The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-04-06
WEDNESDAY, APRIL G, 1921.
THE PUBLIC Be

hi Il lDIIN DIT
The house Of representatives Of the
eighth general assembly will go down
IN the pages of this states history in
the form of a tale telling story of
conslomerated incompetence and petty
politics, played for three months in
order that Oklahoma might be taken
from the hands Of the Democrats and
turned over, indefinitely, to the Re
publcans, with the final curtain drop
ping upon q scene which might well
be characterized as an exemplification
OF the old and tritely Republican say
Ing, "The public be damned"
After ninety days of bombastic brag
upon the characters and good names
of Democratic state officials, after
ninety days OF threatened exposures OF
corruption in office, after ninety days
OF indecent exhibitions of incompetence
and narrow.minded political activities.
the Republican house Of representa-
tives, each member of which had prom
ised so much and each member Of
which did so little, has passed into his
i-tory, its last chapter. written in ink
which will never fade. unfolding a story
OF orgies and hurrahs, with the words
=. Incompetence" and "'putrid politics"
closing the final paragraph.
Secret orders of the most majestic
character, staged under the most aus
picious surroundings. never exemph-
fled work better than did the late un-
lamented house Of representatives ex-
.emplify and prove to the people Of
Oklahoma that the personnel compos-
4ng 1t consisted of the most bitterly
partisan, the most intensely narrow
minded and the most stupendously
Incompetent aggregation Of men ever
assembled in any state in the union
under the misnomer Of legislators.
Elected as representatives Of the
people. chosen by q constituency which
had the right TO expect at least fair
treatment, and square dealing, the
members Of the house adjourned early
Sunday morning adjourned without
day. without making any )attempt to
provide for the financing Of the state
government one OF the chief things for
which the legislators had been elected
one Of the things which every taxpay-
er Of Oklahoma had the right TO ex-
pect and demand.
The Republicans of Oklahoma, more
perhaps than the Democrats, expected
much OF the eighth legislature. Prac
tically ever since statehood they had
been declaiming from rostrum and pro
claiming through the press against the
mal-admlnlstration OF the Democrat Of
flee holders Of Oklahoma. Charges OF
malfeance In office, of gross neglect OF
the peoples interests. of profligate ex-
penditure OF the peoples moneys by the
men who had been elected 10 places OF
trust by q Democratic majority were
made without stint--were made so per-
sistently that the boys from the cross
roads, the crews from the gravel trains
the men and women from the busi-
ness institutions throughout the state
began TO suspect that the Republicans
might be right, that, no matter how
the smoke originated. there must be
some accompanying fire
None stopped TO reason that all the
smoke came from Republican blowings
upon infiniteslmal ernbers, upon sparks
which the Republican spellbnders and
the Republican editorial writers
sought with great ostentatous putting
out OF cheeks and swelling Of abdomens
TO ran into furious flames.
None stopped 10 question the homes
~ OF purpose which prompted the Re-
publican fire-alarmists in their at
tempt to throw such a scare into the
common people" that a change IN the
political complexion OF Oklahoma would
result
The result was the Republican ma.
Iority IN the house OF representatives,
the Republican majority elected by a
people who believed some OF the fairy
tales were true and who wanted 10 see
dishonesty In office exposed, and dis
honest public officials e1comunicated
and punished.
Scarcely had the last member OF the
new house majority been sworn into Of
flee, sworn 10 stand by the constitution OF
the United States and the great state
OF Oklahoma, sworn to enact laws
which would be in the interest OF all
the people, OF all political beliefs and
affiliations, sworn to discharge his
duties as an honest, upright, well.in-
tentioned officer should. scarcely had
fhe organization Of the house been ef-
fected when the first mutterings OF "in-
vestigations" were heard.
Almost before George sehwabs had
been indicted into the position Of
speaker Of the house and given charge
Of the body which he demonstrated in
rueh 4 highly satisfactory manner he