The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-07-06
CANDIDATES IN
JOINT DEBATE
CONTESTANTS FOR NOMINATION
FOR GOVERNOR OF STATE
MEET IN ANADARkO.

AnadarAo, Okla, Juy William
II. Murray. Lee Curce, Brant Kirk
and l.. p. Ross, the four candidates
for the democratic nomination for
governor of Oklahoma, this after
noon engaged in the first of Sc
ries of debates here which are the
result of Murray's challenge OF
month ago, to be followed by sim
liar meetings in Enid, Oklahoma
City Ada and Durant.
The central figures of the debate
were Cruce and Murray. Kirk, who
is running on the prohibition plat
form, talked only of prohibition.
Ross, on an anti-prohibition plat
form, favored high license and local
option and, assailing the Haskell
.ministration, argued for reduc-
ton of gubernatorial powers. Cruce
and Murray while both declared
themselves favorable to prohibition
set that question aside as non
partisan issue All favored the
grandfather clause to the coustitu.
ton. While an agreement had been
reached not to indulge in person
alities. Murray characterized Cruce
as the French gentleman" covertly
referring to Cruces declaration some
time ago that any reflections on his
character in the campaign would be
dealt with In Kentucky style, Sc
verely assaied his attitude on the
sale of the segregated coal lands,
rons land system. He denied that
he now favors purchase by the
state of the coal lands, although in
the original letter of announcement
he advanced that theory. He pro-
duced tax receipts on Indian lands
held by is wife, Choctaw, and
his children, and challenged Cruce
to show sincerity in favoring such
tax by similar exhibition. He as
sailed the Daily Oklahoman for rs
support of Cruce and declared the
bankers were trying to coerce the
farmers to support Cruce.
Cruce, in later speech, eXhir
lied his own Indian allotment tax re.
ceipts, he, too, being an Internal
ried citizen which, though being on
smaller acreage, were for three
times the amount paid by Murray.
He declared he preferred the sup
port of Oklahoma's leading demo.
cratic paper to that of the State
Capital trepublican), intimating that
the republican papers desire for
Murray's nomination was the hope
OF defeating him (Cruce). He op-
posed the Torrens land title system
and purchase by sale of coal lands
2nd strongly favored taxation OF
| unrestricted Indian lands. He declar.
ed the Indian politicians are fight.
ing him for this stand. He gave
as his reason for opposing the Goa,
land purchase that it was an un-
buSinesslike investment ard not tn
proper protection of the school
funds, with which # is proposed
20 buy them. and the certainty ot
bringing convict labor into compe.
titlon with honest free labor. He
produced Murray's record in the LEG.
islature and constitutional conven-
tion to show he had favored the
purchase Of the coal lands and op.
posed the tax on Indian lanss. He
defended the democratic administra
tion against Ross charges, declar-
ing the candidate who had no good
word for the party's record is not
worthy of the leadership.
/ The court room, in which the de-
bate was held. was crowded to
overflowing More than fifty state
candidates were here, chief among
whom were Pete Duffy, candidate
for lieutenant governor and George
u. Key, candidate for attorney gen.
eral