, 1918-10-24

o~mmendation of Governor Warren, ap-
propriating funds for building the ter
ritorial capitol at Cheyenne, the uni
versity at Laramie, the insane asylum
at Evanston, and a general hospital at
ROCK Springs. Later provision was
made for a ~penitentiary building at
Rawlins.
In his first annual report to the Sec
rotary of the Interior. Governor War
rem recommended thai Wyoming be
admitted to statehood, that being the
first official action taken by any Wyo-
ming citizen in behalf of statehood. In
his report he called attention to the
h~ardships inflicted upon settlers by
the land policy of the government, and
recommended that patents should be
speedily issued after final proof and
necessary inspection 1t Is interesting
at this time to note in that report that
Governor Warren said-and this thir-
ty-odd years ago.:
Wyoming is destined to become the
great oil field of the world, in variety,
quality n quantity"
Mr.. Warren soon became governor
OF the territory of Wyoming a second
time. He was a delegate to. the Re
publican national convention in Chi
cago which nominated Benjamin Har-
rison in 1888, and in that convention
Joined with delegates from the terri
tories of Dakota. Washington, Idaho
and Montana in a strong fight for rec
ognition in the platform of the prin-
cfple of home rule for the territories
and for early statehood. Soon after
his Inauguration President Harrison
was asked by Wyoming citizens to ap
point Mr.. Warren governor, and his
name was sent to the Senate March
! 20, 1889, and he was inaugurated gov
ernor on April 9, 1889.
Inaugurated Governor.
Almost his first act as governor I'M
der the new administration was to set
machinery in motion for holding q
constitutional convention for the pur-
pose of framing a constitution for the
state of Wyoming and for submitting
1t to the people for ratification or re-
lection. The convention assembled In
September. 1889, and the constitution
it framed was adopted at an election
held in November of the same year,
which was called by Governor War
rem by. proclamation issued October
4. 1889.
Governor Warren's reports to the
secretary of the interior during his
term as territorial governor under the
Harrison administration are models OF
valuable information and reliable
statistics concerning Wyoming. and
they have since been made the basis
of practically all reports upon the ma
terial of the state. In all
of those reports he urged that the ma
tional government aid in the reclama-
tion of arid lands by the appropriation
OF funds for the construction OF stor-
g reservoirs n the retention of
water running to waste. This recon
mendation was adopted by the pass
G of the national reclamation act
in 1902.
Wyoming was admitted to state
hood July 10. 1890, and at the first
state election, held September IL.
1890, territorial Governor Warren was
elected state governor. His nomina-
ton and election were forced upon
him against his will n came at a
time when a serious illness prevented
him from taking any part in the cam
paign. In fact. while the campaign
was in progress grave doubts existed
regarding his recovery.
The first Wyoming state legislature
convened in Novem Der. 1890, and
IN November 18. 1890. Governor War
rem was elected one of the two first
United States senator's to represent
Wyoming in congress. He took his
seat in the senate December 1, 1890.
On entering the senate, the two new
Wyoming senator's drew lots for the
long and short terms. Senator War
ren's colleague won the long term.
while the short term. running until
March 3, 1893. fell to Senator Warren.
PopuIists in Control.
The state legislature which met in
1893 was divided into three PARTIES
Republican, Democratic and Populist.
Neither the Republican nor h Demo-
cratic party had a clear majority, h
balance of power being held by h
Populists. The contest over the sen
atorship continued throughout tbs
session and the legislature adjourned
without electing. The Democratic
governor Of the state attempted to
fill the vacancy by the appointment of
A. C. Beckwith. but the senate re-
fused to seat him. and for two years
Wyoming had but one representative
in the senate In the legislature
which convened in 1895. Senator War
rem received the unanimous vote OF
all the Republican members-all but
three OF the total membership OF the
legislature. In 1901 and again in
1907 he was the unanimous choice of
his party and was elected each time
by the practically unanimous vote OF