The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-04-19
CRUCE DEFENDS HIMSELF
AND REFUTES ACCUSERS

people had been robbed BY the rail-
roads for years under republican rule.
He also showed how railroad property
had been taxed ridiculously low by a
republican board Of equalization. The
Choctaw last year was assessed at
sS500 a mile while in democratic Ar
kansas it paid taxes on $4,000 a mile.
"That's republican rule in Oklahoma.
Do you want to continue it?"
The convict system, fellow servant
law and child labor questions were
treated in an able manner and then
the speaker turned to the personal
questions that had been thrust upon
him by his opponents. when l en-
tered the campaign l registered vow
not to make charge against any
man. They may charge me with what
they please, but ! viii never make
counter charge. If / am guilty Of
half of what the charge against me,
/ ought to be in the penitentiary. I
am not going to say anything harsh
but when mans honor and his home
are attacked IN Oklahoma he has
a right to defend himself. Oklahoma
IS being regaled with the most won
derful joint debate in history between
Alphonse Haskell and CASTOR Doyle
Haskell says Doyle is a very fine man
and Cruce is a scoundrel while Doyle
says Haskell is the finest man in Ok
lahoma and Cruce is scoundrel. In
answer to Haskell's challenge to de-
bate, | said that ordinarily there was
no difference between democrats as to
| principles, but if he differed with me
as to any Of the principles I advocated
would gladly meet him on these is
sues; but I believed that a joint dis
/ cussion with nothing to discuss but
| personalities would disrupt the party
and / still maintain that position. |
would rather be called coward than
to be party to the defeat Of the
democratic party.
"Mr. Haskell says I wrote to him
+ for copy Of the Sequoyah conssitu-
tion before ! published my announce.
ment and declaration Of policies.
never wrote to him in my life till af-
ter the second letter | received from
him relative to the challenge and
never read the Sequoyah constitu-
tion until after he accused me o1
stealing my platform from it" The
speaker then took up the Sequoyaf
constitution and showed where hil
platform radically differed from it
! He then took up the questions pro
pounded to him BY Mr.. Haskell ant
answered them seriatim.
"I am charged with being a usui
er. The bank Of which I am presiden
has made 7738 loans in the past fiv
years and twc-thirds Of these hav
been to farmers and working people
There are not five men among all 0
these who are not supporting me-
was farmer till was "a years ole
was lawyer for ten years and hav
) been bank president five years. Al
Z honest man win be honest in any plac
| have lived in the territories sis
teen years and am willing to let th
} people who know me speak for me. /"
t AS to the charge that he was ur
friendly to public schools, Mr., Cruc
/ read letter form Supt Evans Of tn
! Ardmore schools in which the latte
t said that Mr.. Cruce bad always SUI
[ ported every movement for bette
5 schools. While Mr.. Cruce was an ak
= erman, the council increased the seho'
t term from three to six months an
the record showed that he had alway
+ been friend Of education.
9 The speaker also answered Il
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