The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-12-12
BED BROTHER
WON THE DAY
IN COUNTY
Governor Ferguson Tells OF
EARLY Politics.
TRICKED THE DEMOCRATS
Republicans Carried County
by a Small Margin
TRICKED THE DEMOCRATS

Guthrie. O. r, Dec. 1.-THE Indian is
a stubborn fellow and having always a
SUSPICION Of whatever the white man IS
Going. it is hard for the latter TO handle
him. However. there is one epoch in the
history OF Blaine county. Oklahoma at
which time the red man was handled by
the white man to good advantage.
Governor r. 3. Ferguson tells Of that
time the first time the Indian was voted.
The governor says:
1t was in o. in the Cheyenne and
AIapahoe country at that time, a set
tier was not allowed TO vote until he had
held land for six months. There was
no law that we knew Of for this, but
everyone observed the ruling.
THAT year. we Republicans, (Chas-
Davis was the chairman OF the county
central committee poned county c, now
Blame county. and found that with a few
doubtful members we lacked enough to
win The county ticket. So just then,
necessity forced us TO find way out of
our trouble.
The Arapahoe and Cheyenne tribes
were camped about eighteen miles west
OF Watonga The two tribes had been
having trouble between themselves. The
Cheyennes were very warlike toward the
white people and at one time threatened to
run all the whites out of the country. The
Arapahoes therefore thought by taking
sides with the white man, they would
be doing injury to the Cheyennes. This
fact may have had its weight in our
success with the Arapahoes.
We boys went out to the camp and
had a conference with the chiefs We
wanted them to put one of their own
tribe in the campaign for We thought
that we could get them to vote by doing
this. We explained to the old chiefs that
there were certain emcluments. accruing
from the Office Of register of deeds and
that this money would come TO them if
they voted.
We stayed with them nearly all night
then and smoked the pipe i'm the tent.
while the old chiefs counseled with one
another about the white mans PROPOSE
ton. The Democrats accused US of par
ticipating in a dog-feast. What the rest
did ! don't know, but l know that l
didn't eat any dog.
Finally the old chiefs decided to vote
with the white man and we went back
home about daylight. They put up an
educated Indian youth by the name Of
John Williams
Those Indians cast twenty four votes
and saved the day for .-.e Republicans.
The county clerk won by just five ma
jority. the treasurer by nine and so on
It. was pretty close and shows how closely
we figured that pon Of the county.
'One Of the best things about the whole
thing was the way the Democrats were
duDed when they tried the same game
two years later.
We had voted the Indians under an
organic act, which holds them citizens.
A statute Of Oklahoma declares that the
Indian cannot vote. The latter is really
void. as it violates the organic act.
However. the Democrats did not know
this
The nisht before election. the Indians
at the solicitation Of the Democrats came
In and camped in the precincts. our men
after dark slipped around and told the
Gtfferent Indians that if they voted that
day they would have to pav taxes and
give up their ponies. The Indian had
horror for taxes and so election morning
found all the Indians on the road home
However, the Democrats got some Of
them back. but after all did not vote
them
We had our mon stationed at the polls
and when a Democrat went TO vote an
Indian. the Republican would open up
the book to the Oklahoma statute show
ing that the Indian could not vote. The
Democrats not knowing Of the organic act
would declare that as that was the law.
he wouldn't violate it by voting the In
dan.
Finally. one Of the Democrats scruti-
ni7ed the Republican with the statute
very closely and said:
How DID You fellows vote the Indians
then. two years ago?
" Oh. REPLIED the Republican without
= blush. this law has been made since
that time