Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1901-190?, 1902-04-26

All during the sixty days strenuous
efforts had been made on the part OF
the majority to elect a senator. but
during the Campa ign of the fall before
1t had been openly stated that the leg
is!ator Of the coming session who did
not 20 home Fixed for life would be
foolish Both sides were expected to
use enormous sums Of money, and the
senatorship was expected to be the
prize of the man who was willing to
pay the most for it. This was the
sentiment of large number of people
during the campaign.
Long before the first ballot for
the senhtoIship had been east on the
second Tuesday of the session, the
leaders of the majority had decided
that as they had elected majority
OF the members OF the body there
would be no necessity for them to buy
the votes already theirs. They held
that the men could not have the
gall to go back on the constituents
who had elected them and besides.
clean election would give their party
large amount of prestige, as II would
serve to give Il knockout blow to the
rumors of corrupt uses of money in
legislative halls, when their party was
I'm control
When the first ballot was cast, the
votes of the majority were badly scat
tered, but day by day, as the balloting
proceeded, and the session came near
er to an end it was evident that the
votes of the majority were simmo-ing
down to two candidates, but it was
also evident that this state of affairs
was the result of the clever wire-pull
ing of the opposition, as the candi
dates were old rivals and one would
never give way to the other.
The minority on the other hand
had been hanging closely together, and
IL was clear that they were being
maneuvered by clever political
schemcr. During the early part of
the session that had cast their 35 votes
for former Representative Moore.
man who had borne a spotless reputa-
ton but on the 45th day of the sit
ting they switched and cast their vote
solidly for man who had the repu
tation of being the smoothest pol!ti.
clan in the state-John Flaherty-
who since his defeat for Congress four
years before had held fat federal po
sition and had built up political ma
chine powerful in it's environment
When the minority switched to Flaher-
ty the leaders of the other side began
to look worried, for they knew that
the skillful politician would stop at
nothing to secure an election.
Thus it went on during the remain
ing days of the session. enough mem
bers to cause n deadlock or elect the
minority candidate, remaining stub
born and mean, on account of not re,
Ceiving the price for their vote
The session had just taken a five
minute recess. after twelve hours
sitting. and the members were just
getting back TO their seats from the
saloon across the street. The floor of
the House was crowded with lobbyists,
for the minority who had been
brought from all parts of the state to
lend moral courage" to the men who
were to be purchased, and was imme,
diately whispered around that Flaher.
,ty had fixed the insurgent members of
the majority and that he would be
elected on the next ballot.
The session was called to order, and
an intense quiet seemed to come over
the packed throng.
I'VE will now proceed with the two
hundred and eighteenth ballot for the
election of a United States senator to
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