The Springfield herald., 1907-11-22
OKLAHOMA IS
NOW A STATE
TWO FORMER TERRiT oRIEa
UNITE IN GENERAL cELEsRA.
TioN OF THE EVENT.
INAUGURAL is RADICAL
GOVERNOR HASKELL cRITlciZEs
THE GOVERNMENT AND DE-
NouNcEs THE TRUSTS.

Guthrie, Okla.-The admission OF
Oklahoma to statehood Saturday was
marked by jubilation throughout the
two territories and by Inauguration
exercises. a parade and a barbecue in
this city.
Governor Charles N. Haskell's In
augural address was radical In the ex-
treme. He denounced the combina-
tions that have fattened by unre-
stricted robbery Of our people," de-
clared in favor of prison sentences for
offending corporation officials and an
nounced that the liquor prohibition law
would be rigidly enforced.
The governors first act was to or
der the county attorney at Bartlesville
to take steps to prevent the Standard
Oil Company from completing a nat
ural gas pipe line across the border to
Kansas, 1t being the policy OF Okla
homa to prevent the expectation OF
gas.
There being legal question as to
the hour when Prohibition took effect.
whether at noon or midnight. Governor
Haskell ordered that the saloons be
permitted to remain open until mid
night.
The retiring officials of Oklahoma
Territory took no part in today's in
auguration. Governor Frantz was in
vited, but declined. The other retir-
ing officials were not invited, because
one of them, E. H McCabe. deputy ter
ritorial auditor, is negro. and the
new administration draws the color
line sharply.
In his address the governor said:
I'm its course through the day the
sun will have lighted the pathway of
a million and half people emerging
from the disorder and the discomfort
of bureaucratic government, restricted
to the point of helplessness, and reg
lected to the point OF oppression, into
a condition of liberty and self-govern-
ment.
I'VE are not assembled here to wor-
ship the public officer who ultimately
conceded us our rights, especially
when we reflect that long ago, from
every standpoint of population, wealth
and intelligence this area 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 un-
ustly-deferred duty, would be in the
nature of hugging the feet of dila-
tory debtor who finally pays off his
Just Indebtedness"
Governor Haskell discussed the re-
lations between the state and feredal
governments and continued:
at is with regret that we notice
disposition on the part of some one
high in authority to look upon the con-
stitution of the United States itself as
even little thing to be used when it
meets the wish of its executor, and
to be construed and bended when at
variance with his will.
There is no more dangerous prac-
tice to be tolerated in any public Off
Ger, care not whether he bend for
good purpose or for a bad purpose.
than to assume the right to construe
the constitution from time to time to
meet his own desires. Those anxious
to centralize power in the federal gov
ernment must blush when they 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 fattened by
unrestricted robbery of our people. If
federal control is good thing in
state why has it proved so utterly in
efficient in territory"
-
upon what he termed the oppression
of the country by the trusts, and then
discussed the financial situation, say
ing:
You can look for immediate relief
wherever you please.
when you tire of looking elsewhere
you will agree with me that the quick
est road to financial relief is to close
the New York Stock Exchange and
free the currency that it dominates
and turn it into the channels of le-
gitimate commerce.
Let the eastern banks pay our
Oklahoma banks what they owe them
and should pay in currency on demand,
and we can market our products now
ready for the buyer and vastly in
crease our own wealth."
Governor Haskell promised fair
treatment of the railroads.
But" he added, 81 hope that the
railroads will assume that official con-
duct in Oklahoma is like unto court
of equity, where justice is to be meted
out to all, and that these railroads,
asking justice in that court of equity,
should enter that court with their own
hands clean, and to make them clean
trust they will begin by obeying the
laws of Oklahoma"
When they had finished, the gov.
ernor announced that the appointment
of Robert l.. Owens of Muskogee and
Thomas P. Gore of Lawton as United
States senator's.
Following prayer by clergyman,
and before the address was delivered
the proclamation of President Roose-
welt admitting Oklahoma and Indian
Territory into the Union was read by
Charles Filson, secretary of Oklahoma