The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-03-13
REXROAT TELLS OF
LEGISLATIVE WORK
MEMBER FROM THIS COUNTY
TELLS OF CLOSING DAYS OF
THE SESSION.

Representative u. r. ReXroat re-
;urned from Oklahoma City Sunday
night, and in speaking of the closing
days of the legislature said:
This is no doubt one of the
most unique sessions or the legisla-
ture dhat has ever been he'd in any
state in this Union; it is one in
which party lines and partisan poll
tcs was conspicuous by their absence.
you could nCI. tell "A Republican from
"A Democrat for upon practically all
questions the members infested their
individuality instead OF making it
partisan measure In the senate
there was no minority side nor ma
iority side assigned to either party,
but they drew their seats by num-
ber. and hey were all mixed so that
it was impossible to Tell one from
the other.
In the house there was assigned
% the Republicans a section of the
| Ild ], ColIo lSliHS VI lNtilAg TolA oNtito'
They were permitted TO select their
own committee clerks and their own
stenogra pliers, as we'll as their own
page.
at was only a few days until the
oklahoma Legislature was clearly de
fined as business body regardless
- orttu hn
p,oyee of the minority party and the
majority party naturally evolved into
I one business body of employees, and
weIe designated to work wherever
I and whenever needed.
"To show the high esteem in
which the Republicans held the gov
g ernor, when it was clearly under
stood that this was a business ses-
! sion of uhe Legislature, and not a
: political session, the minority side
=, procured a life-sized photograph of
, the governor and hung ii on the
n wall, bordering it with Jhe American
|, flag on their side Of the house. When
i they did so storm of applause went
;, up from the entire body, that took
,. the sergeant-at-arms to Quel.
y In "A speech by Republican sen
o ator at o'clock Sunday morning,
+ prior to an adjournmenr at 6, he
said that the only thing that he
h had to regret was the fact that the
ola ion 10 1Nn Ilgl or
/ again so that he might be permitted
+. to vote for Lee Cruce. He said
o that our governor was as firm as
o the Rock OF Gibraltar on all mat
ters that he considered right, and to
: his judgment as to right and wrong,
. when expressed by him, were clothed
by logic and reason that was hard
, to overcome.
There were some measures ad-
voca;ed by Governor Cruce that We,
as Legislators, could not possibly be-
lieve were right and proper, and
therefore failed to enact into laws.
But he was perfectly fair with us
and did not try to whip us into
line by any methods political or
otherwise. AS for instance, on the
question Of prohibition, with refer
ence to giving him power and au-
thority to sit as trial judge in the
case of public officials being charged
with deriliction OF duty.
Many laws were amended to con
form to the popular ideas of the
people OF this state, and but few
new laws enacted \ resolution was
passed putting up to the people
proposed constitutional amendment
to Section 9 of Areicle IN. wherein
railroads are prohibited from selling
to ano,her railroad corporation with-
in this state, and therefore imped
ing the progress of railroad build
ing, and being no doubt the most
serious impediment to the develop
ment of our state than any law
that we have, either constitutional
or statutory.
1T is conceded by the officials
of this state almost TO a man that
all we need is regulation of rail
roads and no. prohibition of railroad
building. 1t is an evident fact that
the reason why other election on
this subjec; that our constitution
was not changed, was brought about
by he unreasonableness of the sub
stitutes offered for Section 9 of Ar
ticle IN, and we have absolutely no
doubt but what the people of this
state will amend this section at the
coming election.