Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-11-22
OKLAHOMA JOINS
UNION OF STATES.
GOV. HASKELL DELIVERS STINGING
ADDRESS UPON HIS INAUGU-
RATION INTO OFFICE.
RAPS ROOSEVELT AND RULE.
Railways Must Be Good-Abolition of
Stock Exchange Would Halt
Money Crisis, He Says.

GUTHRIE, Okla, Nov. 16.-With i'm
pressive ceremonies BETTING the birth of
the new state of Oklahoma, the oaths of
office were administered to Gov. Charles
n. Haskell and other state officers a
few minutes before noon today. The
executive oath was given by Leslie u.
Niblack, a newspaper man. The cere-
monies took place on the steps of the
Carnegie library, there being no state
building here.
Following prayer the proclamation Of
President Roosevelt admitting Oklahoma
and Indian territory into the union was
read by Charles Filson, secretary of
Oklahoma territory. The text of the
order, which was telegraphed from
Washington a short time before the IN
augurauon, was brief and closed as fol-
lows:
l, Theodore Roosevelt President of the
United States of America, III accordance
with the enabling act of Congress and by
authority thereof, announce the result OF
the election to be as certified, and do here
by declare and proclaim that the terms
and conditions prescribed by Congress to
entttle the state OF Oklahoma to admission
into the union on an equal footing with
the original thirteen states are accom-
plished.
A band Of Cherokee Indian boys then
played The Star Spangled Banner"
Governor Roasts Roosevelt.
Gov. Haskell then took the formal
oath with upIifted hand. Turning 10
the crowd that closed in from every di
rection, he then delivered the inaugural
address. He said:
In its course through the day the
sun will have lighted the pathway of Il
million and Il half people emerging from
the disorder and the discomfort of bu
reaucratic government, restricted to the
point of helpleSsneSS and neglected to
the limit OF oppression, into condition
of liberty in elf-government; we are
not assembled here to worship the public
officer who conceded US our rights, par
ticularly when We reflect that long ago,
from every standpoint of population,
wealth and intelligence of this era Okla
homa was entitled to all the blessings
and privileges of statehood, and now TO
thank the public officers in over gracious
terms who have finally performed long
and unjustly deferred duty would be III
the nature of hugging the feet of dila
tory debtor who finally pays his just in
debtedneSS."
Scores Federal Rule.
Gov. Haskell discussed the relations
between the state and federal govern
ments, and continued:
1T is with regret that we notice a
disposition on the part of some one high
in authority to look upon the constitu-
ton of the United States itself as even
a little thing to be used when it meets
the wish of its executor, and to be con
strued and Bonded when at a variance.
There is no more dangerous practice to
be tolerated ia any public officer, i care
not whether he bend it for a good pur
pose or for a bad purpose. Those anX
lOus IT, centrallze power in the federal
government must blush when they re-
view the conditions under which we have
lived for years. Our freight rates are
double those in the adjoining states The
lumber trust, the coal trust and other
like combinations have fattened by UNI
restricted robbery of our people. If led
eral control is such a good thing i'll Il
state why has it proven SO utterly in
efficient in a territory.'
Close Wall Street, He Says.
Gov. Haskell dwelt at length upon
what he termed the oppression Of the
country by the trusts, and then dis
cussed the financial situation, saying:
You can look for immediate relief
wherever you please. When you tire
Of looking elsewhere you will agree with
me that the quickest road to financial
exchange and free the currency that it
dominates and turn it into the chan
nels of legitimate commerce.
Let the eastern banks pay our Ok
lahoma banks what they owe them and
we can market our produce now ready
for the buyer and vastly increase our
own wealth"
Gov. Haskell promised fair treatment
of the railroads. But" he added, Il
hope that the railroads will assume the
official conduct in Oklahoma is like unto
a court of equity where justice is to be
melted out to all and that these railways
expecting justice in that court of equity
should enter that court with their own
hands clean. and to make them clean
trust they viii begin by obeying the laws
of Oklahoma
When he had finished, the governor
announced the appointment of Robert
L. Owens of Muskogee, and Thomas z.
Gore of Lawton as United States sena-
tors.
Barbecue Is Big Feature.
4 parade was then formed and
marched to a park in the outskirts of the
city where an immense crowd waited to
begin an Indian barbecue, Il feature sug-
gested by Gov. Haskell.
PRESIDENT SIGNS PROCLAMATION.
0ly1 C+ro1,o of