The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1913-01-06
SPEAKER CONTEST
OVERSHAO0WS ALL
Senate Meets Day Ahead With Ap.
pointments Yet Undsposed CT
a Warlike Session.

Oklahoma City Jan. 6.--With Dor
tenious signs and rumblings. thu
fourth legislature is assembling I,
convene in regular session Tuesday a
nigh noon. The soothsayers shake
their heads direfully as the last days
pass, and prognosticate a warlike ses
sion.
The senate assemblies a day ahead
of time, with every promise of hard
lighting over the gubernatorial ap
pointments yet undisposed of.
The house members are engagin in
one of the hardest fought and most
interesting contests for the speaker.
ship in the history of the legislatures
since statehood.
Sunday was not a day of rest with
the legislators. In fact, the tension
Sunday night was greater than Satur.
day, and the expectation of important
developments kept the lobbies of the
hotels where the legislators are mill.
ing" on tiptoe all day long. Stories of
combinations, disintegrating forces of
one man steadily gaining and pulling
ahead of the other candidates. of big
political influences working for this
man or that, of Withdrawals by this
candidate or that, were in the air all
the time, and largely neutralized each
other with their confictions.
There is no question but that the
speakership is being fought for hard
No question but that others than legis.
lators are taking part in it. Every
train brings in outside big men" and
politicians, sent for to use their in
nuence ON maybe a home member, or
10 help with landing somebody else.
The story was actually told at mid
night Saturday night, and gained some |
iredence, that an "eastside" legisla |
or pledged to one candidate. had been !
Intercepted by friends of another, while
n transit to Oklahoma City, and Kid.
laped to Southwest City, Mo. It turned
'ut upon investigation that this mem.
'er had never even left his farm, but
his shows the atmosphere" surround. /
ng the speakership fight.
Good nature prevails, however. and 4
seems the accepted opinion that no
asting factions are being created:
hat when the winner wins, the losers
'lll forget they ever tried for the
onor, and go into the serious bust.
ess of lawmaking, untrammeled by
ny bad feeling.
AS one very prominent state poll
clan put it Sunday night: 1T makes c
0 difference whether Williams
IaXey, Smith or Crawford wins the {
leadership, one strong man will be (
the chair and three other strong b
zen ON the floor, to say nothing of
Die legislators who are not contesting t
nd the gentlemen on the floor will I
ield as much power as if they were b
the chair. The house has too MANY o
iceptional men in it this session to "
dominated by any speaker who il
light be selected, and for this rea. t
N, If no other, the contest for the
leadership need have no i'll feeling be. d
nd it, since no one loses any van il
ge by it going to someone else. Z
AT a late hour Sunday, the four can II
dates were still in the ring with en- *
usiastic seconds and corner men" a
ID no great signs of any one of them h
ing very weak. The expectation is W
at several ballots will be taken by h,
e caucus before the matter is de-
led. n,