The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-09-26

as possible. The Democrats artfully
delayed finishing the constitution
! The Republicans were fearful that ii
they adopted a platform based on the
constitution the Democrats would
change the constitution. Week after
week and month after month the Re
publicans were juggled out of valua-
BILE time
The Democrats decided that their
be made in direct primaries. The can
didates went into the field and the
state was campaigned as thoroughly
as if the Democrats were fighting the
Republicans. The result was that the
nominees became we'll known to the
cratic state committee had excellent
opportunity to test its working ma
chinery and learn conditions in the
state. In the meanwhile the Republi-
cans had done nothing, and still had
two separate campaign committees.
Finally the constitution was finish
ed and the Republicans were free to
prepare for the campaign. They held
a nominating convention in which
there was wide difference of opinion
| as to what the platform should con
tain. Some were for resisting the
adoption of the constitution and refus-
ing to put out a ticket, while others
insisted upon a ticket in order to
maintain party organization. and tho't
it would be best to indorse the consti
tuition to show the party's friendli-
ness to statehood, but, at the same
time, to point out defects in the con
stitution with the promise to cure
them if elected to office. The plat
form was compromise that left the
Republicans open to the charge that
they would defeat statehood rather
than accept a constitution made by
the Democratic party
Unlike the Democrats, who had
months, the Republicans had only 4
or weeks in which to campaign the
state which covers more than 10000
square miles and mas a population of
almost ~ million people The Re
publicans elected a single state com
mittee, but chose its campaign mana
ger under conditions that caused dis
satisfaction among party workers, and
after there had been a prolonged fac
tional fight over the chairmanship of
the committee
C. n. Haskell, who controlled tho
constitutional convention, was the De
Al
other Democratic delegates in the con
vention were candidates for office. |
the First gun from the Democrats
exposed the weakness of the Republi-
can batteries. If the Republicans
should approve the constitution there
was reason in the Democratic argu-
ment that the men who made it should
be rewarded with Office, which left the
Republicans practically without an is
sue. On the other hand, any criticism
of the constitution, however proper
and legitimate that criticism might
be, gave an opening for the Demo
Gratis to infiame the voter by declar-
ing that the Republicans were trying
to defeat statehood
In the enabling act Congress 1mpos-
ed federal prohibition on Indian terri
tory for twenty-one years. the Anti
Saloon league mad been at work ia
Oklahoma a number of years and had
aroused tremendous opposition to the
liquor traffic The league controlled
enough delegates in the constitutions
al convention to insert a provision in
the constitution that prohibition, as
provided by Congress for Indian Ter
ritory should be made statewide. Has
kel made an alliance with the league
and got its support. In the state this
support brought him thousands of pro
hibition Republican votes upon the
promise that he would enforce pro
hibition laws.
In their platforms both parties omit
ted prohibition as a political issue.
In the campaign Haskell declared for
prohibition, whose supporters he al
ready had won. Frantz, the Republi-
can nominee, in favor of local option
and nigh license, did not commit him
self. The story was circulated that
FTantz had the support OF the saloon
element and that tae saloon keepers
were trying TO defeat the constitution
to escape prohibition. This set the
woods on fire. in the rural districts
where the sentiment for both proni
bition and statehood was strong.
In reorganizing its battered forces
for the next campaign, the Republican
party expects to regain those voters
who were driven away tlis time by
the party's predicament on the consti
tuition. With prohibition no longer
a campaign issue, the party expects
the return of the Republican pronibi
tionists Again, the Republicans ex
pect the Democrats to make mistakes
in governing the state that will lose
them many votes.
Furthermore. the Republicans pre-
dict that Haskell will disrupt his par
u. Haskell has shown himself to be
man who will not brook opposition