The Washington times., 1906-12-17
Strong Sentiment Pre-
walls in Convention in
Favor of Action.
LOBBYISTS IN STRUGGLE
Outnumber Representatives
of the People at Guthrie
Gathering.

1t is doubtful il since the great strug-
gle over the admission of Missouri sn
the Union there has been so tremendous
a conflict Of interests in connection with
the organization OF a new state. as Is
today in progress In the constitutional
convention OF Oklahoma. at Guthrie.
MissourI's was a struggle between
freedom and slavery. OklahOma's is a
contest between the people and the great
interests which seek control OF the tre-
mendous natural resources Of the State
its coal and oil-and would dictate the
terms on which in future the new State
shall deal with corporations.
There are 110 members of the consti-
tutional convention which began it's sit
tings three weeks ago. The spirit OF
liberalism and progressivism dominates
the gathering The Interests" made de-
termincd efforts 10 get their kind OF
people into the convention. but almost
uniformly failed. Now they are resort
ing to the methods OF the lobby and Of
manipulation and misleading. From the
chair of the convention its presiding Of
ficer, William Murray. a farmer with an
Indian wife, made this statement:
4 want it distinctly understood by tha
peopIe haunting the Hobbies of this con-
Vention cannot be bought. call on the
delegates to notify me Of the names aud
relations of all persons who approach
them regarding the business or this con-
ventlon. and ! recommend that al. lob
byists be required 10 reg ster and state
in what interest they are here"
Lobbyists Frightened.
The suggestion to require registration
of lobbyists was promptly adopted. re-
sulting IL a scattering OF many repre-
sentatives of private interests. But
there are still lobbyists by the hundred; !;
several times as many OF Jnem as OF
the conventions members. There s q
Standard Oil lobby various railroad lo5.
bies. sundry coal land lobbles, divers Of
flcials of the Choctaw and Chickasaw
nations, trying 10 protect their in
terests in the coal and asphalt lands; a
number of labor lobbles, endeavoring to
secure insertion Of advanced expressions
on labor. child employment. employers
liability, a declaration against fellow
servant law, regulation OF hours OF labor.
and ali related subjects. There Is a wO-
man suffrage lobby. a school-book trust
lobby and a lobby OF independent oil
producers as opposed 70 the Standard
Illustrating Ihe temper OF this COnven-
ton. IL has developed that there is a
strong sentiment in favor OF the new
State taking over the great coal field OF
Indian Territory. These coal lands, con-
stltutng one of the greatest coal fields
on the continent, are owned by the
ChoctaW and Chickasaw Indians the
Government acting as trustee for them.
The ultra-pTogressives pointing out that
today coal worth 81 65 at the month OF
the mines is sold loo miles away at Sc
per ton. take the ground that nothing
less than State ownership can protect
the community IN future. They demand
that the credit OF the new State be en-
ployed to buy these mineral rights The
alternatives as they view it, are that
the Federal Government will retain
management OF the field and lease the
mining rights. Otherwise some huge
private interest will ultimately get con-
troll OF the field.
The Oklahomans fear that Congress