The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1911-02-01
STOLE OWENS THUNDER.

washington llmeS.l
The Honorable Robert Latham
owen. A. NJ, IL. d., a senator from
Oklahoma, has been frlsked.
But a few short and fieeting days
agone, the Hon. owen was full Of po-
litical doctrine and dogma Of which
he was the undisputed proprietor. 1t
bulged from his every pocket, it filled
his utterances from the forum, and,
safeguarded by the potent espionage OF
his senatorial frank, it more or less
cluttered up the United States mails.
The Hon. owen, be it known, was
the originator Of the modern manifes-
tation OF that school of political doc
trine which has become known as
''the peoples rule" He was for the
people when nobobdy else knew they
existed; at least, when nobody else
recognized them as an available asset
.that could be cashed in at the central
oank Of political exchange.
He was head Of AN advisory com
mitteev which long ago put forth liter
ature proposing that the LEADERS Of
democracy" organize themselves into a
great national movement for the pro-
mitigation OF certain reforms calcu-
lated to restore to the people the right
to run the country He wrote litera-
ture, circulated it, talked it into the
Record so that it could be franked,
and got busy in myriad Of ways. He
didn't say much about his organized
activities, but he was busy all the
time
He talked to republicans and demo
Gratis alike about the desirability OF
having the people take a larger part
IN the government. He was for real
primaries, for popular election OF sena-
tors. for the initiative, referendum. re-
CALL short ballot and all those things
before anybody else had thought Of
mentioning them in public.
But today, the Hon. owen is a bank
rupt He has been held up, and the
entire scheme Of popular government
has been taken of his person.
The National Progressive Republic
can league has done the business. i
appropriated the owen program. put
an insurgent label on it, and flashed il
forth to the country as the project Of
the progressive wing of the republican
party. Senator owen is wondering
just what is left for him. But he
doesn't worry much
Haven't these progressive republi
cans stolen all your thunder?" was
asked OF Senator Owen. just after the
new league had thrndered forth its
declaration Of intent to fix things
right.
Perhaps they have" was the sor
rowful reply. but am always willing
to have anybody steal the text of the
Ten Commandments from me. TheyI
do him more good than the theft car
possibly do me HARM"
Senator owen has been a people.
rule advocate since before the Hodges
were hung, whoever they were anc
wherever that was. He made speeches
about it before Jonathan Bourne hat
started propagating the idea And
oddly enough, he doesn't claim that The
democratic party has a copyright OF
the idea. He isn't concerned beeaus,
the first formal organization to take NJ
the idea and make big splash over i
is a republican. He is pleased half t
death because new crowd has discov
eyed his scheme OF making the people
the real bosses Of this country.
The Owen program was put ou
many months ago, and the fact that i
is now being pushed forward by {
group OF republicans Is regarded b,
Senator owen as merely an evidence
that the program is one that canno
fail to gather up followers whereye
It is talked about He opines that dem
ocrats and republicans are all people
and as his game is to get the people
Interested in the scheme, he is glad tt
get all kinds of them active
His scheme includes everything tho
Progressive Republican league has pu
forth in its platform and still more