The Omaha morning bee. [volume] (Omaha [Neb.]) 1922-1927, 1923-09-20
To Demand
|Ousting of
Governor
''They Shall Not Meet" Cry
of Antiklan Executive of
Oklahoma Over
Session.
Machine Guns at Capitol
BY Universal Service.
Copyright. 1923.

| Oklahoma CITY, OkL, sept. "
| call off your gunner at the state
capitol or trouble may start. Military
dictatorship of Oklahoma can no
| longer be endured. The legislature de-
mands the right to meet"
| In such militant language lesis-
! lators of Oklahoma will demand this
week of Governor ]. G. Walton the
removal of military guards barring
entrance to the house and senate
| chambers in the first definite act Of
a movement Of such rising intensity
and bitterness as to occasion tonight
among moderates genuine alarm for
public safety and peace.
A prominent member OF the house
OF the state legislature used tonight
the language quoted above in making
known to a confidant the fact that
the legislature is ready to strike.
| Within "a hours formal demand for
opening of the legislative chambers
| will be made on the governor by
| quorum of the lower house, II was
learned on aacuestionable authority.
The demand win be filed with Attor-
ney General Short.
To Use Force II Needed.
Before that swelling tide Of op
position In the legislative branch OF
the state government. Governor Wal
ton stood steadfast tonight and
reiterated with emphasis his deter.
mination to block converting OF the
| legislature by direct force.
| THE soldiers stay at the legislative
chambers and the legislators stay
out" the governor said, lips com
| pressed, eyes flashing. They shall
not meet. They haven't the right.
| Nothing in our constitution gives
them that right. I. as the governor
OF this state. in command Of the
military. will prevent any and al
interference with my authority and
right to clean up the Ku. Kiux Klan
and its corruption of aoffcis.- life ia
this state
Meanwhile. the plans TO convene
the legislature. the house first and
the senate later. came out in the
open. Legislators began coming into
the city from all over the state.
The campaign had reached full eff
feet tonight when It was reported
from reliable source that a quorum
Of the house had been obtained. Sixty
five representatives have been polled
and found supporting the move IL
convene the legislature despite tho
militant forbiddance OF the chief ex.
| ecutive.
States Attorney to Act.
we will demand admission to the
legislative chambers, one leader of
the movement was quoted tonight.
we viii make that demand on the
governor through the attorney gen
eral, thereby insuring its formalty
and authoritative force. II he refuses.
as it is expected he will, We cannot
be responsible for the consequences.
The purpose is avowedly that Of
/ impeaching Governor Walton for his
"autocratic and despotic usurpation
OF power and the ruthless abrogatioE
Of constitutional rights" il was ex-
planned by a local legislator.
The governor consulted his finan.
eial advisers and announced money
was plentiful Ito fight this thing out
Tor a year or more, IL it takes that
long to clean up oklahoma. lie con.
suited his military commanders and
declared men were in reserve in suf-
ficient numbers to meet any crisis.
Asked how long he expected mar
tial law 10 be held over the state.
the governor replied: TIL Oklahoma
is cleaned up-untfl the hand OF the
invisible empire is torn from the
throat Of our courts. our juries snd
our county and city officers: until law
and Justice can be enforced"
Capitol Guard Increased.
The certainty of the legislature
attempting 10 meet found its effect st
military headquarters. Late this
evening reinforcements were sent to
the sttae house.
> \ huge army truck loaded with sol.
diers was dispteched 10 the capitol.
4 report was current that il was
machine gun detachment. but this
could not be confirmed
Investigation Of floggings. arson.
mutilations and night terrorism con-
tlnued all day by the military court
OF inquiry. A woman witness sp-
neared before the court Just before
the close Of today's session.
She was heavily yeilea snd was
ushered in under guard and shielded
from the press as she went cut. IL
was said she was an eyewitness 10
a brutal floggiug near here some time
ago.
y. c. Jewett. grand dragon OF the
klan. oklahoma realm. had not yet
been called. He announced publicly
today that he had returned 10 the
city. He neglected 10 SAY where he
had been, hut conjecture had II thts
he had rushed records and flies Of the
invisible empire out Of the state 20
prevent their seisure by the military
/ investigators.
In this connection Il was reported
that the governors staff 81 secret
service men had been dispatched out
II the state to seize The kian records
wherever they are and return them
here for military scrutiny.
Military arrests continue. Fifteen
persons have been taken IN custody
thus FAR for being ON the streets
without permits after midnight, All
Mere released. but warned that q
second eftonse would result In Inn
1