Morris tribune., 1908-08-15
STATE SONG CONTEST
Plan Proposed to Decide on Okla.
homa's Official Lyric.
PRIZE TO BE COMPETED FOR.


posers Be Invited to Sing Before thu
Lesislature-Questio of State Flow
or Also to Be Settled-Alfalfa, Mic.
tletoe and GoIdenrod Suggested.
IL the next Oklahoma legislature
converting early in January of the com.
ing year, does not pull off singing
match to decide upon the song to BE-
adopted as the official air of the state
it will not be the fault of Colonel Sid.
ney Suggs Of Ardmore, edftor-owner OF
the Daily Ardmorite, an enthusiast In
good road building and carrier of near.
~ 800 pounds of flesh. In a letter writ
ten recently to Governor Charles N
Haskell, Colonel Suggs says:
II believe that the time has arrived
in the history Of the new state to select
q patriotic song for Oklahoma. would
suggest that you notify the musicians
Of the state that such song is desired
and have the words selected from the
constitution and set to some new all
and then call upon the musicians of the
state to compete for prize"
1t was further suggested by Colonel
Sugas in this letter that during the
next session of the legislature all the
competitors come to Guthrie and sing
their songs before a musical committee
empowered to pass upon the quality OF
the music and the general tone Of the
poetry, says Guthrie (Okla) dispatch
to the st. Louis Post-Dispatch. Thee
he would have law enacted adopting
the song selected as the official song of
the state.
This would not be the first contest
Of its kind in an official Oklahoma as
semblage. While the constitutional
the matter of selecting reading clerk
came up, and the delegates voted to
have the various candidates read be-
fore the convention and to select thu
best reader. Five aSpirants mounted
the platform and read selections given
to them. The place was won by Box
Williams, newspaper man of Altus.
In connection with Colonel Suggs'
idea, it is contended by Q. S. Russell,
chairman of the executive committee
Of the Democratic State Press asso'
citation, that the states official song
has already been adopted. Mr.. Rus
sell, a newspaper man, was present
when the constitutional convention
held it's initial session. While the del
egates were gathering the representa-
tives of the press, together with nu
merous political hangers on who were
awaiting the parceling out of the jobs,
began singing, How Dry I Am!' an0
it continued until the convention was
officially opened.
State wide prohibition was then I'm
known. 1t was pretty generally be-
lieved, however, that the convention
would incorporate it in the constitu-
ton, and the song as given by the re-
porters and politicians was considered
appropriate. It is contended that it Is
even more appropriate now after nine
months of prohibition. Mr.. Russell be-
lieves, therefore, that this should be
considered the states official song. The
first verse and, in fact. the other nine
ty-nine verses of the song are:
How dry am, how dry am!
God only knows how dry ! am!
During the sessions Of the constitu
tional convention the delegates were
always ready to sing. After G. N. Has
kell began to forge to the front 40 q
gubernatorial possibility, for he was a
delegate in the convention, his friends,
under the leadership of President MuE'
ray, would frequently employ idle
time in the convention by singing to
some popular tune the words, Here's
to Charlie Haskell: he'll be our nexl
governor" The delegates who were
not Haskell's political friends, how
ever, would always end such i'm
promptu concerts by singing to the
same tune, whatever it might be, the
words, you've got another guess com
ing" The delegates frequently, too
sang Dixie "Old Kentucky Home
and other southern airs.
During the recent legislature bill
was introduced by Senator Henry 5.
Johnston of Perry, now the Demo
cratic nominee for congress in this dis
trict, making a poem on oklahoma"
as written by an Indian girl, Table
quah, the official state poem. The bill
drew considerable comment, but was
defeated.
In addition to a state song, the next
legislature will again have under dis
cussion, too, the adoption Of stats
flower This question was thrashed
out in both the constitutional cow en-
ton and the legislature, but no deci-
sion was ever reached. William FL.
Murray and his friends always de
handed the adoption Of alfalfa as the
state flower, but this was opposed by
the advocates of mistletoe and golden
rod. Mistletoe by legislative enact
ment was the official flower Of old Ok.
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