Kansas City daily journal., 1897-01-17
READY FOR BUSINESS.
OKLAHOMA ASSEMBLY COMPLETES
ITS ORGANIZATION.
A BODY OF RADICAL REF0RMERS
WOULD UPSET THE UNIVERSE IF
THEY KNEW HOW.
Their Inexperience Likely to Block
the Way of Many "Reforms"-
Some of the Things They
Would Like to Do
Statistical.

Guthrie o. T, Jan. 16.-(Specialo After
endless pickering, incessant caucusing,
ruthless knitting, and the infiiction of
slow and lingering death to the fondest
hopes of about go of the 800 members OF
the pie brigade, the fourth Oklahoma legis-
lative assembly is at last organized, the
last act being the appointment of half
score of pages to-day.
So far, there has been little of the vaunt-
ed economy, all the places provided by
statute being filled with aspiring patriots
and special act put through providing
dozen or more additional places.
In the senate the caucus was tame af-
fair but there has been considerable fric-
ton since, and the smoldering Jealousy of
certain members is bound to break out in
an open revolt on President Johnson's
hands.
The house had its row at the start, and
since has had smooth sailing, with the as
sistance of Colonel Barnes, speaker OF the
last house. He, as temporary speaker,
guided them through the ins and outs OF
the opening days, and even yet the house
comes to a dead calm about every half
hour and asks the member from Logan"
what to do next.
The ladies-God bless them-got generally
left in the distribution of pie, as the Popu-
list edict was that the pie should go to the
boys who hewed the wood and carried the
water Many of them are int in tears arSo over vel.
the future, as their older sisters, of the
Equal Suffrage Association. are here in
strong force in the lobby and declare that
their poll of the assembly insures the pas
sage of an act granting equal suffrage to
both sexes.
While Governor Renfrow's message was
very comprehensive document and his
recommendations heartily indorsed by the
entire assembly, on the whole 1t was
a disappointment to the ultra-reform ele-
ment which constitutes q majority of both
houses of the assembly. His recommended
pelling of insurance companies to pay full
face of policies, and the regulation of ex-
press charges, which are now eXtortlon.
ate, were all right they think, but he dld
rot go far enough. What they want is
the reduction of railway passenger fares
and freight rates fully one-half: the cut
rates; the compelling of railway companies
to pay thoroughbred prices for scrub stock
killed; the limiting of contract interest to
Z or per cent; the loading or the greater
burden of taxation upon the railroads, bus
mess men and money loaners and bankers;
the cutting of all salaries except in such
offices where the average Populist has a
| chance of election: the abolishment of the
militia and everything else having any
| semblance of federal authority or recogni-
ton: the limiting of the Jurisdiction OF the
| courts and reducing the number of officials
| in every county and lesser municipality.
With very very few exceptions. the
members of both houses are radical re-
| formers from way back. and that they are
| in the main honest in their intentions along
| that line there is no denying, but thsy are,
| on the whole, inexperienced, and their re-
| form schemes are theories as yet untried
and improved. The result of their labors
! will be reform along many lines but
| whether the changes will be for the better
or for the worse time alone will tell. There
is no question about the need OF reform-a
| certainty that the people need relief.but
| there is question as to whether radical
| legislation on theoretical lines will bring
| the desired relief.
The people of every county in the terri
| tory, be it under Democratic, Populist or
Republican rule, are alike oppressed by
| high taxation, but can any general legisla-
tion bring about the honesty. economy and
selection of the right kind of officials that
alone can give these people relief?
The cutting off of two-thirdS of the petty
| county and municipal officers will be a
movement hailed with delight by all save
| those holding the offices. and the putting
| county surveyor and the creation of the
| office of county assessor will be as heartily
| approved.
While the members are trying to draft
| bills to abolish offices and reduce salaries,
| there are lobbyists on every side asking
for increase of both. The school land les
| sees demand three school land commission
ers at fat salaries, with score of ap
| DTdlSCTS WOEhillS lIltIIl, llt SCIlOOi
| people demand Il superintendent of public
| instruction separate from the auditor, and
| four school book commissioners; the edu-
| cational institutions want large faculties;
| the supreme court wants a stenographer:
| the territorial library and the historical
| society both are asking for liberal appro-
priations and representatives of every de-
nomination of county officials are here ask
| ing for an increase or at least continu-
ance of their present pay. And some of
| the reformers themselves are talking about
| Il railroad commission.
| When all these diversified interests get
| to work the ideas of reform will become
| vague and indefinite. and in an effort to
| please everybody some of the statesmen
\ will find that they have failed to please
| anybody but their political opponents, who
| will rejoice at the downfall of the reformer.
But five days of the session have passed
| and they have really not more than begun
| their work, but all these things are already
| apparent, and If the reforms attempted in
| the four score bills already before the as
| sembly were alone carried out the average
| Oklahoman would be compelled to stand
in statu quo for thirty days in hopeless
| endeavor to find where he was at but
when even but a small proportion of the
changes contemplated in the thousand or
more bills which will be surely introduced
| during the session shall have taken place
the Oklahoma lawyers will be compelled
to study law all over before they can prac-
| tice with any degree of proficiency in the
courts of this territory.
One of the first laws to be repealed will
| be the antl-fuSlon law, passed by the as
| Sembly, and the three Republican members
| will act as chief mourners with joy. for 1t
| was this little section, together with the
sure thing" gerrymander. that wiped out
| a strong Republican majority in both hous-
es and left u little minority of three in the
| lower house. The gerrymander will be ap-
| preached with caution, as 1t has already
| been the undoing of Democrats, Populists
and RepublicanS-each in rapid succession
in the territory.
The present assembly is n cosmopolitan
body in more ways than one. There are
| twenty-five Populists, fourteen Democrats
and three Republicans The average age
| in the senate is 43, in the house 4G; the
| youngest senator is &C. the Oldest &c: the
| youngest representative 2S, the Oldest %.
Seven members were born In Ohio. l in
| Iowa, / in Massachusetts, in New York,
in Virginia. In Missouri. 3 in Illinois, in
Tennessee, in Kentucky. 4 in Texas 3 in
| Indian Territory. l in France and l in Kan
Oklahoma from Kansas, ) from Missouri,
from Nebraska. 5 from Texas, from In
dian Territory, from Arkansas. from
| Iowa, l from Colorado, from Illinois. l
from Louisiana, / from Ohio and l from
| Wycming. In the house there are II farm
ers lumbermen. 2 stockraisers, doctor, 4
| attorneys, l editor, l implement dealer.
merchant, l minister. mechanic: In the
senate, 6 farmers. stockraisers and ) at
torueys. The president Of the senate is an
attorney. the speaker of the house an ed
itor. and there are Union and ex-Con-