The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1910-11-18
HASKELL TO ORDER
PROSECUTIONS
Statement lntimates Action May Be
Taken Against Men Who Tried
to Intimate Inspectors.

Oklahoma City, Nov. 12.-Governor
Haskell has issued statement in
which he intimates that prosecutions
are likely to follow of federal deputy
marshals and higher officials who are
alleged to have sought to intimidate
election inspectors in last Tuesdays
election and advised ignorant negroes
to go to the polls, armed If necessary.
The governors statement is as follows:
The people of Oklahoma have en-
acted election laws and established
qualifications for voters such as the
majority of the people of the state
have a right to do and as best suited
the will of the people. The so-called
grandfather clause can not be called
a partisan measure as its adoption last
August represents not only demo-
cratic votes, but thousands and thou
sands of republican votes. At any
rate it was the will of the people.
There was ample time given before
election day for any one desiring so
to do to legally question every fea-
ture of that law, and the method of its
application, and have the courts deter
mine the same, and when the republi-
can political machine waited until cleo
tion morning and then sought to terrify
election officers by the aid of the Unit
ed States marshals and attorneys this
was an outrage upon the sovereign
state of Oklahoma that must not pass
by without proper attention.
"Any officer of the federal govern
ment acting within the limits of his
authority should be respected, aided
and assisted by every loyal citizen of
the state, but when such officers abuse
and exceed their official authority and
seek to use the name of our great gov
ernment of the United States for dirty
political purposes they become the
most heinous offenders possible.
have sworn proof before me that such
officers, and regret to say even higher
officials in a multitude of cases ad-
yised ignorant negroes to go to the
polls armed and vote by force If nee
essary and to ignore and resist state
authority. If the evidence before our
district court or grand jury shows
such state of facts that officer should
be indicted and the high character of
the office that he has abused has no
protection for him.
again, If it is true that district at
Itorneys or assistant district attorneys
gave out letters Of advice to the effect
that a mere afidayit was conclusive
evidence OF the right Of d negro to
vote who might be In the disqualified
class, that statement Ia not the law,
and such district attorney or assistant
district attorney was without authority
: iof his office to make any such state
ment, much less to give it out for gen.
eral public effect, and If he did so, con-
Spring with others to have this effect,
Iintimidate state election officers he is
likewise a proper subject for imme-
! date investigation of our state courts
and grand juries.
I'm short the men of intelligence
who advised the ignorant class to riot
Gus conduct, false swearing and voting
in violation of our state laws, are the
i, very men who should be prosecuted
unsparingly. II leniency is shown, let
1t be to the ignorant class who were
misled by the unwarranted and unlaw-
full advice of men of greater intelli-
gence.
1T will not do to pass by unnoticed
these efforts to destroy the will of
the people by nullifying and abusing
the election laws that they have adopt.
ed, nor must the intelligent class be
excused and ignorant class punished;
and in the class that must be dealt
with to preserve the dignity of the
state and the will OF the people are a
few reckless newspapers that were
SO reckless as to openly publish adj
vice to the ignorant to go by armed
force and violate the law, incite muir
der, riot and bloodshed. This high
handed practice by those who should
advise peace and lawful conduct must
be vigorously punished and condemn
led
&C. N. HASKELL, Governor"