USA > Oklahoma > A standard history of Oklahoma; an authentic narrative of its development from the date of the first European exploration down to the present time, including accounts of the Indian tribes, both civilized and wild, of the cattle range, of the land openings and the achievements of the most recent period, Vol. II > Part 23
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Senator Berry's Indianola bill was referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs, which never rendered any report to the Senate upon the same.
The Cayuga County bill was renewed by the House Commit- tee on Indian Affairs in the Fifty-third Congress and a bill of like import was also introduced in the Senate but that was as far as the matter went.
OPPOSITION OF INDIAN TERRITORY LEADERS
The continued and determined opposition of the majority of the Indian Territory leaders to the proposed statehood with Oklahoma, eventually had its effect in wearing out the patience of many of the Oklahoma leaders (some of whom, for purely partisan reasons, or because of personal political ambition, or on account of the possible location of some public institution, had always secretly favored a smaller state), and many began to express opinions in favor of statehood without waiting for the Indian Territory. Prob- ably the first public declaration of this sentiment, though not worded as definitely as it might have been, was a plank in the Territorial Republican platform adopted by the convention at Oklahoma City, May 15, 1894, which demanded "statehood for Oklahoma in the quickest and best way it can be obtained."
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HISTORY OF OKLAHOMA
Early in the first session of the Fifty-fourth Congress (Decem- ber 12, 1895), Representative Thomas C. McRae, of Arkansas, intro- duced a bill in the House of Representatives for the purpose of extending the limits and laws of Oklahoma to include the Indian Territory and to authorize the people of the enlarged territory to formulate and adopt a constitution and apply for admission as a state into the Union. The conservative leaders among the citizens of the five civilized tribes (which element was always in the ascen- dency) manifested great uneasiness. An inter-tribal council was held at Eufaula, in March, at which resolutions of protest were adopted. In the meantime Delegate Flynn had introduced another statehood bill (House Bill No. 3209), January 3, 1896.
January 8, 1896, a statehood convention was held in Oklahoma City. Two separate calls had been issued for the convention, one by the advocates of single or joint statehood, for both territories, and the other by the supporters of the movement for immediate statehood for Oklahoma without reference to the Indian Territory, or separate statehood, as it thenceforth became known. A wrangle began as soon as the convention assembled. Both calls were read and two chairmen were elected by the rival factions. Then pande- monium broke loose. The scenes which followed were described, not inaptly, by a press correspondent as "resembling a riot in a lunatic asylum more than anything else." The meeting broke up in dis- order, being arbitrarily adjourned by one of the chairmen, but the delegates continued to wrangle until the lights were turned out in the auditorium.
Although interest in the statehood question was not dead, the issue was in a state of quiescence for several, beginning in 1896. For one thing, the Free Home Bill had come to occupy a very large place in the minds of the people of Oklahoma. Then, too, the excite- ment of the political campaign of 1896, together with the change in the political complexion of the national administration which fol- lowed, undoubtedly had its effect and, moreover, Oklahoma Terri- tory, which had hitherto returned republican majorities or plural- ities to the Legislative Assembly and had always been represented in Congress by a republican territorial delegate, elected an assem- bly, an overwhelming majority of the members of which were fusion- ists (democrat-populist) and sent a populist delegate to Congress. Had the democratic party prevailed nationally, there might have been some chance to secure serious consideration of the statehood question in Congress; as it was, however, it had no chance whatever.
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Although the agitation for statehood during the years 1891 to 1896, inclusive, did not lead to any definite results, it did afford an opportunity for the people to begin to study the question seriously, and it soon led to very pronounced differences of opinion and sentiment as to whether the Territory of Oklahoma should seek statehood for itself alone or in conjunction with the people of the Indian Territory. On the one hand, it was argued that the Ter- ritory of Oklahoma was greater in geographic extent than several of the older states and that its resources were such that it would ultimately support a population greater than that of some of the older states; and it was further contended that conditions in the Indian Territory were so complicated and so radically different from those prevailing in Oklahoma that the union of the two ter- ritories into one state was not only undesirable but impracticable as well. The advocates of single or joint statehood, on the other hand, pointed out the fact that, in area, Oklahoma would be less than half the size of any adjoining state, the Indian Territory alone excepted ; that, to make permanent the boundary line between the two territories, would be to erect a barrier between Oklahoma and the principal source of its fuel supply ; that, judging by what had happened in the case of the divided Dakotas, a state having greater size, population and resources would wield proportionately much greater influence in national councils than two small states could hope to be able to do, and, finally, that the relatively greater cost of maintaining two state governments with a complete duplication of administrative machinery and public institutions could not pos- sibly be compensated by any of the advantages alleged in behalf of the separate statehood proposition.
