The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-04-28
LEE CRUCE REPLIES
TO HASKELL'S QUESTIONS

ago, through the New STATE 1rlu
une." you propounded to me six ques
tons and asked that | submit you al
answer 10 same, to be published il
your paper. These questions you re
newed in the issue of your paper o
April 4th, adding thereto seventh
question. and again, in your issue OF
April 18th, you repeat these sever
questions, adding thereto the eighth
question.
At the time these questions were
first propounded to me- your status
In the gubernatorial race was not
fixed. | believed then. and | have be
lloved since September of last year,
that you would be candidate for
the Democratic nomination for COVER
nor Since then, your public announce
ment of your candidacy has confirm.
ed my impression that you would be
candidate, notwithstanding your re-
peated declarations that you were not
candidate for any Office. No other
Democrat in the state has questioned
my Democracy. or my fitness for the
position to which | aspire. and you
are the only one in the state who
has ever insisted Of me that / make
answer to the questions.
| have delayed answering these
questions In the hope that you would
~,
success OF the Democratic party on
account OF the character OF campaign
that Is being waged in this state for
the G'Overnorship, and would cease
to press fer an answer to those ques-
tions Right h:re you will permit me
TO call your attention to this Incl.
dent: After you had propounded your
questions. and before the constitution
al convention took its recess about
the 18th day of March. at your so
licitation | made n trip to Guthrie,
and met you in conference in the
lobby of the Elks Hotel. In that con-
ference | stated to you that believed
II would be injurious to our party
10 become involved in newspaper
controversy.
also. stated to you that II was my
purpose to conduct this campaign
Democratic party united when the
conflict was ended at the primary
election. | told you then that | OK.
pected to so conduct my campaign
that no matter who the nominee Of
my party might be, | could support
him Loyalty and that | would have
ncthing TO take back that | had said
prior TO his nomination. and | also
stated that It was my desire that the
campaign should be so waged by my
opponents that, in the event OF my
nomination, they would support me
loyalty. and that II should become
the nominee Of the party. that your
campaign would be so conducted that
you could be one Of my chief lieu
tenants.
In that conference, | answered to
you every one OF the questions that
you propounded 10 me at that time
and you expressed perfect satisfac-
tion at the answers | had given you.
This occurrence leads me to believe
that you were satisfied, that there
was no foundation for the questions
which you had asked, and that you
would not repeat them in the future.
You have seen proper, however, to
continue to ask these questions,
whether ! viii or no.
have determined to give you n
plain, straightforward answer to
every question that you have asked
me, so that the Democrats OF this
state may know exactly how | stand
upon the propositions submitted IN
your questions. Before answering
these questions, however, want to
state to you that had nothing what
ever to do with propounding ques-
tions TO you and that had no knowl-
edge that any such questions mad
ever been propounded until they were
published in the paper, asking the
question. | have never asked you, nor
any other candidate running against
me in this race, one single question,
nor will ask one while I am can
didate for the goyernorship.
regard the Office of governor oi
the state of Oklahoma as one Of SUI
preme Importance, and the man who
is broad enough to fill this office ac'
ceptably to the people Of Oklahoma
will be too bread to spend his uine III
catechislng his opponents in the race.
In answering these questions. | shall,
until the contrary is proven, assume
that you are perfectly honest in max
ing the following statement:
IF the above is not true, the Trih-
une assures you that II has no preJu'