The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-01-14
THE DUNCAN MUDDLE.
The other Side of the Controversy
Arising From the TowsIte conven-
tIon at That Place.
Duncan, /. T., Jan. IL.

In regard to the little piece in your
paper copied from the Dallas News,
dated Duncan Dec. %, 1897, and A.
w. Parker's answer to il i'm your pa
per of dec. 80, 1897, dated Duncan,
Dec. 20, 1897, in regard to n townsite
meeting here on the Goth of Decem-
Der, and the electlol of a delegate, |
did think, inasmuch as he had pub
lished his piece away from home, of
begging you for about two columns
of space to answer it in detail, but
fearing you would not give it to me,
/ have riImed it down and ask for
much less space.
Everybody here knows now that
my little piece was quite accurate as
far as it went
Win say that out of the eighteen
men who Parker, in his answer,
notes as being present, several left
before vote and only five voted, and
of the thirteen men / have been able
to find who did vote land / am salts
a d I have them ALL, only six ever
contributed a dollar heretofore, and
only one of them ever contributed
literally, of the $3.50 we have raised
in attempting to secure courts and
sending men to Washington.
Everyone at the meeting knows 1t
was farce and now believes il was
loaded.
Why, Parker himself, Dragged to
me two or three days afterwards
about capturing it, claiming that one
who did not own any property had
as much right to vote for a man to
represent our property interests as q
property owner.
have been reliably informed that
at least two non-property owners
and one, an elderly one, more drunk
than sober-were on the streets
drumming for votes, and that few
others freely imbibed st the shrine
of Bacchus and were asked to 20 TO
the meeting and vote.
Everybody here knows that the
general sentiment is opposed to send
ing a delegate, and was at that
meeting.
/ would not allow my name to go
before the meeting as a candidate,
and advised and made talk in the
meeting against sending a delegate.
l was opposed to trying to send q
delegate to Washington in the town
site matter, but was in favor of as
sistlng Ardmore what we could in
keeping the Hon. s. t. Bledsoe in
Washington during the pendency of
Indian Territory legislation, and al
though several of our business men
(some out of courtesy and others
didn't know conduct of meeting) sub
scribed to the list spoken of by Par
ker, believe / am safe in saying
that four-fifths of the property own
ers in town and those who have al
ways had the burden to bear, are in
favor OF the same thing.
When / think of Parker's ''irre-
sponsible party" his disappointed
candidate" his ''parading the
Streets" his spanked baby" and
his trying to make the interests oi
the people subservient TO his own
personal Spleen" am very much
. inclined to apply very harsh cpl
thet to him; but, before doing so,
!. stop and wonder whether he be q
\ knave, a dupe or a fool: and then
. wonder that Parker, for a year Oh
\ two after coming here (so / am told
kxr Of ln0HTnn hnasnnoe
7 mem, bought a large proportion o.
his dry goods and groceries from
. Kansas City and other foreign mar
kets; when / remember that this II
about the first session of the schoo
taught in the public school building
| tthat he has ever patronized (but theI
/ believe that this is the first session
when we have not had some littl'
side issue in some vacant store build
ing) when / remember that at thu
last school election in June he wa
NJ one of five persons who voted agains
y the Witt candidates for school trust
ees, which candidates received from
105 to ITO votes; when remembei
his general stand in all public affair
heretofore; when remember his ex
treme liberality(?) in contribution
for public enterprises-I say when
remember all this and compare
with his irresponsible party hi
- disappointed candidate" his pa
rading the Streets" his "spanke
baby" and his ''trying to make tn
interests of the people subservient b
his own personal Spleen" / sto
again and wonder whether he be
knave. a dupe or a fool; and then
stop again and think that perhaps
not knowing which, / possibly ough
Ar, hnrn -