In the alignment on the question of single statehood for the two territories or separate statehood for Oklahoma alone, one fact soon became apparent, namely, that location had much to do with shap- ing public opinion. It was noticeable that, in the counties near the geographic center of the original Indian Territory, including Cleve- land, Oklahoma, Lincoln and Pottawatomie counties, the sentiment was strong for single statehood, while, in the counties near the geographic center of Oklahoma Territory, such as Canadian, King- fisher, Blaine and Garfield, the preponderance of public senti- ment was equally as great for separate statehood. The reasons for this striking difference were not difficult to discern even at that early date, and they became even more apparent when the state- hood question was revived a few years later and with it the proposed location of a number of territorial or state institutions.
CHAPTER LXIX
POLITICAL AFFAIRS
As has already been seen, the republican party exhibited sub- stantial strength in the first election, which was held for the purpose of choosing members of the two houses of the Legislative Assembly, though it was not able to organize as to avail itself of the advan- tage thus offered. The first regular election held in the territory was November 4, 1890. The Democratic Territorial Convention met at Norman, October 9, and nominated James L. Matthews, of Payne County, for delegate to Congress for the short term (i. e., the remainder of the Fifty-first Congress) and Joseph G. McCoy, of El Reno, for delegate to Congress for the long term (i. e., the Fifty-second Congress). The Republican Territorial Convention was held at Guthrie, October 18. It nominated David A. Harvey, of Oklahoma City, for the full term of the Fifty-second Congress and also for the unexpired portion of the Fifty-first Congress. The election resulted in the choice of Mr. Harvey by a plurality of 2,000 votes.1 County officers were also chosen at the same election.
1 David A. Harvey was born at Stewiacke, Nova Scotia, March 20, 1845. His parents emigrated from Canada when he was six weeks old, settling in Ohio. At the age of sixteen, he enlisted in the Fourth Ohio Volunteer Cavalry and was discharged from the military service at the end of the war, after having served contin- uously for three and one-half years. After attending the sessions of Miami University for a time, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1869. Moving westward, he settled at Topeka, Kan- sas, where he engaged in the practice of law, served as city attorney and as probate judge. He became interested in the Oklahoma movement and was active in the agitation for the opening of the Oklahoma country to settlement. He was among the pioneers who came into the country on the day of the opening, locating at Okla- homa City, April 22, 1889. He was nominated for delegate to Con- gress by the Territorial Republican Convention, at Guthrie, October 18, 1890, and, on November 4, he was elected to serve both the long and short terms, taking his seat when the Fifty-first Congress re-convened, in December, 1890, and serving until the final adjourn- ment of the Fifty-second Congress, March 3, 1893. Mr. Harvey subsequently located at Wyandotte, where he died, May 23, 1916.
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HISTORY OF OKLAHOMA
When the time for the beginning of the political campaign of 1892 arrived, Oklahoma had grown measurably, Lincoln, Potta- watomie, Blaine, Custer, Dewey, Day, Roger Mills and Washita counties having been added and the bounds of Logan, Payne, Okla- homa, Cleveland, Canadian and Kingfisher counties had been extended as well as the result of the opening the several Indian reservations in September, 1891, and April, 1892.
