Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-02-07
OPENING OKLAHOMA.

The Springer Bill Passes the House-com-
plimentary Tributes to the Friends OF the
Measure-Success Follows . Brief Skir-
mish.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 2-Oklehoma was
won IN the House yesterday In the final
passage of ths Springer bill by q majority
Of 46 votes.
The opponents of the measure fought
with desperation to the last, availing
themselves of every possible pariia.
mentary device to delay the final vote. Il
was stated last night by old members Of
Congress that no great measure Of legisla-
tion for the last thirty years has been 50
stubb0nly fought in all its stages as has
the Oklahoma bill. The cattle syndicates
have maintained large lobby here for
four years to resist all legislation looking
to the opening of any part Of the Indian
Territory.
To General James B. Weaver, Of Iowa,
who inaugurate the effort to open Okla
homa to settlement at the first session OF
the Forty-ninth Congress, the people OF
the country owe a great debt Of gratitude
His labors for the bill have been incessant-
When at the present session the measurs
was smothered by the tactics OF its
enemies in the House. Congressman
Weaver threw himself into the breach and
by a struggle of four continuous days re-
stored the bill to life and secured for it the
consideration which resulted in its pas
sage.
Not less untiring and conspicuous have
been the services of Mr.. Springer, who has
led the fight with consummate skill and
with answering faith in its success. With
q knowledge Of the complicated rules Of
the House second to no other member and
profoundly convinced of the necessity and
justice of the proposed legislation, Mr.
Springer deployed his forces to the best
advantage and every point Of attack was
successfully covered. Ready in debate
and full of resources and information, the
opponents of the bill found in the chair
man of the Territorial Committee friend
of the people who could not be driven from
his position.
The zeal and ability with which Con-
gressmen Warner, Heard and others Of
Missouri, Perkins, Peters and Ryan, Of
Kansas, and Strubel and Holmes, of Iowa,
have advocated the bill can not fail to be
highly appreciated by the constituencies
they so ably represent and by the country
at large.
The amendments adopted by the House,
relating to town sites, applies substan-
TALLY the provisions of chapter 8, title 80,
of the Revised Statutes of the United
States, entitled reservation and sale of
town sites on the public lands. Several
other amendments were adopted, butnone
of them change the original bill in any es-
sential particular.
The bill will probably reach the Senate
by Monday. The probable outlook for
md 10 49,
very promising, but no efforts should be
spared by the friends of the measure in all
parts of the country to secure such action
Many Senators are now pledged to sup
port the bill and kilograms and letters are
already coming in asking that prompt
action may be had in the Senate so that
Oklahoma can be opened to legal settle
ment during the present season.
1t is but just to add that a goodly por-
tion of the credit of success in passing the
Oklahoma bill through the House is due to
the efforts of Hon. Sidney Clarke, Captain
Couch and Colonel Crocker. who have
labored in and out of season for the ad-
vancement Of this great measure.
A brief skirmish between the friends Of
the private calendar and the adherents Of
the Oklahoma bill in the House yesterday
resulted in a victory for the latter, and
that measure was taken up for considera-
ton. the pending question being on the
motion of Mr.. Springer to table the mo-
ton of Mr.. C'Ferrall, of Virginia, to recon-
slider the vote by which the House Thurs
day rejected the minority substitute. The
motion to table was carried-yeas 132, nays
ia.
The question then rscurred on the pas
sage Of the bill, pending which Mr.. Hooker,
of Mississippi. entered dilatory motions to
adjourn and take a recess-but refrained
from making the point of no quorum and
allowed them to be voted upon division.
But Mr.. Cheadly. of Indiana, proved more
inexorable and brought proceedings to
standstill by demanding the reading of
the engrossed bill; 1.-THE bill was not en-
crossed and the clerk stated that it would
require an hour or more to perform the
work !, but while various propositions were
presented TO kill time and allow the clerks
to engross the bill Mr.. CheadIe relented
and withdrew his demand.
The bill then passed-yeas 14S, nays 102