San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-10

extraordinary session, Thursday, Oc-
tober IL, 1928.
"The reasons for that call are well
known to every citizen of this state.
In short, they grow out of the con-
| flict in Oklahoma between the visible
| and invisible governments. This con-
flict must now be brought TO q close
with a complete victory for the visible
government or Oklahoma will face in
definite turmoil and strife, the final
results of which might be disastrous.
"This is a mere statement of fact.
1t ought to be apparent to all citizens
that the people of this state will not
cravenly submit to the intolerance,
persecution and violence of hooded
organization whose membership is Sc
cret. Radical and religious bigotry
and mob violence are bad enough when
preached and practiced in the open
they become. traitoriously so when
hidden behind the un-American' mask.
Let us all agree that it is time to kill
! the serpent in our midst and restore
that good nature and harmony and
tolerance without which Oklahoma can
neither progress nor prosper nor guar
antee happiness to her citizens.
Citizens Beaten and Tortured.
alt is necessary to review the chain
OF events that led up to this extraor-
| binary session. On August IA, l de-
clared martial law in Tulsa county.
For months steady stream Of letters
had poured into the executive office
from Tulsa and other counties in the
state complaining Of mob violence.
Hundreds of Oklahoma's citizens had
been beaten and tortured, while other
hundreds and probably thousands, had
been threatened and inundated. Tens
of thousands of our citizens felt and
protested that the law-enforcing
branches of the government and in
many cases, the courts, were under the
spell and influence of an invisible
government whose silent appeal touch
ed every aspect of human endeavor.
"A transcript Of all the testimony
taken by the military tribunals will
be submitted to the Legislature and
that body will be asked to publish
it in its entirety. Yet, even this will
constitute only psrt of the story, for
testimony has been taken in only three
of the a counties in the state, from
most of which complaints have been
received.
"For almost two years the people of
this state have been living in ter
ror caused by masked bands of ma
RAIDERS. In my struggles as COVER
ror of Oklahoma to rid the state OF
this menace, my sincerity has been
challenged by the Daily Oklahoman,
the Oklahoma City News, the Tulsa
Tribune, the Muskogee Daily Phoenix
and other papers dominated to large
extent by plural Is influence.
McBee Answers Walton.
@These papers pretend to say that /
have not been acting in good faith
in endeavoring to destroy the Ku Klux
Khan. -
"Their argument has been that they
wished to rid the state of khan and
king'-I being the king. now chal-
lenge these papers and all other news
papers and all khan members of the
Legislature TO enact or cause TO be en-
acted. the above bill and when this
bill becomes the law Of the state it
will rid the state of the khan and
will resign the office of governor i'm
mediately thereupon.'
| Representative W. d. McBee. =
leader in the impeachment move
against the governor. declared in for
NAL statement that the Legislature
would not be moved by Governor Wal
| toms offer to resign. but that the ex
ecutive would receive "fair trial.
81. c. Walton has made his bed
let him lie in it," Representative Nc
| Bee asserted.
"If l understand the temper Of tn
| members of this assembly CORRECTLY
no threats, no offers. no terms of alb
| dication will prevent the members of
| the House from performing their
sworn duty and from getting the facts
regarding the conduct of every depart
ment of the state government. regard
less of the officers or employees who
may be hit.
Walton Dodging the Issue?s
"The House of Representatives, sit
| ting as a court of impeachment, TO-
gether will provide Governor Walton
with a fair trial. il his record is
clear. no bill of impeachment will be
drawn. And if a bill of impeach-
ment is drawn and there remains at
the end of his trial reasonable doubt
as to his guilt, the Senate court will
give him the benefit Of that doubt and
clear his name.
"This is no time TO turn back. We
have set our hands to the pillow with
solemn resolve to go straight to the
end of the furrow. We have no in
tention of being moved by an offer to-
resign. We have been ordered by the
people to carry through. Every hur-
die that crafty opposition could de-
wise has been crossed and we are in
sight of a decision. If the governor
has the courage TO stay until the fin
ish and stand ike a man to await the
verdict. we will see that he gets fair