Governor Steele having tendered his resignation, to take effect upon the appointment of his successor, President Harrison
DAVID A. HARVEY
appointed Associate Justice A. J. Seay, of the Territorial Supreme Court, as governor of the Territory of Oklahoma, October 18, 1891. Governor Seay immediately assumed the duties of his new position.2
2 Abraham Jefferson Seay was born near Lynchburg, Virginia, November 28, 1832. When he was three years old his parents moved to Missouri, settling in Osage County. His early life was not materially different from that of the sons of other pioneer families of the period. He attended the neighborhood schools, bought a few books, taught a country school, attended an academy at Steelville, read law and was admitted to the bar in April, 1861. At the outbreak of the Civil war, he promptly enlisted in the vol- unteer military service and was soon commissioned a lieutenant. He was in the active service throughout the war and was mustered out at its close with the rank of major. He then took up the prac- tice of law. He was always active in political affairs and was fre- quently nominated, as a republican, for various local and state offices and for representative in Congress. He served as district judge of the Ninth Missouri District for twelve years. After the passage of the Oklahoma Organic Act, he was appointed by President Harrison as an associate justice of the Territorial Supreme Court, which position he held at the time of his appoint- ment as governor of the territory. After his retirement from official life, Governor Seay took up his residence at Kingfisher,
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HISTORY OF OKLAHOMA
In 1892, Oklahoma was represented for the first time in the national political party conventions called for the purpose of nom- inating candidates for president and vice president. Each party held two conventions in the territory-one in the spring for the selection of delegates to the national convention and another several months later for the purpose of choosing a candidate for territorial delegate to Congress. The republican convention for the nomina- tion of a candidate for delegate to Congress was held at Guthrie, July 14. Dennis T. Flynn, of Guthrie, defeated Delegate Harvey, who was a candidate for renomination. The democratic convention, held at Oklahoma City, August 17, placed O. H. Travis, of Okla- homa City, in nomination for delegate to Congress. The people's party also placed a nominee in the field in the person of N. H. Ward.
The election resulted in the choice of Dennis T. Flynn for dele- gate to Congress. The House of Representative stood, republicans, 13; democrats, 9; populists, 4. The republicans secured six seats in the Council; the opposition had seven. In the organization of the House, seven days were consumed in fruitless balloting for the election of a speaker. On the eighth day, and the 149th ballot, M. L. Stanley, a republican representative from the Seventh Dis- trict, cast his vote with the combined opposition (democrat and populist) for the election of Thomas R. Waggoner for the speaker- ship, thus breaking the deadlock. In doing so, Mr. Stanley gave his reason for changing as follows :
"I wish to give as my reason for this the fact that the House has taken one hundred and forty-eight ballots and no chairman has been elected. I believe it is a fact that my constituents did not send me here to spend the entire session in electing a speaker, and therefore I feel that they will bear me out in the action I am about to take. For that reason, I will cast my vote for Mr. Waggoner."
The next day, when the journal was read, objection was made to the inclusion of the foregoing explanation therein and a motion was made to expunge it from the record. The motion was defeated, though not by a party vote. Similar deadlocks had to be broken in the election of other House officers and employees, though these were not so protracted. The work of the Second Legislative Assem-
where he lived for many years. His personality was picturesque and unique and many are the anecdotes of his deeds and sayings that still live after most of the men and events of the pioneer period have been forgotten. He died in California, and was buried at Kingfisher, Oklahoma.
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HISTORY OF OKLAHOMA
bly was not distinguished for achievements other than the usual round of statutes of minor importance, amendments to existing laws, appropriations and routine. This session was held during the months of January, February and March. 1893.
DENNIS T. FLYNN
Two months after the beginning of the second administration of President Grover Cleveland, Governor Seay was removed from office and William C. Renfrow, of Norman, Oklahoma, was appointed to fill the vacancy thus created.3 The newly appointed chief executive immediately assumed the duties of his position.
3 William Cary Renfrow was born at Smithfield, North Carolina, March 15, 1845. He was educated in the common schools but left school to enter the Confederate army. In 1865, he moved to Arkan- sas, where he lived until the opening of the Oklahoma country to settlement, when he moved to Norman, where he engaged in the banking business. He served as governor of Oklahoma from May
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HISTORY OF OKLAHOMA
The first political party conventions were held in the Indian Territory in 1892. The republican convention was held at McAlester, on the 23d of May. It was not largely attended. The democratic convention was held at Muskogee, on the 11th of June. Among its resolutions was one which demanded that the Indian Territory should have a delegate in Congress. This proposition was the subject of considerable discussion thereafter and resulted in the calling of a second democratic convention at Muskogee, Octo- ber 5, following. After due consideration, it was decided not to try to elect a delegate without authority or sanction of Congress. Robert L. Owen was chosen as the Indian Territory member of the National Democratic Committee.
