Evening star., 1923-09-28
Supreme Court Valuation of
Vote October 2 Affects Fight
With Governor.
AMENDMENT PERMITS
SESSION WITHOUT CALL
Legal Barriers Yet to Be Cleared
Before People Can Decide
Controversy.
By the Associated Press.

by the Associated Press.
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla, Septem-
ber 2S.-Possibility existed today that
a way would be opened to the house
members of the legislature for
meeting without awaiting the out
come of a long court fight
constitutional amendment to give
them authority to meet without call
by Gov. ]. c. Walton may be voted at
a special election October 2. The
election was declared valid by the
state supreme court late yesterday,
but there still remain legal barriers
to be cleared away before the amend
ment affecting the house can take its
place on the ballot with five other
measures that have been approved by
the court.
Protested by Governor.
An initiated petition providing for
the amendment making it possible
for majority of the members of the
Legislature to call special session
was protested by Gov. Walton, who
appealed from the decision of r. A.
Sneed, secretary of state, on the
grounds that there were not sufficient
signatures on the petition. Sneed
had held the petition sufficient. The
supreme court dismissed the COVER
nor's appeal, but upon his application
late yesterday, granted a new hear
ing. No date has been set.
The iron hand of the military de-
scended yesterday upon another
county in Oklahoma as warning was
r
stringent martial rule is in store for
other sections if invisible govern
ment in the state can be put down in
no other way. Upon the appeal of
more than a score of residents of
sulphur. the governor ordered martial
law in Murray county. where the
civil authorities, some of whom are
said to be controlled by the Ku Klux
Khan, are charged with having neg
lected to prosecute persons respon-
sible for numerous mob outrages. ::
Bloodshed Is Feared.
Violence and bloodshed may result
from the "deplorable conditions" ex-
listing in the county. the petitioners
declared in asking for the establish
ment of rigid martial law. The per-
sons and property of those not mem
bers of the Ku Klux Klan, they as
serted, are unsafe under the reign
or Klan officers"
At the executive mansion. Gov. Wal
ton declared there will be no end to
military rule in the state until mob
violence and masked depredations
cease.
Despite his statement. however. the
quarters that a decrease in the scope
of martial law can be expected within
the next few days.
This opinion was strengthened by
perceptible leSsening of public ten
sion, which has prevailed since ]egis-
lative opposition against the official
acts of Gov. Walton first cropped out.
A legal fight to determine whether
they are empowered to hold special
session without call from the gov
ernor. has been started by the sixty
seven members of the lower house of
the state Legislature, whose attempt
cation was blocked by state troops
acting under orders from Gov.
Walton.
Would Restrain Guard.
They applied in district court here
for an injunction to restrain national
guardsmen from interfering with
meetings of the house. The case
probably will be threshed out in the
United States Supreme Court before
1t is finally settled, both sides agreed.
Hearing on the petition Tor injunction
was set for next Tuesday morning.
Interest in the situation shifted to
Tecumseh, where omer Mckeown,
grand cyclops of the Ku Klux Klan
at Maude, Okla, will be tried in
superior court on charge of con-
tempt of court.
The grand cyclops and w. W. Price.
both of whom are prominent Maude
business men, were arrested. after
refusing to testify before a military
court of inquiry in connection with
the fiogging of a school teacher at
Maude in 1921. They had been i'm
plicated in the whipping by witnesses
previously interrogated. They were
denied bail and spent the night in
the county Jail at Tecumseh.