The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-07-20
RUSSELL TELLS
The PEOPLE
HOW He STANDS AND GIVES
VIEWS AS A CANDIDATE.
FOR Delegate to the Constitutional al
Convention Of the New sts,e-For.
eibly Opposes the Wish Of Rail.
roads to Run the Convention.


tutlonal convention, in his speech az
the picnic given yesterday by the Far.
mers' Union between Elk and Milo,
among other things said: 8Y. ps
That the board for the two terri.
tories designated by congress
to divide the state into delegate dis.
tricts were all Republicans and prom.
iuent ones az that. and II their pur.
pose was to apportiou the districts ac.
cordlng to the population no one could
complain Of the result. but II II was
the purpose to be fair and have one
Democrat on each board. Senator
Stones amendment 20 that eject
would not have been defeated. The
matter was exclusively Ia the hands
of the Republican managers and II
reports be true at least Ave OF the six
were prospective candidates for eXalt.
ed positions. II a system Of outrageous
rerry-mandering was resorted to It
might be possible TO so fix the dis
trcts as to make Il doubtful which
party would be In control of the Con
stitutlonal convention, but II It is as
stated In the statehood bill that the
district should be apportioned as near
~ as possible according to the popu.
lation. Il should be done and II by
these methods the Republicans obtain
control OF the constitutional conyen.
tlon. all honorable men should accept
the result II the state Is honestly
and fairly Republican the Democrats
will submit as they should do. but II It
is Democratic. good conscience re-
quires of them to divide the districts
according TO population and as com.
lpactly as possible. From the close
ness OF the vote OF Oklahoma as here.
tofore demonstrated and of what Is
expected to be reasonable and true
OF the strength OF the two political
parties in the Indian Territory. the
conclusion Is inevitable that the Dem
ocrats are clearly in the majority. Yet
whether so. or not. the delegate dis
tricts should be honestly and fairly
apportoined and when that Is done let
the delegate be elected and let each
man who goes there be conscious OF
the fact that the constitution of Okla.
homa will be the organic Law OF all
the people and that every clause there
In should reflect the purpose and con
tain the language certain in meaning
and which the people fthe state
could feel safe In relying upon.
suppose that the manner OF Sc
lecting the delegates to the coustltu'
tlonal convention will be By the pri-
mary system. and the nominee will
be presented formally either by petit
tion or convention and said nominee
to be voted for at the election held for
delegate to the constitutional conven-
ton. have been asked by a good
many people to be delegate
20 the constitutional Couyen'
tion. and to be plain with YOU, |
had the matter under consideration
for some days and have consented and
have announced my candidacy. The
man receiving your vote for delegate
To the convention should be under
stood by you and you should under
stand what you expect Of him as one
of the trainers of the constitution.
Those things that will ennure 10 the
benefit OF all the people and will edu-
cato their children and will exempt
' their homes from forced sale, aud
lthelr household furniture. their stock
and implements of husbandry. The
current wages of the laborer and EN-
: ployed, the regulation Of these rail
roads aud other corporations that will
make them take their grasp from the
, throat OF the people and will provide
, against combination OF trusts and
other conspiracies in restraint OF
trade should be in your constitution
/, Vote for no man who YOU do not be
lieve in your heart and judgment will
not stand by YOU In this matter.
believe in Public Free schools
and believe in compulsory attend
ance upon them. | believe that the
7 constitution should fix the scholastic
. age and school terms. believe that
J there should be absolute separation OF
white and blacks in the schools and
: there should be the same efficiency
provided for In the country as in the
town teachers and the same liberality
in the apportionment for the support
of the schools; that the head OF every
family should be entitled to at least
ore hundred and sixty acres in the