New Britain herald., 1923-09-20
Show Down. Between Walton and Legislature at Hand-Assembly Call Sets Meeting for Wednesday.
Executive Is Accused of Usurping Powers of Des- pot and Exciting Class Hatred to Further Politi- cal Aims.
By The A,soeIa.sd Press.

By The Associated Press.
 Oklahoma City. Okla. Sept. 2o.-- Events in oklahoma moved today to- ward a showdown between Governor Walton and members of the state legislature over the executive's exer- else Of authority and his war on the K. K. k. and mob foggers.
 4 call for session of the lower house to consider a series of charges that Governor Walton has taken 10 himself the powers of despot and3 has supplanteds constitutional govern- ment was issued early this morning.
 70 Members Sign Call.
 The call. made public by w. B. Me- Bee, representative from stephens county, bore the name of 70 house members with the promise that dur ing the day the list would grow to b4, constituting t majority of the house.
 Noon of next Wednesday is the hour fixed for the assembling of the law makers. Representative McBee declared Chat he anticipated no at- { tempt by the governor to carry out his threat to jail the legislators in the event that they convened.
 sees Own Folly. Y
 "The folly of attempting to carry out his threat to arrest members has been made apparent to him He re- alizes that the call is legal and can- not be forestalled," McBee aasserteds
 At almost the same moment the legislative call was promulgated, Gov. ernor Walton appealed to the people of the state in proclamation to re- pudiate the attempt of the law makers to assemble, charging that those spon- scring the movement are "klan mem bers of the legislature"
 Beats Governor To It.
 It was asserted by Representative McBee that Governor Walton, in con junction with Murray r. Gibbons, speaker of the house, was contemplate : ing the issuance of call for special session fin "a last desperate eHort with the hope that some of the au- thorties might be won ovSr' to ms cause McBee released the call drawn by house members. he explained, 'to beat the governor to it."
 Would Sit As Jury.
 If the special session of the house is convened the members present would sit as grand jurors to hear the evidence against the governor. should impeachment be voted, the case would go to the senate, which would be required to convene and act as g court"
 The call for the session declared that the time had come to prove or dsprove charges openly made against the governor.
 Governors Proclamation.
 Civil government in some counties is under the control of the K. K. k.. and the only way to stop lawlessness in the state Is by use of the military, Governor Walton declared in his proc lamation. He ordered the. removal throughout the state of all publicly displayed fiery crosses of the klan.
 To DisInantlc Emblems
 Instructing civil and military au- thorities to dismantle the klan ern- blems. where they are found, the gov- ernor said:
 "rhe invisible empire threatens the sovereignty of the state and is the enemy of the state of Oklahoma. It's flag is fiery cross now high aloft in many public places. The crosssis an emblem of peace, of an order and sacred to history; but this. fiery cross is the pagan emblem of fear. hatred and rebellion.
 "Evidence procured by military courts of inquiry proved that the klan is responsible for beating and muti- lating hundreds of persons in the state. Because of the organization power, I know of no way--there is no way-to stop this outlawry and ter TOT, except by the military"
 Editors Oppose Walton
 Editors of 2 number of representa- tive newspapers of the state, meeting last night issued q statement ad- dressed to the people attacking the governor for what they termed his at- tempt to abrogate the constitutionalB rights of Oklahoma.
 The editors also urged that the leg islature he convened at once.
 Challenging the governors procla- nation that a state of insurrection and rebellion exists throughout Okla homa, the editors declared that his decree of martial law is libel against the state.
 "The supreme issue in oklahoma is not visible or invisible government, ss Walton says, but constitutional gov ernment of despotism," the editors statement asserted.
 2t Charges Preferred
 Twehty-one charges are listed in the legislative call "as now openly ss- serted and charged throughout ths state" against Governor Walton. They are:
 That he has refused to permit ex- ecution of state laws most wholesome and necessary for the public good.