Evening star., 1932-01-17

turn to the State in taxes an lota OF
what it normally would.
At first the producers vacillated. Tnen
they emphatically demurred. "Alfal1a
verbal wildcat. He directed the militia
to sleep with their muskets. He hlm-
self was waiting until he saw the
whites of their eyes" He did, very soon,
for when after several days the ante
was raised to a bare so cents barrel,
Alfalfa Bill" issued an executive order
which put his military on the run 10
| the spouting wells. In this order ne
pointed out that what the producers
were doing was extracting" a natural
resource Of the State: that this could
never be replaced; that the people were
being filched out Of that which was
Justly theirs by big business. They raj
lied round their leader as he put stop
to the "pillage." Only the small strip
per" wells (25 barrels or less day.
we're unaffected.
Drafted State Constitution.
In less time than it took to write the
order almost land the Governor is no
slouch when it comes to turning out an
order, speech, or neat bit Of Journalistic
'politicking," either), the daily produc-
ton of 425,000 barrels was decreased by
$50, 900 barrels. From the respectful
distance Of SO feet-no closer-could the
producers view that which was theirs.
when you are ready to post the 1alr
price of 81 a barrel, you can start
pumping again." Bill told them.
concerted protest then arose In the
shadows Of the derricks, sounded In the
legal Offices Of the companies and was
heard as far away as washington.
Opinion was various. Could this self
appointed dictator" get sway with such
high-handed practice, coercion, etc?
Most thought he could not; others
wondered vaguely; but still others
those who remembered Alfalfa Bill as
the young president Of the Oklahoma
Constitutional Convention in 1905, as
the man who actually drafted that con-
stitution-thought that he could. He
must know what he's doing" they
argued.
He did know what he was doing. AS
just noted, he drafted the constitution
of Oklahoma. And it was this constitu-
ton which he quoted as his authority
when he issued his executive order OF
August 4, 1881, calling out the militia
and stationing them about the wells
until the s1a-barrel price should be
resumed
He quoted the constitution as follows:
Section 1855. That the taking OF
crude oil or petroleum from any oil
bearing sand or sands in the State OF
Oklahoma at time when there Is not
a market demand therefor at the well
at a price equivalent to the actual value
of such crude oil or petroleum is hereby
prohibited"
Other States Follow Lead.
In this same order Alfalfa Bill" Or
6ered the Guardsmen to fix bayonets! !!
And thus the bayonets remained for IS
days-until the price Of crude oil
reached the 81 mark, around which 1t
has remained. 1t is significant to note
that oil produced by the small strip
per" wells, which were unaffected by the
order and which sold at 10 cents bar
rel during the shutdown, returned more
in taxes to the State than the enormous
production did with the price around 10
cents barrel.
AS the Guardsmen continued their
vigil day after day, there were attempts
ct compromise. In Oklahoma City the
price of rs cents was offered. Murray
was adamant. "One buck or nothing,
he shot back Others came to plead.
Murray waved them aside.
The price of crude rallied gradually,
cent by cent. Texas Governor, Ross
Sterling, looked across the Red River.
took a hint, shipped a thousand of his
own militia into East Texas oil fields
and shut down wells until proration
law could be drafted. This action caused
combined shutoff of more than l.
100000 barrels daily in oil production
about two-fifths of the production OF
got busy and passed a proration law and
sliced off another 102, 900 barrels day
Alfalfa Bill" Murray had led the
way!
Was Representative Here.
And so we return to the vaulted, mar
BILE halls in the capitol building in Okla
hcma. We hear again the raucous
scraping of a country fiddler, the pro-
testing moan of the harmonica:
First lady right, her beau to the left.
Do Sc do.
Right and left and back again.
Do Sc do"
We take another final look at "Al-
falfa Bill'' Murray.
Less than two years ago he was as
obscure as any man in any old street;
unknown, unsung to the new masses
crowding steadily into the young
State; all but forgotten, even by the
oldtimers, who almost overnight were
called upon to recall how, a quarter
of century past, this same alfalfa
Billy had placed an ambitious youth
full shoulder to the wheels of early
statehood and pushed hard More, they
were to remember that he had credit
ably served them in the Nations Con-
gress from 1912 to 1916, to be rejected
for longer service only when he pre-
dicted, and warned them: Wars comm
sure as Christmas. Look outl" And we
wonder how many Of them even now
have heard that no less public man
than the late Champ Clark once called
Murray lone of the best constitutional
lawyers in the United States; possibly
the best parliamentary in the world.
Bread and Butter, Bacon and Beans.
Now we suddenly find ourselves think.
ing of what the street car conductor
said when we arrived: State Capitol
End of line. Folks, here's where the next
President of the United States hangs
out" This announcement Is invariably
beloved to the fares concluding the cal
ride from downtown Oklahoma City
And from the lapels of many passen.
ger we have seen glittering a bright
campaign button, testifying in red let.
ters that encircled a bewhiskered Wis.
age: Our choice for President-Wil.
liam H. Murray"
That these sporters of the Murray
insignia are in dead earnest you viii
find out soon enough II you talk to ont
of them. Proudly they tell you of the
Mississippi Valley headquarters il
Chicago, of the Murray-for-Presid
Clubs, the ABB Clubs" if you please
And later, when fat manila envelope
/ chock full of pamphlets, arrives at YOU
mail box, and down in the left-hano
corner you read the slogan, Bread anc
Butter; Bacon and Beans" you'll ge
the ABB" idea Doubtless "Alfalft
y Bills" slogan is good one. Allitera
ton and its fundamental appeal maxi
] it so. But whether 1t may crescendo t
= battle hymn or remain far wall il
e the wilderness is still problematical.