The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-04-22
GOV. BYRD
IS D { A D .
At ADA
WAS ACTIVE N CIlCKASAW
POLITICS - OPPOSED PRO
GRESSlVE PARTY WAS ALSO
CONFEDERATE SOLDIER.

Death removed from the ch;ckasaw
nation this week one of the most
prominent members of the tribe in
w. l.. Byrd, former governor, whose
remains We're laid to rest Thursday
in the cemetery at Ada, Oklahoma
He was siXtyfiye years of age, was
one sixteenth Indian, and married
white woman. He was a lieutenant
in the Chickasaw Battalion, Cooper's
command, and saw service in the Con-
federate army.
In Chickasaw politics there were
two great parties. The progressives.
headed by Cy Harris, and the nation
ais, headed by b. c. Burney. The
progressives favored the allotments
of tribal lands in severalty to the
Indians, while the nationals wanted
to hold all tribal property in common.
AS early as 1876 the nation was sur
veyed for the purpose of making
these allotments. These political
lines continued until 1886 when a
nephew of Cy Harris, former Govern
or William l.. Guy who now lives at
Sulphur, was a candidate for govern
or on the progressive ticket W. l..
Byrd was a candidate on the nation
al ticket. Guy was elected and served
for two years. In the election of
1888 the same candidates were before
the people, but in the meantime a
new party had arisen in Chickasaw
politics, headed by Jonas Wolfe. The
Wolfe faction attracted the greater
portion of the full blood votes which
had been identified with the progress
i've party. Wolfe became so promi-
nent factor that no one received a
majority of the votes and the election
was thrown into the legislature. Here
the Byrd and Wolfe forces combined,
several Guy precincts were thrown
out, and Byrd was declared governor.
Then followed the Guy-Byrd political
war. Byrd and his forces had charge
of the capitol, the Guy forces, headed
by Sam Paul, who was at the head of
the Indian police, moved into Tisho-
mlngo, set up de facto government,
and with armed forces took charge
of the capitol. The Byrd forces ap-
parently submitted, and things were
moving along so easily that Governor
Guy and his armed forces made
visit to their homes within ten days
after they had taken charge of the
capitol. The Byrd party took advan-
tage of their absence to move into
the capitol, and held it with their
armed forces. Governor Guy moved
back to town, and set up a govern
ment in another portion of the city.
By this time news of the war had
reached Washington, and United
States Senator Robert l.. Owen, who
was then United States Indian agent,
L
go to adiudicate the matter
The Byrd forces were in charge
of the capitol and Senator owen fol-
lowed the line OF least resistance and
gave recognition to the Byrd gov
ernment. During his administration
Governor Byrd disfranchised all of
the intermarried citizens, and in 1890
his election was an easy matter. At
the end of his term of office he re-
tired and did not become active again
until 1902, when he opposed Palmer
S. Mosely for governor. On the face
of the returns Byrd had a majority
of eight votes. but Mosely took charge
of the capitol with an armed force.
He excluded the Byrd leaders from
the legislature. threw out a number
or voting precincts, and declared him
self governor In this election Gov
ernor Guy, who had been an oppon-
ent of Governor Byrd, was one of his
staunchest supporters. Governor Byrd
who had been forced to take a dose
Of his own political medicine, seem
ed to become disgusted with Indian
politics and retired from activities
in 1902.
Congressman Chas. u. Carter re-
Gently had a letter from him in which
Governor Byrd showed tha, he had
all political III feelings
against his former opponent. In this
letter he stated that Cy Harris was
right in his contentious. ami that the
nation would have been better OF If
It had followed his leadership