The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1923-09-15
PLAIN JACK
WALTON is
NO MORE
Oklahoma Governor RouSeS
AnimoSity Of Hickory
Shirts Who Elected Him.
BY ROBERT TALLEY.
Times StdU correspondent
KLAHOMA CITY, Sept.

TT KLAHONfA CITY, Sept. IS
I'M South Carolina had her Cole
y Blease, Texas had her jim
Ferguson, and now we've got our
Jack Walton"
That's what Oklahoma is saying to-
day about Governor John G. Walton,
who was her worshipped political idol
six months ago and is now being as
sailed by practically every faction in
the State. Certain forces desire to
have the Legislature impeach him,
and a proposal having this as it's ulti-
mate object will be submitted to the
voters at a special election under the
States initiative and referendum law
on Oct. 2-unless Walton himself can
prevent it.
Governor Walton's sudden frenzy
Of militarism, resulting in the imposi-
ton Of martial law on Tulsa and the
suspension of the right of habeas cor
pus with military censorship of news
papers has aroused the State. He has
threatened. in a formal statement, to
place the whole of Oklahoma under
martial law.
Deserts Reconstruction League.
Other charges against him are based
on his desertion Of the Farmer-Labor
Reconstruction League, his issuance
Of a great number of pardons and pa
roles to notorious criminals under I'M
usual circumstances, and the dstribu-
ton Of executive permits to carry pis-
tolls to nearly 1000 of his political
friends.
In his present fight on the Ku-Klux
Khan he has resorted to extreme meas
ures to bring about the Klan's undo
ing But his methods have been so
startling, so drastic and so generally
believed unconstitutional he has
aroused bitter opposition even among
the forces that might rally to him
if he showed less wild impulse and
more sane reason.
Behind this frenzy of militarism,
the story goes, are the Governors
visions Of running for the United
States Senate next year on the Demo
cratic ticket. Having lost his former
support, he appears to be trying to
stir up a bitter political issue over the
Ku-Klux Khan with the hope Of win
ming the anti-Klan vote.
Tulsa COn0itl0nS Bad
Conditions were bad at Tulsa. The
lash and the wet rope had been ap-
piled rather frequently and local Off,
Gals apparently were doing nothing
to stop it. But instead of attempting
to ferret out the guilty individuals or
remove the local officials for being
derelict in their duty, Governor Wal
ton rushed in the soldiers and clamped
the whole city-the innocent as we'll
as the guilty-under military rule.
The Governor and most of his for
mer friends have parted.
He has broken definitely with the
Farmer Labor Reconstruction League.
a radical but powerful organization in
Oklahoma. 1t put him into office on
a platform that included State-owned
banks and cement plants, State loans
for workmen who wanted TO build
homes and special tax exemption for
workmen. The league is now his bit
terest foe.
The reason for all this liz clear.
Plain Jack" Walton was the can.
cidate Of the men who wear hickory
shirts and the women who wear calico
dresses-and he posed as the cham
pion of the lowly. If he ever deserted
them, he said in his speeches, may
my right arm wither and my tongue
cleave to the roof OF my mouth"
plain jack No More
Today, Gov. Walton Is plain Jack"
Walton no more. He occupies a pa.
latial $4,000 home. rides about in
big limousine, and recently appeared
in golf Knockers. More to the point,
though, his erstwhile supporters say
he is playing too close with the oil
barons who have Welded a sinister
influence in Oklahoma politics for a
long time.
Though denied the authority by the
Legislature, Walton formed a State
police department" and made "offi-
GERS" Of 1000 of his political bench
men. A half dozen of them sit in
the anterooms Of his Office at the
capitol here, presumably acting as a
bodyguard.