In a convention held at Oklahoma City, May 15, 1894, the repub- lican party of the territory re-nominated Dennis T. Flynn 4 for delegate to Congress. The Territorial Democratic Convention was held at El Reno, August 1. It placed Joseph Wisby, of Guthrie, in nomination for congressional delegate. The populist nominee was Ralph Beaumont. With a triangular contest, the republican party was successful in electing not only its candidate for delegate to Congress but also a working majority of both houses of the Legis-
7, 1893, to May 24, 1897. Since retiring from office, Governor Renfrow has been largely interested in mining operations in the lead and zinc district in Southwestern Missouri. In recent years he has made his home in Kansas City, Missouri.
4 Dennis T. Flynn was born at Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, in 1861. He was educated at Buffalo, New York, where he studied law. After his admission to the bar, he settled at Riverside, Iowa, where he resided for a short time. In 1882, he again migrated, locating at Kiowa, Kansas, where, in addition to practicing law, he established and successfully conducted the Kiowa Herald and also acted as postmaster. When Oklahoma was opened to settle- ment, in 1889, he settled at Guthrie, where he served as the first postmaster. In 1890, he received a strong vote in the Republican Territorial Convention for the nomination for delegate to Congress. In 1892 he was nominated and elected as territorial delegate to Congress. In 1894 he was re-nominated and re-elected. In 1896 he was re-nominated but was defeated as the result of the union of the opposition forces. Although his own party was hopelessly in the minority, he ran far ahead of his own ticket, largely on the free homes issue. In 1898 and again in 1900, he was re-nominated and re-elected as delegate to Congress. During the last mentioned year, he secured the passage of the free homestead bill. In 1902 Mr. Flynn declined to be a candidate for re-election as delegate to Congress. Since 1903 he lias been engaged in the practice of law in Oklahoma City.
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lative Assembly. It was necessary to provisionally reapportion legislative representation among the several counties of the territory because of the addition of six new counties by the opening of the Cherokee Strip to homestead settlement.
The Third Legislative Assembly, like the Second, spent most of its session in the transaction of routine business. Among the more important measures passed and approved were : chapters on bonds, on fees and salaries, on elections (including the adoption of the Australian ballot system) and on revenue (including territorial and county taxes). A small appropriation was made for the support of the Oklahoma Historical Society for the purpose of aid- ing it in the effort to collect and preserve newspaper files, docu- ments, letters, books and other data pertaining to the history of the territory and adjacent regions.
THE OKLAHOMA HISTORICAL SOCIETY
The Oklahoma Historical Society was organized at Kingfisher, Oklahoma, May 27, 1893, during the course of the annual meeting of the Territorial Press Association. Mr. W. P. Campbell, of King- fisher, who, as a member of the Kansas Editorial Association, had assisted in organizing the Kansas State Historical Society, in April, 1875, discussed the advisability of organizing a similar society in Oklahoma and closed by moving that the editors assembled in their annual association meeting proceed to organize the Oklahoma His- torical Society.5 The motion prevailed and Mr. Campbell was chosen as the first custodian of the society's collections. Two days later, the custodian of the newly organized historical society issued the following "Circular No. 1," which was widely disseminated over the territory :
"KINGFISHER, OKLA., May 29, 1893.
"At their annual meeting in this city, May 27, the editors of Oklahoma created a department in connection with the association, to be called the Oklahoma Historical Society, of which the under- signed was elected as secretary and custodian to serve for the ensuing year.
5 William P. Campbell is a native of St. Joseph, Missouri. He was a newspaper publisher in Kansas for many years. He came to Oklahoma in the early '90s, settling at Waukomis. He was serving as deputy register of deeds of Kingfisher County at the time of the organization of the Oklahoma Historical Society. He has been in active charge of the work of the Historical Society since 1904 and has been tireless in his efforts to build up its collections.
