The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-02-16
CHAPTER ON GOVERNOR
FERGUSON AND PRO
HIBITION
SOME LEAKS IN THE POT
Enid Paper Seeks tOShOw Ex-
Governors Inconsistency
specIal % Die l.eader

Special TO Daily Leader
Enid, Okla Feb. i6-Tho Events OF
this place says: An ardent prohibitions
ist who is good friend Of this paper
ard a good citizen and business man Of
Enid took us to task last week on this
wisei why are YOU against Tom
Ferguson? He's good man and ad-
vocatoa what believe in as to pro-
hibition for the new state" We an
swcred our friend in few words, but
for the benefit of other readers of
this paper who may be likemindrd. we
desire to state the Fergusonian advocacy
OF statehood in It's proper light. We te-
sire our friends TO reason with ms. and
if our conclusions are not found to be
correct, reject them
As "a primary proposition Mr. Fcrgu-
sons advocacy OF prohibition Is a sricS.
We realize that such Is hard state
mont to make, but we intend to prove
it, II Is the old game practiced so long
by tho old regime Ia oklahoma II is
wen known how. that for the past ten
years Mr.. Flynn has taken one side of
the school land question and Nj. Grimes
the other why? Everybody Knows
chat Flynn and Grimes are identical in
Oklahoma politics -Siamesc twins Of
thought an action-each advising the
other and acting in concert. The reason
they took opposite sides on the school
land question was to catch 'cm coming
ana going calculating that Grimes could
swing the anti-lesscees ana Flynn the
lessee sympaihizers.
Tho prohibition proposition is now be-
Ing worked in the Same way The
scheme was undoubtedly fixed up az IN
Watongu caucus. 1t was well known TO
the schemers tmit FLYNN and Grimes are
ohuoxious 10 The prohibltlonlsts OF the
territory. therefore It was arranged
that Mr. Ferguson as the thitd wheel Of
the Flynn-Grimes political machine
should come out and espouse prohibition
and at the same time &c would be the
business OF Messrs Flynn and Grimes to
tcady to the saloon element. Thus they
would catch the liberals and anti-saloon
people coming and going.
Another point figured on and con-
cludcd to be vital point, was the fact
that the statehood bin is now pending
In congress The Anti-Saloon League is
busliy engaged collecting petitions, let
ters, etc. to present TO congress asking
that prohibition for the new state be em-
bodied In the Enabling act. This is be
ing fought very hard In the Senate and
may be the element which win defeat
the passage of the bin II the bill passes
Delegate Mcclure will receive the credit,
II the bill falls Of passage, Mcclure Will
bo blamed, more or less; therefore, in
tho interest OF Flynnism the passage Of
the bill should be defeated. II is reas-
enable to expect that the testimony OF
"A former governor OF Oklahoma. as to
whether the people of the new state de-
sire prohibition or not would have
weight In the consideration OF the bill,
at least to the end OF creating a divis-
ion and thus assist TO defeat the bills
passage.
In accordance with this well laid
double plan to catch the people of ok
lahoma coming and going. and inciden-
tally help to defeat the statehood bill.
as per instructions OF his managers,
Flynn and Grimes. neither OF which ever
drank any more LIQUOR than they could
hold Mr. Ferguson wrote and sent TO
the Secretary OF the Anti-Saioon League.
at oklahoma City. on open letter In
which he advocated prohibition for the
new state. This letter was published
In part and viii go TO Washington I'M
medately with the othor prohibition pc
titions and memorials.
Does anyone think for n moment that
Tom Ferguson. smooth bore politician
Of fourteen years activity. cares any
thing about prohibition or non-prohi
bltion any further than hc expects Il
TO assist the political aims OF himself
and colleagues? II there is n person IN
oklahoma so greatly deceived let him
at once arouse and look at matt rs
through the lenses of common sense.
n Mr. Ferguson is such an ardent
prohibtionist how Is u that We find
him lighting the prohibition candidate
for postmaster at his home town, Wa
tonga? The Watcnga Arti-saloon Lea-
guc has endorsed tho candidacy OF Geo.
Ferguson The Wholesale liquor agents
oi Watonga are writing letters and doing
an they can for Brown The immaculate
good saiat. Tom Ferguson is also doing
AN ne can fQr Brown and lighting
George Ferguson too.h and toe nail.
Is oX-Goyernor Ferguson honest I'm his
platiudos anent prohibition
a careful pcrusm or the Watonga
Republican disclosos six liquor license
publication notices. Judge Irwin has
decided that "a newspaper can refuse 20
print liquor licenses and thereby defeat
the issuance OF LIQUOR licenses. The
Wa,onga Republican IS one OF two pa
psrs at Watonga. Blaine county, Okla
homa. one OF the papers "of largest
circulation in the county" should II re-
fuse TO publish these liQuor notices
here where be no more saloons In
hig inc county
Is Ex-Governor Ferguson honest in
his prihibiton piattudes?
Judge fir ymrseh
In our honest oninion based upon In
formation ana facts al hand Tom Fer
g'ison % simply and puvely conniving
politician. playng a grand stand part un-
der orders from Dennis Flynn and BIN
Grimes. In rider TO carry The support h
the prohibiuonists OF the territory for
the regime and at the same time grab
the lapor support through douhi'
dealing
30 those methods pass with Chris
thtns und prohhitionists7 10 they pre-
fer TO support the conniving politician,
whose one EFFORT Is 20 hoodwlnk tsem
We may have been raised dinereutly
from other people. but, n We We're a
prohlbltionist. or saloon man We
would rather a thousand times support
the man who was openly our Zoe than