The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1910-06-23
McNeal on the Convention,


convention" said Joseph w. McNeal,
candidate for the republican nomina-
tion for governor on platform of
more business and less politics." The
proposal to adopt a campaign platform
in advance of the primaries was new in
Oklahoma, and presented opportuni-
ties for the making of mistakes. But
the man is thrice armed whose cause
is just, and the militant republicans OF
Oklahoma built platform on which
every good citizen as well as every good
republican can stand and fight the bat
ties OF good government.
"The greatest menace TO the security
OF our state government is llaskellism
Oklahoma has been outraged at home
and abroad by this reign of demagog-
cry, intimidation and extravagance
The republican platform smites Has
kellism with battleaxe that goes
straight TO the heart of this arch enemy
of oklahoma's prosperity progress and
happiness. l am naturally pleased
with the platform, because il gives the
stamp of party approval to what have
been preaching in every town and cross
roads since the beginning of last March,
Artful as Haskellism may be in pre-
senting spacious arguments in defence
of the record of the democratic party
under his domination, and however
great may be the laws and the consti-
tuition which Haskellism claims to have
made, the fact remains unanswerable
that in all outside states, at all finan-
cisl centers, Oklahoma has been
brought into the most shameful disre-
pute by the defiance of decency and
the disregard OF the rights OF the peo-
pie by Haskellism. The best laws and
the best constitution in the world are
no more than faggot in the fire il
they are to be trampled upon and de-
filed by reckless adventurers that find
nothing too sacred upon which to lay
the hands of violence.
what Oklahoma needs is To be saw
ed from these enemies who are steal
ing away its patrimony, destroying its
reputation, and blighting its future by
an unprecedented reign of political
outlawry. Oklahoma must let the peo-
pie Of this nation know that they are
the victims. not the instruments, of
this infamous assault upon good gov
ernment; that the blackness ard slime
in the water comes from s,sl.ttIe-tsh
that they are preparing to destroy thst
the citizens of other states have only
the vaguest idea of the bitter humilia-
ton they feel because of the evils that
have come upon Oklahoma.
"The people of Oklahoma are deter
mined upon such repudiation of Has
kellism as will sweep it from the land
AS a prairie fire blasts the weeds and
nettles in the fall. that when spring
comes the farmer may SOW and till his
crops in security, the herdsman tend
his flock with safety, the orchards bloom
without blight. aud the people smile
under brighter sun. The republican
campaign platform is compact of
war upon all these miserable brigands 5
that have been pillagng the state.
Ii turns the republican battle front
squarely upon the enemies of oklaho-
ma, and in that direction it will be
kept
hau a.. rl.h ~. a.
first day OF settlement. In these years
have formed friendships with demo
Gratis. Everywhere in oklahoma | am
finding these old democratic friends
honest, upright men, EXPRESSING their
chagrin over their situation. They
are unable to see in Haskellism the
democratic party they have supported
for years They declare that Haskell
ism is not democracy, For these men
have sympathy and the kindliest feel
ings. They hold their citizenship
above partisanship when it comes to
choosing between the permanent pros
perity of all the people OF Oklahoma
and the temporary success Of band of
free-booters whose only hope and
whose highest ambition is to fatten
themselves and their camp stragglers
upon the stores and savings of the peo-
pie AS they go raiding through the state
II have the utmost confidence in the
ability and strength of James II. Har-
ris as chairman of the state committee
To lead this battle for the republican
party and for Oklahoma. The absolute
harmony that prevailed in the state
convention from beginning to end,
when some friction had been predicted,
was a fine testimonial to the executive
capacity OF Jim" Harris. A conyen-
tion with more than 700 delegates is a
big body OF men. Among so many men