The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-03-31
THOSE OKLAHOMA DELEGATES.

! Contradictory reports and impress
sions of the Oklahoma territorial Re
publican convention at Oklahoma City
Saturday last, are the result of a con
vention which was considerably mud
died itself.
The reader is informed that the con.
vention was almost wholly for Ne
Kinley, and that it promptly voted q
resolution in favor OF Mckinley down
that the delegates selected to go TO St
Louis are all for Reed, but that Reed
was not Endorsed. The inference 10
be drawn from this, by man not ac-
quainted with the situation, is that the
Mckinley men in Oklahoma had been
hoodwinked in some mysterious man
ner into voting for their chiefs OPP
ponent. The Associated Press dis
patches, unlike the Eagles special ser
vice. gave it out fiat that the delegates
were Reed men.
This the delegates themselves deny,
| and delegate who viii not say he is
for a man is not a very valuable dele
gate for that man.
Without assuming to know all the
inner twists and curlicules of the con-
yention, it may be reasonably believed
that Oklahoma was not ready to take
sides in the presidential campaign.
That campaign, at this time, peryadeS
the whole nation. 1t is not alone on
the street corner and at the club, but
it has filtered it's way into congress
where all actions and legislative move
mentS are apt to be more or less in
fuenced by presidential considerations.
Oklahoma has vital matters before the
national legislature, which a pro-
nounced preference for any single as
pirant for the presidency, might, at
this time imperiL 1t was probably
this which prevented Mckinley reSO-
luton from going through, just as it
prevents the delegates elected from
saying for whom they are.
This is not hip-hurrah politics, but
it is very good sense, and it shows that
the Republican party is not going to
allow either enthusiasm or personal
ambition to get a cinch on pOStOf-
fee or two TO throw in the shade the
success of the free homes measure
which will save to part of oklahoma
fifteen million dollars.
There was another matter which kept
instructions down in oklahoma. Ok
lahOma has been granted, semi-oficial-
~, six delegates to St Louis. 1t re-
mains for the convention to say wheth-
er those six delegates shall be admitted
to whether the former number, two,
shall be all that is allowed. If, per-
chance, oklahoma should present six
Reed men to a Mckinley majority con-
ventiOn, it would be almost useless for
the committee on credentials, as it
would be if she presented Mckinley
delegates to a Reed majority conven-
ton.
The position of the six delegates elect
ed is an important one. Their per-
SOnal preferences may be, as is insist |
ed, for Reed. But it is their duty to |
keep their mouths shut and their plans |
and purposes free from entangling al |
liances. There IS little doubt, if any,
that majority of the people of Okla |
hOma are for William Mckinley for |
president of the United States. There |
is little doubt, if any, that he will have |
a majority of the St Louis convention
with him when that convention meets. |
Caution, prudence and good sense Sug-
gests that the oklahoma delegates re
frain from exploiting their personal |
or from taking any aggres-
sive part in the campaign preceding
the convention.
An opposite course will be detriment-
al to their own careers, as it will be pre-
judicial to Oklahoma, and it may i'm
pair the splendid present harmony
among the Republicans of Oklahoma.