The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-25
THE TRUTH ABOUT OKLAHOMA.
The Request for Aid was a Political
huse OF the Republicans.
From the Oklahoma city Chief, dug. II.

From the Oklahoma CITY CHIEF, dug II.
In our oklahoma in Type" department
will be found the Presidents recommends
ton to congress that the $4,000 left over
from the Mississippi food sufferers relief
fund be sent to the destitute settlers OF
Oklahoma. Gov. Steele is responsible fol-
this latest insult to poor little Oklahoma.
Ii is too late now to avert the jibes and
sneers which are being hurled at us by the
press of the United S ates, because Gov.
Steele has put our people in the position OF
nendlcants TO the federal government, but
1t Is not too late for the poor but proud set
tiers of Oklahoma to deny the necessity aof
outside help and refuse the proffered
charity.
Perhaps but few know why Gov. Steele
asked the President to recommend an
appropriation for the suffering poor of
Oklahoma. The Chief will tell why, and
mark it we'll Over oGe-third of the repub-
llcan voters in Oklahoma are negroes. A
great many of theee negroes were colonized
III Oklahoma for political purposes. Tn. y
are improvident, lazy and were paupers
when they were sent here Besides the
poor negroes, there ere in the northern part
or Oklahome-l articularly in Guthrie
and klnRhsner counties-a class of
white settlers from the God-forsaken
plains of southwest Kansas, who have
become so used to eating the
bread OF charity that they are lost to all
sense Of shame. 1t appears that these shift
less, poverty-stIicken, sod-shanty jay
hawkers vote for the grand old party, when
votes nave no market value The republic
can bosses in Guthrie and Kinggsher be-
came greatly alarmed couple of weeks be-
fore the late election because the two classes
of voters above described lent willing ear
to the zion labor aud farmers alliance ad-
vocates. 1t began to look as though large
number of negroes would vote the peoples
ticket, and as many of the whites
belonged to the alliance, it was be-
lieved they would desert the Re-
publican party almost to a man, unless
something was done to stop the stampede.
The bosses few to Gov. Steele What
was to do must be done quickly. The gov
ernor and the bosses hit upon a most happy
scheme. That scheme was this $45, 600
appropriation from congress. The politici-
ans scattered through the black jacks and
Northern Oklahoma and promised every
man who would vote the republican ticket
to winter on. They gave the gov
ernor's pledge TO pull the appropria-
ton through. The plan worked beau
tifully. The colored "brOthern and the
Kansas sufferer came back in line and
victory perched upon the republican banner,
excepting in Saltwater county, where, be it
said to their everlasting honor, the honest
farmers were true to their alliance princi-
pies and the peoples ticket. Gov. Steele
made his application for aid shortly before
the election to show his good faith. Had it
not been for this clever scheme Guthrie
county would have been lost to the
republicans and Kingfsher county would
have been very close.
Briefly, in reference to the alleged desti-
tuition in OKlah ma, we have to say that
outside of the classes spoken of, there is
little or none. Our people as a whole are
fairly prosperous, taking in consideration
who they have had to contend with. Crops
have been short, it is true, but not failure
by any means. The wheat crop was har-
vested before the drought set in, and it
made an excellent yield. Oats we're a fair
CIR D, D tatoes aud garden vegetables did
we'll Corn was mi red quite badly, but it
Will make half a crop in many parts OF the
territory. Oklahoma is really in as good a
condition as Kansas, most of Nebraska,
Missouri and Iowa. Our settlers were
tearly all poor when they came
here and their condition is by no
NEAR flush to-day; but we are able 10 take
care Of ourselves without government aims.
There is no excuse for mans staying here
IL he cannot make living. He can leave
his claim and rustic for a winter grub
stake a. many AN honest settler has done
before him Such cases Of poverty as are
worthy Of assistance VIII be looked after by
Oklahomans The destitute negroes and
charity rustlers from Southwest Kansas
will elamor loudly for this S45 900 appro-
priation, but they should not nave IL. u Is
better for Oklahoma that they be starved
out Or go 20 work. The people Of Oklahoma
are self-rospecting. They would scorn 20
touch tnis corruption fund u Steele aud bis
hencbmon. They have nothing but con-
a-saaet.sa faF IA action.