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HISTORY OF OKLAHOMA
"The object in establishing this department is the collection of newspapers, books and periodicals, productions of art, science and literature, matters of historic interest, etc. It is especially desired that publishers send regularly two copies of their publications to be filed and bound at the end of each year.
"While this is designed as an Oklahoma institution, anything of the nature suggested will be thankfully received from any source, and will be given a proper place among the exhibits.
"For the present, headquarters will be at Kingfisher, where a suitable building has been secured for the storage, safe care and proper exhibition of contributions.
"Those feeling an interest in laying the permanent foundation for one of the most important institutions of Oklahoma are re- quested to forward as early as possible and as often as they secure them, any articles that may seem of historic interest, beautiful, instructive or curious. Address, prepaid,
"W. P. CAMPBELL, "Historical Custodian, "Kingfisher, O. T."
Although the newly organized society was without funds for the prosecution of its work, considerable progress was made during the course of the next year and a half. When the Third Legislative Assembly convened, in January, 1895, Governor Renfrow gave the society a cordial endorsement in his message and recommended that reasonable provision be made for the support of its work. Up to this time the collections of the society had been housed in the King- fisher County courthouse and the work of caring for the same was done by the custodian who also met the necessary expenses. With the endorsement of the governor, the society asked for a small appropriation for support during the ensuing biennial period.
It so happened that, though the historical society had been organized for nearly two years, and had been actively engaged in collecting newspaper files, books, documents and other data, it had not taken the precaution to secure articles of incorporation. A meeting of the society was called to convene at Perry on the 13th of February, 1895, for the purpose of arranging to incorporate. It was then found that, on the 16th of the preceding month, an association identical in name and purpose had been organized at the university, at Norman, and that it had filed articles of incor- poration as "the Oklahoma Historical Society," January 21, 1895. Inasmuch as Governor Renfrow had specificially mentioned the
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original organization in his message, ten days before the organiza- tion of the new society at Norman, there is no reason to believe that those who inspired the last mentioned movement were in ignorance of what had already been done at Kingfisher. However, it was evident that in case of a conflict of claims before the Legislative Assembly, neither society could hope to secure any support by pub- lic appropriation, consequently a consolidation was effected, and the headquarters of the society were established at the university.
The collections of the society were shipped from Kingfisher to Norman and were duly installed at the university, after which Mr. Campbell, who, up to that time, had been custodian in charge, and to whose active efforts the collection was almost solely due, was informed that his services were no longer needed. Later, William T. Little,6 of Perry, was appointed as custodian, a position which he held until the summer of 1899, when he resigned. During the
6 William Thomas Little was born at Newark, Ohio, June 14, 1862. Four years later his parents migrated to Kansas, settling at Olathe, and, in 1873, they moved to Abilene, where William T. Little graduated from the high school in 1882. He then entered the University of Kansas. In 1885 he had an attack of the pioneer- ing fever and settled in Western Kansas, at Leoti, Wichita County, where he helped to build the town, organize the county and pilot it through a county-seat war. Subsequently he attended the law school of the Columbian University, at Washington, District of Columbia, but left on account of ill health without graduating. He was admitted to the bar, but never practiced. He came to Guthrie on the opening day, April 22, 1889, where he published the Guthrie Get-Up, a small paper printed on a job press and the first to be actually printed in the Oklahoma country after it was opened to settlement. He secured a homestead claim in Noble County in the race at the opening of the Cherokee Strip. In 1894 he was elected as the representative of Noble County in the Territorial Legislative Assembly. He was custodian of the historical society from 1895 to 1899, when he resigned to enter the service of the Dawes Commis- sion as a land appraiser in the reservations of the five civilized tribes. In 1901 he was placed in charge of the appraisement of the school lands in the newly opened Comanche-Kiowa and Wichita- Caddo reservations. A few months later he was appointed post- master at Perry, which position he held until he relinquished it on account of failing health shortly before his death, which occurred July 5, 1908. He will be remembered as the pioneer arborculturist of Oklahoma, for he was an enthusiast as a tree planter, the public square and parks of his home town attesting not only his love of trees, but also his skill in inducing them to grow when others were skeptical of the success of the experiment.
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