Evening star., 1923-10-01
WALTON PUTS ELECTION
BOARD OUT OF. OFFICE
TO FORESTALL VOTING
CONTINUED from First Page,

Tdkt.t
force of special state officers to assist
regular county civil authorities in
preventing the opening of the polls.
The executive said there were 22,00O
such officers under his control.
simultaneously. the governor at his
residence here reiterated his determi-
nation to prevent the election.
There will be no election" was all
w. D. McBee. state representative
and leader in the defiance OF the ex-
ecutive's proclamation postponing the
election, said:.
learn whether we are free men en-
titled to cast ballot, or slaves
The governors proclamation was
issued Saturday night after the col
lapse of a bitter court fight over the
legality of the election and OF the
legislative question to be submitted.
'I have been very patient. he SAID.
But one more crack and am going
to put this state under martial law
that will be martial law. ! am going
to make them go to bed at o'clock
and there will be very few passes
issued after that hour.
Puts Blame on Press.
The executive declared he, had mo
doubt there will be many vacant
houses in Oklahoma soon" There
may be bloodshed.f he asserted. de-
claring that the blame could be laid
at the door of the press. which he
charged has opposed his program and
thereby stirred the people to q state
of indiscretion.
The governor assaiIed Attorney
General Short as member of the
X. K. K. when advised that the latter
had expressed an opinion that the
election is valid.
The attorney general has not been
asked for an opinion by the chief
opinion is immaterial and has no
legal weight whatsoever3i George
Short is member of the ku Kllx
Khan and that is to be expected from
any member of the klan.''
Attorney General Short in a state
ment made after the governors at
tack on him declared, 81 cannot be-
lieve that any man Will fiagrantly,
knowi2giyi; X 10 in d@eliberatelg @ vio.ate the
stitutional rights of the citizens of
this state or deprive a qualified voter
Of the opportunity to cast his vote at
Tuesdays election. cannot believe
Oklahoma"
The executive made it plain that
only the civilian arm of the enforce
fnent machinery. consisting of regu-
lar county officials and his secret
service Operatives = would be used
that the military would be held in
reserve for use in event of rfoting
that might result from the closing
OF the polls. 49,. -.
He explained that he. did not In
tend to order the arrest OF persons
seeking to vote. HIS whole action.
he said would consist in Keeping the
poiis closed, ~ =
Citizens Force Unique.
Followers of Gov. Walton's admin
istratfon we're surprised at the
strength he claimed for his state
police force.
The governors police constitute an
machinery of the state. They repre-.
sent an enlargement of plan which
the governor had in operation while
he was mayor Of Oklahoma City, I'm
mediately before becoming chief ex-
ecutive. At that time he Issued hun
dreds of courtesy police cards"
which extended to holders certain
not held by citizens in
general.
While they did not constitute an
actual police commission, political
opponents of the executive waged a
constant attack on the courtesy
cards." alleging that many persons
were using them as authority for
bearing arms and that the holders
had been subsidized for political pur-
poses.
Becoming governor. Mr.. Walton be-
gan the issuance of special state
police commissions" These commits
sions were given freely. Newspaper
men had no difficulty in obtaining them
and it was charged that virtually any
one who applied could obtain them.
Opponents of the governor declared
he was building up a political army,
as well as extending authority to
thousands of persons to bear arms.
A telegram declaring that condi-
tion in Washington county, Okla,
were unsafe and deplorable" because
OF alleged activities of the Ku Klux
Khan. and asking that martial law
be established at once to restore
peace and order" was made public by
Gov. j. c. Walton. The telegram was
signed by sixteen citizens
Simultaneously he made public tes-
timony. of Roy Montgomery of Shaw
nee before the military court at Okla
homa City. which, he said, tended to
show that the Shawnee K1an had a
definite organization for administer
ing punishment to victims.