The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-01-16
Democrats Stiil Fight.

OtUbotT'ts sun I1kut.
The democratic fight for control
of party machinery has not lessened
because OF tho passing days. There
II constant warfare in the senate
and Lieutenant Governor Trapp and
Senator Wallace are pitted for what
-ppoArs TO be season contest. Trapp
does not dare leave the chair and
Wallace persists in being present at
all sessions. He IL the best little
motion maker ever known to Okla
homa legislative history. aud his
speeches regarding the conduct of
certain gubernatorial appointecs
iHrousc interest and also create pain
IN administration circles.
And the administration is sorely
bcset from without and within. The
governor no longer can command
more than two elective state Off
Halls. lie can not bring up reserves
and his appoineces are under a grill
Ing fire which is manned by demo-
Gratis. They are as unmcrciful as the
governor has been unmercifu in
times past. Tho two principal state
house advisers of the governor are
George Clark and L, Solomon Rus
sell respectively chairman and sec
retary of the state board OF affairs.
Both are under fire, and even some
OF the senators inclined to support
the administration are asking that
the work of the board be inspected
and examined most carefully.
Russell sought to have his office
creatod into secretaryship with an
increased salary, but the present leg
islatiSe mood Is antagonistic to an
Increase of salaries and he prohlbili-
ties are greater that there will he
reduction rather than an increase In
the number of Officers TO fill the
stotohouSe for the ensuing two years
Win all of the big appointecs on
The list for legislative examinations
he governor must operate through
the lieutenant governor and second
hand power and influence prove
somewhat embarrassing to any state
chlef executive. The governor has
oeen very modest In his messages to
the !cgislators-he has sought to be
| conciliatory and has made such de-
| Tense as ne could, being Handicapped
by the fact that the legislators have
up to this writing made no mention
OF anything likely to he charged
| against the administration.
Matthews Heads Committee.
Research.
Attorney X. n. Matthews of Nc
Alester Is chairman OF the commit =
| tee 10 investigate the state depart
| 'A'hhHs re NdS loI tllnN wears
federal referee In bankruptcy and Ia
considred AN expert accountant. He
was the leader in opposition TO
speaker Schwabc for commander Of
the house, and his appointment is
| recognized as meaning a real inves-
| tigation.
Two democrats are on this COM
mittce, ii. X. King of Tlllman coun-
| y and Porter Newman of Bryan.
tho latter administration in the
| nth degree
The other members OF the COM
mittec are Doctor Sharp OF Logan,
T. T. Cummings of Anadarko, W A.
Sehofield of Adair, Victor Locke of
Pus hmataha, sid Bailey of snydbr
and Ralph Hardlc of, Cleveland
| county.
The personnel of the committee
gives rise Ia the supposition that the
| rumors about shortcomings IL TO
have an airing of sufficient nagni-
tude TO arouse even more interest
than has been true in the post
| Its Political Significance.
The political Significance OF this
| IlhNestlsation cannot b. overesti-
mated, TTe Jhargts which have
been whispered and oven loudly
talked OF, came from stat authori.
ties. II was long time before poo-
pie outside of stat shousc circles
menlioned the ugly things the off
cials were saying OF each other.
| The democratic leaders divided on
the issue, and the republicans had
the easy task OF simply demanding q
an opportunity TO look at the rec
ords. This opportunity came with
the election OF a republican house OF
Representatives and securing a suf-
ficiently large minority In the sen
ate as to approximate danger to the
democratic organization on a moral
issue.
| The governor foresaw the dan.
ger long before tho opposition un-
| dertook To organize. He had hold
| 1ver senators on depart mental pay
| rolls and befrlcnded senators from