The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1907-04-30
MANY HEAR HASKELLION SPEAKING TOUR
STORM DID NOT PREVENT MR..
HASKELL FROM SPEAKING.
PLEASED WITH ELOQUENGE
Constitution and Work of Democratic
Delegates to the Convention
Praised by the Speaker.

In spite Of the cold rain OF last night
a fair sized crowd was out to hear
Hon. G. N. Haskell candidate for
Democratic nomination for governor,
in an eloquent speech. Considering
the weather and the fact that the
opera house was cold, the crowd was
fiattering compliment to Mr.. Has
kell as a drawing card. On account
Of the late arrival Of the crowd the
speaking did not begin until $50,
when Rev. ]. B. Mcdonald, Of this
city in a short but fiowery talk intro
duced Mr.. Haskell.
Mr.. Haskell arose and explained
the line of talk which he expected to
follow. He began his speech by tell
ing of the organization of the consti-
tutional convention at Guthrie. He
told of how he had arrived in Guthrie
some five days before the day of the
opening of the convention, and how
he had been approached with a pre-
pared slate for the organization of
the convention. He was rather Sc
we're in his criticism of Col Roy Stat
ford, of Oklahoma, and u. S. Russell,
Of Shawnee, whom he said had the
thing all arranged to suit themselves.
He then told OF how he, with the other
Indian Territory delegates, had broken
up that slate and elected alfalfa"
Bill Murry to the presidency of the
convention.
Mr.. Haskell told of the great prepar-
ations made by the corporate interests
to corrupt, if possible, the delegates
to thai convention. He told of how
his resolution, which he had secured
from Governor Folk, of Missouri, to
prevent lobbying was presented and
passed. "That resolution" said Mr..
Haskell, twas like shotgun explod-
ing among bunch of blackbirds. The
lobbyists all left Guthrie. "
Mr.. Haskell summarized the consti-
tuition and lauded each and every
clause in it. He said that he favored
every single clause in the constitution,
and laid great stress on the praise of
that document by WI. Bryan and by
the Saturday Evening Post. He eulo-
gized the work of every one of the 80
Democratic delegates in the conyen-
tion. He declared that the constitu-
tion was not the idea of any one man,
but the combined ideas of the whole
Mr.. Haskell never tires
of praising the constitution.
The speaker occupied considerable
time in calling attention to the press
that the convention was
wasting time and money. He said that
the reporters who wrote from day to
day that the convention ought to ad-
journ and go home knew that if the |
convention finished its work in ninety |
days it would break the record made |
by any one of the last eight constitu-
tional conventions. He showed that |
according to Sec. Filson and Henry
Asp's own figures the convention spent |
less money than any session Of the Ok
lahoma legislature since the territory
was organized.
After praising the constitution for
more than an hour, Mr.. Haskell turned |
his attention to the attacks Of his OPP
ponents. He denounced many of the
made against him by men
whom he declared to be the paid ennis
saries of Lee Cruce as absolutely false.
The editor of the Vinita Leader and
numerous other editors came in for a
share Of the venom of the speaker,
who replied to the accusations of the
Leader by saying that the statements
were false. Mr.. Haskell referred to
Roy Stafford, of the Oklahoman, as the
editor of the Frisco Magazine.
On the whole, the people who braved |
the storm to hear Mr.. Haskell were
well pleased with the address. 1t is a
matter of regret that the weather con-
ditions were not more favorable, as
there are many here who wished to
hear him speak that were prevented
from doing so by the bad weather.
Mr.. Haskell left on the Frisco train
this morning for Tulsa, where he will
speak tonight.