 ke « reputa-
n instead of writing a constitution." IIow true!
And he might have emphasized that the
tion was loaded down to the guards with such
individuals as he describes, „nd that it was be
IT.? th's/Mt.that liUI' so far bncn cf;
fectcu toward framing a constitution.
It is Jill. ( row to day or it is 'Jim Crow' nev er
home of the delegates were afraid of 'scare crow'
instcBd of 'Jim Crow.' N0 Cnited States
has volunteered to write the delegate, of this con
vention what they believe the president would do
None of you are authorized to speak for onr worthv
president. Be brave warriors, or be cowards -,nd
dig your own political graves.—Delegate Graham i,
Thursday's "Jim Crow" debate.
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
A VEjSY COSTLY LUXURY
The constitutional conventi n is a very c:>stlv ar-
ticle.
For the amount of work it turns out it is a devil-
ish costly one.
It cost the Federal government about $12.44 per
minute to keep it grinding during the sixty days al-
lotted in which to
Do the business of constitution making.
If a constitution is made and ratified by the voters
the time now being used will have to be paid for b,\
either Uncle Sam or the tax pavers of Oklahoma.
The indications now are that it will fall upon the
tax payers.
This being true it might I interest i > mention
a few facts.
An extravagant political measure—one of the
many—
Wus the .^L'OO per day clerk,hire during the si\tv
days when nothing was done further than prepare
and pass the preamble.
For the sixty days clerk hire $12,000 wag spent.
Since then the clerk service has averaged about
conven- j $]K."> per day, making to date an additional amount
of $:>..v>n.
The clerk hire alone footing up for the term to
date over $17,000.
On several davs from forty to fll't.v minutes have
been spent in berating the republican press bureau
and the State Capital,
Amounting to about $120 for each personal priv
ilege gratification.
It is estimated that this body which is watching
closely the interests of the dear people spent $7,800
in deciding whether the reference to the Deitv iu
the preamble should be "Almighty God," or "The
Supreme Ruler of the Universe."
"Jim Crow," since he has been batted about so
SEVENTY FIVE OR EIGHTY
HANDLED BY BOSS HASKELL.
"I am b mud to confess that there arc about
seventy-five or eighty of us in this convention
that have been used almost at the will of a few
men of this organization." •
Delegate Herring made use of the above before
the ouventi'n yestcrdav.
•Mr. Herring is not iiie first otto to make such a
statement.
-den who want to show results are getting tired of
the dilatory actions of such men as Boss Haskell.
The play of the Boss throughout the entire day
was for postponement of the "Jim (.'row1' proposit-
ion, with the vi' w of eventually letting it die under
cover.
It was a bold stroke of his to move the appoint-
ment by his proxy in the chair of a committee of
nine lawyers to take the -subject under consider-
ation, when the regular committee that had made re-
port was made up of several as competent lawyers
as could be named.
Twas only a play for delay and the B
as usual.
Joss won out
THERE'S ABILITY IN CONVENTION
BUT IT IS HOPELESSLY WEIGHTED
it isu t because there are not in the convention
men enough of ability t > write a goo I constitution
That conditions are as they are.
In the first place, the organization proved a misfit,
But the strong men on the democratic side had
allowed themselves to be
Sri" hoodooed by the Sequoyah* that they have
since been helpless except as they
Worked with the organization.
The hands of the republicans were tied because of
the numbers.
This condition left Sequoyah at i!<e bat and Okla-
homa "in the box," and
Oklahoma has been "in the box" ever since.
Hon. Geo. A. Murphy made himself solid with
l he ^republicans of ( iiithrie in his able address of
Thursday evening. His tribute t„ the republican
party and araignment of the democratic partv was
a wonderful presentation of facts, proving the first
to he a party of mind, forethought and action and
the second a party of negation and blunders. In
taking the constitutional convention "down the
line," he told many facts that when brought fact
to face with them should cause any sane democrat
to blush for shame at the condition to which his
party has come in Oklahoma.
It is always where states have permitted rascality
or the reckless disregard for laws, that the states
i-ights cry is heard. The civil war really settled
the question of federal power, making it co-extensive
with the union and nuikitig this country a nation
and not a federation of sovereign states. But, the
old# cry is still heard when it can be used as an
'argument against some restrictive action by the
Washington government.
Saturday, June 29tli. is the date agreed upon for
holding the primaries. This will be an important
primary, inasmuch as that all state, district, county
and municipal-affairs, also members of the legisla-
ture anil representatives in congress as well as candi-
dates for United States senator, will be placed in
nomination. It will be mandatory election, both
parties holding primaries on this date. The election
is set for August 6th.
Boss Haskell pleads to the boys to let him throw
that "Jim Crow ' proposition out of the constitution
so that the democrats may elect an overwhelming
democratic legislature, again using "Jim Crow" as
their paramount issue. And they did it by a vote
of ti4 to 27. 'I he large vote on this proposition
shows that nearly three-fourths of the delegates
elected on the "Jim Crow" planks have gone back
on their pledges.
Delegate Baker said in his talk Thursday, "The
majority of the convention had about as much in-
fluence before Roosevelt as the thirteen apostles
have before the convention." And the fact that
the thirteen, unlucky number though it is, have
been practically ignored accounts to a certain ex-
tent for the fact that the convention is yet in per-
plexed deliberation.
The address delivered by Gov. Frantz at the op-
era house Thursday night was one of the most force-
ful and timely talks ever presented before an audi-
ence. Gov. Frantz has developed into an orator
of lirst rank as well as a model governor. Certalnlv
President Roosevelt made no mistake in calling his
former comrade on the field of battle to the highest
position within this commonwealth.
