The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-04-28

Of Muskogee. l. T., is actively sup
porting you and opposing me. and arr
reliably Informed, Is in charge Of your
headquarters in Muskogee. MIR. owen
Is a member Of the firm Of Soper
Huckleberry & owen. general attor
neys for the St Louis & San Francis
co railway company in the Indian
Territory.
am also reliably Informed tnat in
your rare for delegate to the constitu.
tonal convention you solicited and re-
ceived the support Of every corporation
attorney residing in your district.
In answer to the other questions
you make concerning what will do
II nominated. when the constitution
is attacked. will make this state.
ment:
| will defend the fundamental prin.
ciples in the constitution against the
assaults OF all parties and all persons
from whatsoever source they may
come; but my judgment Is that q
constitution needs no defender.
The claim that only a single person
in this state is ahlc to defend the
constitution Is an insult to the Dcmoc-
racy of Oklahoma. | maintain that
the people Of Oklahoma have writ.
ten this constitution. that the plat.
form, as adopted by the Democrats
and endorsed by the people In the
election of delegates last fall. en-.
bodied the constitution. and that tho
delegates elected to that convention
were simply the stewards of the pco-
pie and put in proper form the ideas
written In the Democratic platform
and demanded by more than hun
dred and twenty thousand Democrats
in Oklahoma. ] maintain that any one
OF these hundred and twenty thous.
and Democrats is fully capable Of de-
Tending the constitution OF Oklahoma
against the assaults Of any man Jr
party in the state.
Permit me to say that | had hoped
this campaign would be conducted up.
on a high plane Of decency. and. so
far as | am concerned. II shall be
done. The success of the Democratic
party Is of far more importance to
me than my own personol success I'm
this campaign ! am sure that the
Dem, Gratis Of Oklahoma are more In
terested in Democratic success on
the 9Th Of August than they are in
the success Of any Democrat In Ok
lahoma. In all this campaign | have
never made one single charge against
you, nor will | make one against you
or any other candidate running
against me during this campaign.
I do not believe the Democrats should
make fight of This kind upon each
other, and believing as | do, | shal!
abstain from any counter-attack upon
you. 1t matter not with me how We
heemnt you may become in your at
tack upon my character will not
be provoked into counter-attack up
on you.
The Democrats of Oklahoma will
settle this controversy between you
and me. and | am willing TO abide
their verdict, no matter what II
may be- shall continue in the future,
as in the past, making a clean Dem
ocratic campaign, defending myself
and my party from the assaults OF
our enemies, whether those enemies
be found within the ranks Of my
party or in the ranks OF the Repub-
lican party. My life is before the peo-
pie Of this state. have lived In but
two places in Ill my life-in Crltten'
den county, Kentucky, and in
Ardmore, Indian Territory. | am
willing to take the testimony Of any
honest man who knows me, in either
place, as to my integrity and fitness
for the position seek-I care not
what may be the vocation Of politics
" the witness.
Every minister in my town has en-
dorsed ne, and every minister in this
state, who has ever lived in Ardmore,
and knows me, is my friend. ! have
been endorsed by every labor organ
ization in the town in which live,
as well as by the president OF the
Farmers Union for the twenty-first
recording district with these en-
dors e.nents from my friends and my
neighbors, cheerfully submit my
claims to the Democrats Of Oklaho
ma.
trust that you will print my an
swer and give It the same publicity
that you have given your questions.
Yours very truly.
LEE CRUCE.
~. No.