The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1910-07-05

ASKS FOR
WATCHERS
At the Primary Count
Writes Letter to
Linn

Murray last night. before leaving for
Anadarko, handed the press the fol-
lowing open letter.
Oklahoma City, Okla, July 4, 10.
To the Honorable VIII Linn. secre-
tary Supreme Election Board.
Dear Sir:--I wish 10 call your at
tention TO the fact that the supreme
election board OF the state. consisting
OF three members. OF which yon are
secretary and Fred p Branson Isl
chairman, the other member being a
republican, are charged with the duty
Of holding and conducting the primary
election on the End day Of August, that
my understanding IS that not a single
member Of his board is friendly to me
in this campaign. Whether this be
TRUE Or not, do know that your as
sociate member. Fred p. Branson. is
and has been my personal and politi-
cal enemy, growing largely out Of The
contests In the First legislature over
my Advocacy Of the guarantee bank
law, the prohibition law, and the
measure providing for a gross pro
duction tax upon oil.
wish also to call your attention to
the fact that in some Of the counties
Of the state the managers Of one Of
my opponents. the Hon. Lee Cruce. are
either Inspectors or members OF the
county election board, and while in
( some Of the other counties the cleo
( ton officers are my friends, but the
information has come to me, patricu-
larly in the case Of Tillman county,
that Mr. Branson has informed them
that II was perfectly proper for said
K members Of the county board to man
AYE AIr Cruces campaign. do not
know to what extent these things are
within your knowledge. but j do know
that even without your knowledge 1t
Il within the possibility Of county
boards. BY mutilating ballots and
otherwise. to change the result in
those counties wherein strong parti-
sans Of the opposing candidates are In
charge OF the campaign; and / further
submit that It is contrary TO good
principles Of honestly conducted cleo
tions FOR any manager of any candi-
date for public office to constitute any
( portion Of the election machinery Of
the state. county or precinct. IN view
OF the fact thar when men are en-
broled in The canvass they are nat
urally disposed 10 believe that those
who stand opposed to them in their
community or section have been un-
fair in the contest. and this leads to
the belief that il is proper to regain
any advantage lost by use Of the
power Of the count.
Y submit that under such circum-
stances that you and the board should
authorize my managers and friends ia
each and every county and precinct 10
have watchers or permit some friend
to be present to watch the count on
The 2nd day Of August with a view 81
guaranteeing fair and honest count
+ in this election.
submit that honest members Of tha
election board everywhere Will not OBJ
iect to being watched and a dishonest
member must be watched | ask for
nothing more than an honest election
and a fair count.
A denial on Mr.. Branson's part that
( he is taking no interest in the matter
Of Cruces campaign through the elec-
tion machinery Of III ecounties is no
answer to this request. because Il is
plain to any man that he has, without
warrant Of party policy, used his posi-
tion as chairman to assist MIR. Cruce
In every way possible by opening his
records and mailing list 10 him. and in
his further effort. in connection with
John r. Williams, to recall the
"m@ch-un' discussions beginning at
Anaarko and ending al Durant, under
pretext that it win engender strife
in the party 1t must be clearly seen
By yourself as wen as by The public
that statements made by any eandi-
date without the presence Of the op-
posing candidate TO explain. endan-
gers the harmony Of the party far
greater than IT such statements were
made face to face. giving each an op
pormnity to explain his side Of the
question
wish to call your attention to the
fact that from numerous sources the
statement has been made that the re-
sultof this election has already been
fixed that 1t matters not who wins
u "cruce win be counted I'M and you
can clearly see BY mutilating ballots
the results may be changed You may
not know the action herein reclted
but whether YOU do Or not, in order