The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1889-02-08
OPENING OKLAHOMA.

me Springer Bin Passes the HOuOe-Com~
pllmentsry Tributes t. tho friesls u ths
Measure-Saccoss Follow DRief Skif-
nksh.
WASHINGTON. Feb. 2-Oklahoma was
won In the House yesterday In the final
passage Of the Springer bill by Q majority
Of 46 votes.
Tho opponents Of the measure fought
with desperation to the last, availing
themselves Of every possible parlia.
mentary device to delay the final vote. Il
was stated last night by old members Of
Congress that no greet measure Of legisla-
tion for the last thirty years has been 70
stubbounly fought in all its stages a. has
the Oklahoma bill. The cattle syndicatss
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 inaugurated the effort to open Okla.
homa to settlement at the first session Of
the Forty ninth Congress, the people Of
the country owe q great debt of gratitude.
His lahcrs for the bill have been incessant.
When at the present session the measure
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 1t the
consideration which resulted in its pas
sage.
Not less untiring and conspicuous have
been the services Of Mr.. Springs, who has
led the fight with consummate skill and
with answering faith in its success. With
. 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 10 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 COMMITTEES friend
Of the people who could not be driven from
his position.
The zeal and ability with which Con-
eressmen 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 30,
Of the Revised Statutes Of the United
States, entitled reservation and sale of
town sites on the public lands. Several
other amendments were adopted. but none
Of them change the original bill in any es-
sential particular.
The bill will probably reach the Senate
by Monday. The probable outlook for
early and favorable action in that body il
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 80 that
Oklahoma can be opened to legal settle
ment during the present season.
1t is but just to add that q goodly por-
tion Of the credit Of success in passing the
Oklahoma bill through the House il due to
the efforts Of Hon. Sidney Clarke, Captain
Couch and Colonel Croker. 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 q 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-
tion o. Mr.. OFerrall, of Virginia, to recon-
sider tine vote by which the House Thurs.
day rejected the minority substitute. The
motion to table was carried-yeas 132, nays
ia.
The question then required on the pas ].
sage Of the bill, pending which MI. 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
memorable and brought proceedings to Q
by demanding the reading of