The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-09-04
THE HAND OF ESAU BUT THE
VOICE OF JACOB"
Mr. Editor:

= IucltNtltu DN MI. ItuUtlltI D'lOIt lHt
;. democratic club last Monday night. As
the speech printed Is very different
f. ON the one he delivered, and as II
appears in your paper as If you report
ed IT, ! wish to reply to some things
no says rejecting on me. do not
believe that you wish 10 do me an in.
itusice, which the purported speech
B certainly does.
II Is claimed by Mr. Ledbettcr in
this purported speech that ! said that
vas better man than he was. AMI
HAT he could not stand beside me. /
deny this most cmphatcally. ! said
that ! was willing TO compare public
land private records with the record
Inf Mr. Lcdbetter; and this I am sull
willing to do. / said nothing about
I1lEs is cheap and very mean meth
cd lo be- adopted by q man who seeks
81 responsible a position 10 manuiac-
ture prejudice against an opponent. IT
il unbecoming Of him and proves his
unworthncss of the honor he seeks.
| was IN hopes Mr.. Lcdbetter and my.
self could make this campaign on
high and honorable plane, but it seems
that , am TO be disappointed at the
very beginning.
! cannot understand his motive un-
less II is to divert the attention of
the voters away from himself as rail.
road attorney and prejudice them
against me personally The burden
of his speech is an assault on me and
what he declares to be my views on
prohibition, when in reality there is
no material difference between us on |
that question If he is sincere in what !
he says in his published speech In |
his speech he uses this language: Mr.. |
Drew said that | like the anti-prohi- |
bitionists, wanted TO have prohibition !
adopted I'm part of the state i'm order
that II might be declared uncoustim-
tional He has no right to associate
me with any class of people who are
interested in having prohibition i'm In
dian Territory declared unconstitu-
tionaL | now state az a lawyer that
1t is my opinion that If we comply with
the enabling act and put prohibition
in our constitution no court on earth
would ever declare II unconstitutional"
He goes on further and states. as
lawyer, that 1t would be constitution.
al; that every supreme court has held
that prohibition is within the control
of the state, and that it would BE- alb
surd TO say that If we make prohibition
as to Indian Territory constitutional
any court would hold It unconstitution-
al
That is the position ! took in my
published articles on prohibition. and
If Mr.. Lcdbctter Is sincere there is no
difference between us on this ques-
tion; and his only hope in agitating
the question is to poison the minds
Of the voters with the idea that am
trying to force prohibition on them
when he knows that ! could not do
that If | wished TO.
But is Mr. Ledbetter sincere? lie
Is either insincere now. or he was in
sincere in his address before the bar
association in Shawnee, Okla. i'm De
'ember, 1904. In that address he took
he position that such legislation by 4,
as the prohibition clause in
he statehood bill was uncon. titutional
md void
Now, II Mr.. Ledbetter is so yacillat-
ng and unreliable in his opinion on
his proposition, Is II safe to trust him !
IN other more important and vital
mestions of constitutional law? lie ,
might change his opinion on the rail ,
road commission law, and not put il
m the constitution. In his published ,
speech he already says 1T Is not d.
necessary 20 mention this matter in ,
he constitution AZ ALL" / think il is
'aign ever wagcd in Texas was wagcd
by Governor IIogg on this very issue.
He wanted constitutional am nd. ,
nent adopted declaring FOR a railroad ,
commission with powers not only To In
make rates" but TO hS them and en-. =
'orce them. lie was opposed in this ,
fight by the combined influence of ,
all the railroads and their attorneys.
From every stump in the state he was
denounced as a dymagogue. In Texas
he railroads made an open fight, but
here in the Indian Territory and Ok =
ahoma they are fighting under cover Ir
Under the guise of opposition to rail s
road corporations their attorneys are =
rRglnulnN 1nRrntf,r.