The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-12-08
OPINION Is
in A TUMULT
IN OKLAHOMA
Complex State of Feeling
Over Political Changes.
SORROW FOR JENKINS
And Endorsement of President
Found Side by Side.
SORROW FOR JENKINS


into one at this moment, the tumult OF
public opinion would not equal what it is
today.
President Roosevelt's removal of Gov
ernOr jenkins, his manner OF doing this
and the appointment of Thomas Fergu-
sun has caused a cyclone of public and
private utterances, which contradict, re-
crini7ate. and collide everywhere and
coincide nowhere. No definite line OF
thought predominates, or continues long
enough to be followed to any conclusion.
An attempt classify points brought out
in newspaper articles on the situation and
IN street and Office opinions results in
this:
/ Complete sorrow for Governor Jen-
iins and an insistence that he did not
consciously do wrong.
,. Endorsement of the action of Pres
ident Roosevelt in removing Governor
jenkins.
g.. Partial demand for a thorough in
vestigation Of the sanitarium deal.
= The most savage attacks in Demo-
cratic newspapers on the new governor,
Tom Ferguson.
;. Enthusiastic praise by the Repubn-
can papers of the personal qualities Of the
new governor.
Under the first head hardly a newspa-
per in the territory fails to express sor-
row for the deposed governor; the Demo-
cratic papers are doing so in some in
stances for fancied political effect. The
Republican papers hold that Governor
Jenkins IS entitled. 10 the fullest sym
Iathy and that his mistake was thought
leesness OF the appearance Of segregated
Sanitarium stock.
Uneer the second head none of the Re
publican papers say that President Roose-
welt did wrong; mostly they ascribe to
him the determination to exact avoidance
of ali appearance of evil from federal
officials. a stand which is approved.
Under the third head comes a demand
from all the Democratic papers and some
of the Republican papers which have been
close to Governor Jenkins, that the whole
Sanitarium deal from beginning TO end
be revealed. Carrying out this idea, re-
ports that the government has secret
special agents in/the territory sitting the
matter to the bottom are referred to
with satisfaction.
Under the fourth head comes the at
tack on the new governor by the Demo-
cratic press. NO such volume of abuse
has ever been poured out on a human
being in the territory. In his day Dele
gate Flynn has been assailed ferociously,
but the attack on Governor Ferguson sur
passes anything in Oklahoma's history.
His personal integrity, or his honesty is
not assaulted. But he is abused for the
sentiments he holds. His friendliness for
the negro .provokes from the Democratic
papers, the bitterest denunciation. One
reason for the attack is that he has al
ways been a man of most vigorous opin-
ion and feariessness in expressing himself
and has antagonized the Democratic party
in an its tenets.
Under The fifth head the Republican pa
pers unanimously approve of the new gov
ernor. Their expression Is sincere testi-
nony that he win make capable gov
ernor: that his administration viii be
free from scandal. win be able. and con-
ciliatory to an factions.
Conjectures Of the means by which the
present crisis was brought about IN Wash
ington have practically ceased. The be-
lief is growing that the act OF the presi-
dents was his own, purely and simply,
and that nothing could have stayed his
hand. Some Of Mr.. Jenkins friends talk
Of conspiracy-but no one can find a con-
spiracy If there was one, Judge AIerriel1
would know it, and it is a well known fact
that Merric}z acted practically alone in
the matter No one doubts but that he
has had a SURGE of information for fling
the charges. hat he viii not say SO.
One Of the most lucid explanation OF
the case Of Governor Jenkins is from
the pen a. jacob Admire. He writes;
The outcome Of the Gov. Jenkins case
is Geplorable Any mae who can re-
joice and eNult over il, either for per
sonai or political reasons, must have a
hard heart, indeed. Governor Jenkins was
guilty. o. q breach OF official duty. the
gravity Of which he did mot seem to, IN
derstand. There Is no evidence OF in
territorial wrong doing. and no one, who
Is IN a position to speak with authority.
has charged him with wilful and premed-
itated dishonesty. It would even seem
that al the parties to the sanitarium
transaction regarded it as legitimate.
There has been no effort, 50 far IS the
pubiic knows, 20 cover anything up in re-
laeon TO it. and no one seems TO have
been thoughtful enough 10 suggest to
Governor Jenkins. that his course in hav-
e
- enterprise set apart subject TO his order,
was improper. If Mr.. Jobes, who sue
ceede5 70 the stock. had been one Of the
original stockholders. without the known
intervention of Governor jenkins in his
bebaIs, while there would have been,
with good reason. some fault-nnding the
matter would probably never have taken
such . serious Vnrn as it did
Ana had II not been Tor a quar-
reIs over another matter. even as
x was nothing would have prob
anly been said about ii. The motive OF
the attack upon Governor Jenkins is NOT
indicative Of the highest type Of citizen
ship Ever since the facts in regard 20
the TRANSACTION haAe been known. few
men OF intelligence Doubted the result.
The president could not afford to condcne
Or excuse the governors mistake. Ii
was not question Of personnel honesty
more then il was q question Of his fitness
T. administer 20 the duties Of the COVER
nor's Office. Il is "a he regretted that SUI
fcient excuse existed 70 Justify the heroic
lnnnner OF Governor Jenkins dismissal
fro-a oGce. but. the president. no DOUBT
yeti that the occasion demanded die pub
Isc declaration ~ 4 policy on his line by
which the administration fs - be guided.
i was terrible blow. bat we are sure
that il was not delivered Tor the purpose
Of farther aumiliatins man WIN was
alres-iv crashed and broken hearted. III
sgas the purpose Il teach lesson that 81
Win naf oe FORGOTTEN.