“ALFALFA BILL”

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 174, 16 March 1932, Page 2

“ALFALFA BILL”

STATE GOVERNOR RISES FROM OBSCURITY TQ EXECUTIYE POSITION. RULES WITH A RIFLE! They have a new kind of Governor "riding herd" in Oklahoma — a Governor who knows his State's laws and who is not afraid to use. the full authority of his office when he thinks it necessary, writes Louis Cochran in the New York Outlook. Denounced as a charlatan and derided as a clown when he took office, "Alfalfa Bill" simetimes ca,lled "Bolivia Bill" and "Cocklebur Bill" hy his enemies — immediately set himself to serious business in the executive mansion. When he could not enforce the law in any other way he called out the militia, .and, therefore, he has risen in public respect as an executive who knows what he is about. The .free bridges across the Red River between Texas and Oklahoma refuse to open, and the Governor issues an executive order and they open. A Federal court issues a writ against State officers, the Governor- defiies the injunction, sends the State militia to see that his orders are enforced, and the Federal writ fades into a condition of innoeuous desuetude. A hospital patient addicted to chiropractic is helpless when confronted with university red tape; the Governor speaks, and the doors of the university hospital open to admit the patient. A State law threatens the prosperity and happiness of a host of State school land lessees who cannot pay their interest; the Governor wills, and the teeth fall out of the statute, and the school land farmers are happy. The oil carporations refuse to pay an adequate price for oil, and the Governor calls out his guardsmen and closes 3000 oil wells until he gets his price. "Alfalfa Bill." • Small wonder thai> the nation has become "Oklahoma-conseious" and that the Denver Post sighs: "Oh for a Murray for Governor of Colorado!" Here, admittedly, is a man who at . least fills the shoes of the Governor of a sovereign State in marked contrast to the usual af ra1' d-of-his-sha-dow political bell wethers who too frequently quake and rattle about in high places. This Govenor is William Henry Murray, aged sixty-one, 6ft tall, thin, weather-worn, with bushy, unruly hair and a droopy walrus moustache. 1 In succession he has been a newspaper subscription agent, school teacher, country editor, lawyer, farmer, historian, South Ameriean coloniser, and the ninth Govenor of Oklahoma. But when Governor 'Alfalfa Bill," as he is affeetionately known among his constituents, or "Bolivia Bill" as he is known amongst some of his eritics, announeed his intention of making his third race for the Governorship shortly after his return in 1929 from his ill-fated Bolivian colonising attempt there were few so poor as to do him homage, and none so rash or foolish as to believe he would be elected. For ten years he had been away from the State, and six , years before had sailed away with ! twelve families to found a new colony 8 at E1 Gran Chaco, Bolivia, on a 75,000acre concession from the Bolivian Government and the magic name of "Alfalfa Bill" had all but disappeared from the public prints. Success Against Odds. He had made two abortive efforts to become Governor, in 1910 and 1918, and his reward had been but a vision of the promised land. He had been overwhelmingly defeated for re-elec-tion to Congress in 1916 because he gently pooh-hoohed the notion of Wilson's impeccable wisdom, and scoff ed at the idea that the Democratic President would keep us out of the war. But "Alfalfa Bill," undismayed peeled out his last twelve dollars, gave his wife one dollar, arranged for credit with a grocer at his Tishomingo home, and for the third time started on the road which eventually led him to the Governor's ehair and no littlq share of national attention. There were nine aspirants for the Democratic nomination. Three were millionaires, and four others had good reeords as administrators. "Alfalfa Bill" had no organisation, no backing of any sort, no money, and every daily newspaper in the State was against him. But the crowds who came to jeer demained to cheer, and in the run-off Democratic primary he defeated his opponent by the impressive vote ' of 218,85-2 to 139,810 and swamped the Republican nominee in the general election hy 100,000 votes, carrying sixty-four out of the seventyseven counties of the State. Within eighteen months after his return as a failure from a foreign land, "broke," unhonoured, and virtually forgotten, he had taken in the Governor's chair, and thereupon proceeded to startle the nation by a, series of acts unprecedented in their scope, and yet with a strict adherence to constitutional authority which earned the admiration of friend and -foe alike. Gone now is the torrent of abuse and ridicule with which his election and entry into office was greeted; the incessant carping about personal incapacity or weakness. Doubt or fear as to his courage, intelligence, legal knowledge, or sincerity of purpose has passed away, and from an attitude of ridicule even his enemies have passed to an attitude which takes it for granted that any measure adopted hy Alfalfa Bill will he sueeessful. "Alfalfa Bill" has become a "favourite son,"