Will the constitutional convention take note oE
the f'n-t that while the State Capital Inn criticised
the "unconstitutional" actions of that body, the
press of Oklahoma lias been with it aim st to a news
•ape-. I he oidy ones being the exception are those
either wearing the yoke or are of the few I'.iwr.eJ
ones.
Boss Haskell must have been impressed Thursday
with the indications that main who voted for his
method of disposing of "Jim Crow" would have
deserted him if they dared to. It mu t. Ii!ve>vi e be
a gratification to him to know and feel his powor.
"Boss" Haskell might make a hit by "pulling
himself together," and b ing the ab'e, niadv
that lie can if he will.
in.-i :i
Oklahoma City's lid seems riveted—on
Sundays.
Hobart Is worrying whether It shall
be usphalt or brick.
is* will not have paving for a while.
✓riie bide were all too high.
The Oklahoma Firemen's association
mettts at Ardmore, May 7, 8, 9, and I').
Durant Are boja will give a benefit
with the assistance of a number of young
ladies.
The power dam in the Washita at
Chickasha Is to be 30 feet high and 1-*)
feet long.
Manager Wilson, of the Durant theate.*,
leads out disturbers who will not be
quiet on request.
One-third of the cotton crop of Greer
county still stands unpicked in the fields
where it grew.
Council Hill Is to have another ele-
vator In time to help care for next
year's corn crop.
Beginning Saturday Oklahoma City
banks will remain open until eight o'clock
on Saturday nights only.
Keep and Son have 4,500 bushels of
corn piled in one rick ton the'ground at
Alex, awaiting cars to move it.
The first building was moved from Sib-
oncy to Manitou Monday. This is tho
beginning of the consolidation of the two
towns.
A car load of cholera stricken ho?a
shipped from Texas to northern packing
houses were unloaded at Che Sapulpa
yards.
Wagner and Williams, merchants at
Pauls Valley, have failed for $!&,000. Their
creditors may get as much as 60 cents
on the dollar. f
A cat affected with rable3 hit two per-
sons at Spring Creek. The cat waa killed
and the victims started in search of a
"mad stone."
Secretary Hitchcock has denied the re-
quest of the Chickasaw legislature to
permit the tribal government to manage
their own schools.
Many Oklahoma farmers have taken
advantage of tilie fine weather of tho
past few days to plant oats and pre-
pare their cotton ground.
The famous Oklahoma asylum remov-
al case is to be re-opened. The supreme
court ha.s taken note of application for
a restraining order sought by tho asylum
company.
The Lawton News-Republican , ever
loyal to its adopted home, says: "Give
us another year like 1906 and the Thirty
Thousand club will have to change its
name,"
Courtland Fenquay, a Chandler hov
who is now a freshman at the university
of Oklahoma, haa been invited to deliver
an address at the Jamestown exposition
on July 5 next.
As yet no delegate has Introduce! a
resolution for the Improvement of R<yi
river. It dees seem as If we should havo
a law authorizing a change In tho color
of the water.
At ^McLoud they pile all tho cotton
bales ihey can on the ground and put
the rest on the platform at the railway
station. No one knows when tho Rocli
Island will be able to move it.
That Tulsa lawyer who threw a ohnlr
in court and was fined $100 and after-
wards apologized, getting the fine re-
mitted to |d0, would probably be willing
to say excuse mo again at ISO per.
The first construction work on tho
lOunsas City, Oklahoma and Pacific ra;N
way has been awarded to the South-
western Construction company which will
begin construction between Muskogee
and lawton.
Knid claims to ho the fastest growing
city In the new state. With eighty-four
blocks of asphalt paving "being laid, a
$100,000 court house almost ready for oc-
upan-cy. a. $100,000 hotel and opera house
under roof and an electric street railway
building.
Chickasha !« to have a now five story
re proof hotel. Ti e plans are on exhi-
bition at thfe office of the W. F. Cros-
lon. a real estate dealer of that city, and
work Is to commenee on construction ns
soon hs contract Is let. It Is to have 100
rooms and an opera house.
Chickasha claims the Infant athlete
prodigy of the#world. lie Is a six-year-
old chap nnme*d Ilugh Whltworth, and
can tie himself Into double bow kno's,
turn all the latest kind of flip-flops and
make a circus acrobat green with envy.
He took to It naturally on the same prln-
ple a duck swims.
No, Jason, there is no general epidemic
of family reunion? taking place in this
city at present. Thoso vigorous hand-
shaking tournaments you witness dal!y
the result of chance meetings be-
tween tho spring crop of candidates rial
persons entitled to < ast a legal ballot nt
the com ng election - Muskogee Phoenix.
The fallow ng specimen of what a de-
scriptive writer can do if he tries . r*
pears In the Durant News. "Rev. A "bo
Mulkev cut out the trimmings last n'gbt
and gave to his hearers the plain art#el°
rlRht from th* factory He hitched up
Truth to Facts and plowed deep Into
the soil of sin. never slacking until lira
entire field was broke up."
The T'i>n school niarm* are allowel
Friday, aft1'rdav nnd Sunday nights for
•verting, but the remainder of the week
m st attend m school bminess. We don't
know how they do their sparking thc*
day?, hi t It npneirs to us that in such
1 intervals u from Snudny night to
I ('Continued on Page Five.)
I
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Greer, Frank H. The Weekly Oklahoma State Capital. (Guthrie, Okla.), Vol. 18, No. 44, Ed. 1 Saturday, March 2, 1907, newspaper, March 2, 1907; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metapth352805/m1/4/: accessed April 16, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.