The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-09-20
GOV. J. (. WALTON IS ASSAILED FOR
 HIS "DESPOTISM"
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(Continued From Page one) months that the chief executive of the state has been guilty of spe- cffic violations of tia laws and con- stitution of the state.
 All three statements were signed by the same men.
 The meeting today was called by Victor Barnett, managing editor of the Tulsa Tribune, after conference extending over several days with editors throughout the state, MT. Barnett presided.
 Public Address.
 The public address follows:
 "The governor of Oklahoma, J. c. Walton. has invoked martial law for the entire state of Oklahoma, pro- claiming that a state of instruction and rebellion against the laws and constitution and constituted authori- ties of Oklahoma does exist within and throughout the state of Okla homa.
 "rhis declaration must not go un- challenged We the undersi gned editors of daily newspapers in Okla homa, make the following statement to the people of the United States;
 "The governors declaration is a libel against the state of Oklahoma.
 
 rection, nor rebellion in any part of the state nor have the civil authori- ties been defied or overthroWn. No group of citizens nor civil officers have made request for military ln- tervention.
 "The criminal records of counties and cities in Oklahoma show that there has been less crime during the past year than in any year since the war Almost without exception the communities of the state were as peaceful and law abiding as any normal community in America when this proclamation was issued. since August 14. when martial law first was invoked in Tulsa county, the forces of the national guard have not been used in a single instance to quell any riot or civil commotion.
 "Governor Walton by his own acts has attempted to nullify rights guar anteed under our constitution and to halt the lawful processes of repub- lican government.
 Prevents Assembly.
 "First. he has stationed armed guards before the Legislative cham bers at the state capitol to prevent the legislature from peaceably assem- bling and he has threatened to ar rest any legislators who attempt to assemble and to keep them in Jail during his term of office.
 "Second. he has ordered the dis solution of grand jury which was about to convene in a lawful manner for purpose of investigating some of his official acts and he had a ma chine gun trained on the grand jury room of the courthouse.
 "Third, by his own fiat he ordered the writ or habeas corpus suspended, although the constitution of the state g fA lege of the writ of habeas corpus never shall be suspended by the au- thorities of the state The federal constitution also guarantees this right to American citizens.
 "Fourth, he established censorship over two newspapers and threatened other newspapers with the same treatment, thus suppressing the free dom of the press, another funda- mental right guaranteed both by na- tional and state authorities.
 Fifth, he has ordered the military forces to take over the courts and the civil governments in Tulsa and oklahoma counties, in conflict with decisions Of the state supreme court, which provided ehat the military forces of the state shall at all times be subordinate to the civil author ities.
 Turns Conyicts AIoose.
 "sixth-Although posing as the champion of law enforcement, he has released from the state penitentiairy nearly 300 convicts, including mur- derers, rapists. bandits and lyncners during the months of his administra- = ton. In some instances criminals who have been tried, convicted, and sentenced in our courts were 1mme . diately freed when they produced pardons or paroles signed by the { la atov, or
 'oThese instances clearly indicate Governor Walton's despotic concep- ton of his executive powers. Under his administration our visible or re- publican form of government has been set at naught, our civil courts supplanted by military inquisitorial bodies, our officers of the peace re- placed our grand juries charged with ferreting out crime disbanded under the threat of machine gun fire, and our legislature, elected under our dez mocracy,t forbidden at the point. of bayonets to peaceably assemble "These acts create an intolerable situation in Oklahoma-one which the people cannot endure and the press cannot condone. The news papers of the state uphold rigid ad- herence to all the laws and they are united in demanding that constitu- tional rights of assembly, free jury trial by law be preserved in violate.
 "The supreme issue in Oklahoma today is not visible or invisible gov ernment, as Walton says. but consti- tutiolfal government or despotism." The address to the lawmakers fol- 1 lows:
 "To the members of the legislature: If 1t is legal for the legislature to