The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-05-05
ANOTHER REPLY TO HASKELL
BY HONORABLE LEE CRUCE

the democratic party before OF self |
This has been my policy from the |
day entered the race. is now and will |
continue to be until the close Of the |
campaign. II you are really solicitous |
for the welfare and success OF our par |
ty. you can easily prevent the threat
ened disaster by Withdrawing the
charges you have made against me.
The plan you submit to settle the
question OF our respective candidates.
to THREE ARBITRATORS is GER
tainly a novelty in American politics,
II impresses me as being the most un.
democratic idea that has ever been
evolved from the mind of man. !
will say most emphatically that | do
not consider that the office of COVER
nor Of Oklahoma belongs to c. n.
Haskell and Lee Cruce or to either OF
them-this office belongs to the peo-
pie of Oklahoma. Neither do ! agree
that any three democrats, | care not
how honorable and just they may be,
have the right to select the democratic
candidate for governor in this
state. this right is inherent in the
democratic masses Of the state. I
hold that one democrat, no matter
how humble may be his position in
| life. has rs much right to say who
shall be the democratic nominee as
/ has any other democrat. The demo
/ cratic party has repeatedly gone on
record in Oklahoma as favoring the
primary election system and | have
publicly advocated the primary cleo
| tion system, for the nomination of
candidates for office, since the day |
entered this race. Your proposal alb
solutey ignores the primary plan and
puts 1t in the power of THREE MEN
to name the man who shall head the
democratic ticket. 4 more danger
Gus plan and one more subsersive OF
democratic principles could hardly be
conceived. 1t would be a dangerous
approach to the idea of one man pow
er and would tend to the establish
ment of an OBNOXIOUS POLITICAL
RING. The republican party in its
most contracted form has never gone
quite this far. That party nominates
its candidates either by a delegate
convention or by its executive com
mittee. but it has never permitted its
nominations to be made by as few as
three members OF that party. II you
and | were TO agree to this and the
other three men should enter into the
alliance with us, | firmly believe the
democrats of the state would repudi-
ate our actions at the polls. | will be
party to no such plan to deprive the
democratic voters of the state of their
right to participate in the selection of
their candidates.
But | am not opposed to the arbi-
tration OF our claims TO the demo
cratic nomination for the governor.
ship Of this state. have already sub
I mltteu my claims 10 BOARD OF ATDl-
traitors and that board is composed OF
the ENTIRE MEMBERSHIP of the
democratic party in these two terri.
tories. The democratic party will de-
termne. on June the Sth. who shall
lead the party to victory. Before
them | place my candidacy and | will
abide their verdict whatever 1t may
be. II am their choice, will do all
that | can in an honorable way to lead
the party to victory. If another is
chosen as our standard bearer, I shall
strive to make his victory over
whelming, Yours truly,
(Signed) LEE CRUCE