Kansas City daily journal., 1897-02-07
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT OKLA
HOMA LEGISLATURES.
PRESENT ONE IS THE FOURTH.
ONLY ONE HAS BEEN ORGANIZED On
A PARTY BASIS.
Now, as Always, Kansas Has n Major
ity-First Session Was the Long
est and Most Expensive
A Tendency Toward
Party Fealty.

Guthrie, o. T., Feb. 6.-(Specialp Okla
homa's voting population has peen In
creased as many times as she has survived
legislative sessions-four. A comprehen-
! sion of these sessions is inseparable from a
general understanding of territory acquired
since the original opening of 1889. At that
time the North Canadian river became a
Mason and DiXon's line, and the adding Of
territory to the north, west, east and south
west has scarce dimmed the landmark.
When the first legislature was elected,
65 per cent of the voters in Kingfisher's
| land district came from Kansas and made
them times" Republican. To-day the low
er house has majority hailing from KAN
sas, but it makes these times" Populistic
with large "P." Then legislative dis
tricts were Identical with counties, and the
Guthrie men who elected "Kingfisher' Col
son as deIegate-at-large have never smiled
again. Delegates-at-large are now un-
known, yet that memory fingers like the
damned spot
That STATESMEN of to-day may the bet
ter know what has been the trend of time
| since Hannah died and Hanna rules. re-
view of the four legislatures may be well
timed
The first held 12O days, its several success
sors being limited to sixty.
OF the four, but one the third, has been
becomes a double surprise when it is
known that, with an exception of the lower
house in the third, each branch of the three
| first was Republican by sound majority.
The first sessions trouble came from Ok
lahoma City Republicans opening capital
| location fight; the second from 4 refusal
| to make the only Republican senator re-
elected the presiding officer. In connec-
| tion with this, 1t may be well to say this
same man was his partyS choice for pres
ident of the first senate. He is now known
as ex-senator Bill Mccartney, the free sill
Yer wolf of the coyote country.
The first council was presided over by an
independent, with Democrat pro tenn
| the second by Republican, with "a Popu-
list pro tenn; the third by a Republican,
with a Republican pro TEN, and the fourth
by Democrat, with a Populist pro TEN.
The first assembly was presided over by
an independent speaker, with Republican
pro tenn; the second by Democrat, with
Democrat pro tenn; the third by Re
publican, with Republican pro TEN, and
the fourth by a Populist, with Democrat
pro tenn.
In the first council, there were seven Re-
publicans, five Democrats and one indie
pendent: in the second, seven Republicans,
five Democrats and one fusion; in the third
eight Republicans. one Democrat and four
Populists, and in the fourth, no Republic
ans, nine Democrats and four Populists
In the first assembly there were fourteen
Republicans, eight Democrats and four
Populists; in the second. twelve Republic
ans, nine Democrats. four Populists and
publicans. three Democrats and seven Pop
ulists, and in the fourth. three Republic
ans. ten Democrats and thirteen Populists-
About one week of the dear peoples time
was lost in organizing the first; the second
perfected its machinery on the eight day.
l49 ballots having been taken in the lower
house.
| OF the first and second, each had col
| ored member in the lower house. The
| third was of that race. while the fourth
has only n colored janitor. Some will re-
member when a colored man was recog-
appointment This gradual scaling down of
! the colored mans recognition presents an
| interesting study to the studious.
In the first, the first bill was introduced
| by Charles Brown: in the second, by L. G.
| Pittman: in the third, by Robert Lowery,
and in the fourth. by w. Garrison. That
| thirteen of the first fourteen bills present.
| ed to the lower house of the second legisla-
| ture were enacted into law will for all time
remain one of the wonderful parts of Ok
lahoma legislation.
For the first there was a congressional
| appropriation of $4,000. there being re-
| turned 1855: for the second. S24.5O0, there
| being returned $685.: for the third. SIS. 600.
there being returned s445: for the fourth
| S24.250. and Secretary Lowe pEophesies no
| return. These moneys are not all for leg
islative expense, much of it going to the
secretary's office,
Territorial expenditures for printing and
| clerk hire draw an interesting comparison.
For the first. printing was $500; clerk
| hire, S6.391: for the second. printing. So
15S.3O. and clerk hire, S5.S02.S0: for the third.
printing, $21, 5SS.S4, and clerk hire will prob
ably reach the average. OF the second
! legislatures clerk hire, S3,362.S0 was left
unpaid by those who contracted for 1t and
| the courts afterward ordered it paid from
| the general fund.
| the legislative vote does not materially
| differ therefrom, Oklahoma had S.44f vot-
| ers. voting area of S,6SI square miles and
| population of 60.4l7: with her second. 2l.-
2lO voters voting of IL 4(6 square
| miles and a population of 151.2l5: with her
| third. 1895 voters, a voting area of 26S15
and with her fourth. 5S,7O2 voters. a. vot-
ing area of 29.11I square miles and q pop
| ulation of 2755SI.
A summing up of party politics In Okla
homa evinceS 4 growing tendency toward
party fealty. This movement has merged
| scatterers into the Populist party. In the
first congressional fight there were, nine
| candidates voted for: in the second and
| third, three each, and in the fourth, only
| two. that being one too many.
Members of the first lower house repre-
| Sented. on an average, S34 square miles (;
| the second, GAG square miles; the third.
| 1031 square miles. and the fourth, 1,12O
| square miles.
In the first the cost per capita for print
! ing and clerk hire was IA cents; the Sec
ond. 10 cents; the third, IA cents, and the
| fourth will reduce the printing, at any
| rate.
Up to this, it's twenty-seventh day. our
free silver legislature has allowed no
brcncho calamity provisions to pass both
| houses.
| 1t will indeed be strange unless Okla
| homa somewhat resembles Kansas legis-
| lation this year. OF these. seventeen came
| from Kansas (an additional two refusing
| to admit the Same) five from Texas five
| from Missouri, two from Illinois, two from
| Nebraska, two from Arkansas one from
| Iowa, one from Colorado. one from Wy
| oming, one from Louisiana, one from
| Ohio and one from the Indian Territory.
| They were born: In Ohio, seven: in Mis-
| souri,. six: in New York. four; in Ten
| nessee, four: in Texas. four; in Indiana,
| three in Illinois. three: in Virginia, two;
| in Kentucky, two: in Iowa, one; in Massa-
| chusetts. one; in Kansas. one, and in
France. one
| In the council are eight farmers and
| stock breeders and five lawyers. The as
| sembly has sixteen farmers and stock
breeders four merchants, four lawyers,
| one physician and one newspaper man.
The councils oldest member is e. j.
| Clark. Sc years of age; its youngest men,
| ber being D. S. Randolph. aged 26. The
assembly's Oldest member is W. t. Gault,
| &c years of age: it's youngest member be-
| ing Z. E. Oleson. aged 30. An average age
of the council is 43, and that of the as
sembly 45 years. W. T. LITTLE.
Will HnuI Relief Grain Free.
San Francisco, Feb. 6.-The India famine
committee has made arrangements with the
Southern Pacific Company whereby that
corporation will transport, free of charge,