The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-07-15

campaign LOT SoNVI HoI - 'O"'
quently approaching the final stage,
and the lines upon which it will be
decided are fairly well determined.
The most notable development OF
the past ten days is the demonstra
ton that Ross cannot develop win
ming strength. The man who enter
ed the campaign after the other Two
now running had been well known
to be candidates for three years has
not been able to break down the
feeling that the race is really be-
tween Cruce and Murray.
Ross has made a great personal
campaign His speeches have been
effective. he makes a good impress
sion wherever he appears, and he
has issues which ought to be worth
a great many votes. He probaniy
will have at the wind-up the ma
iority of the foreign democratic vote
which is unalterably supporting the
resubmisson movement and will
vote for the man whom they 5e
lieve to be in sympathy with their
views. Ii has been generally be
lioved that he will also carry the
majority of the so-called liberal vote
and that the radical anti-Haskell
forces would be solidly behind him
Both of these possibilities were in
his campaign, and if these elements
had been fully welded into an ef
fective working force for him, he
would have been formidable can
didate indeed. But he has been Sc
riously handicapped by the lack Of
a forcefully organized campaign To
support his personal efforts, and
the time has passed when this
organization could be- effectively
done. What votes Ross receives will
be due to his personal efforts, with
comparatively slight exceptions. and
no man living can go against cUo
well organized campaigns for gov
ernor without a similar organiza.
tion, and have any hope of winning
Ross will get many votes, more
probably than the other candidates
are willing admit but from now
on the disintegration of his follow.
| ing will become continually more
marked Most of his supporters were
friends of one of the other candi-
dates before he appeared on the
scene, and as the impossibility of .
successful termination to his cam
paign becomes more evident. they
will quickly return to their pre-
vious connections. There was hope
for him until the time of the Joint
! debates, for no one could foretell
the outcome of the meeting of the
candidates. But now that that Sc.
ries of meetings has passed and
no enthusiasm of any moment was
developed for him, his campaign has
become hopeless.
Murray, who planned the debates.
forced them to be held despite the
! opposition of the friends of some of
the other candidates. and was ex-
pected to secure much the best of
them. failed to make good the ex-
/ pectations of his frienis. He was
considered to be the best speaker
OF the three, and it was expected
that they would be entirly unequal
TO the situation when compelled to
meet him in joint debate. But if
the reports of the meetings are to
re trusted, and they are said to
| Oe in the main acceptable to the
Murray people, as they appeared in
the Herald, Mr.. Murray failed in
a way very characteristic of him
to use his opportunity. Instead of
making the high grade. salesman
Ike speech which he has made in
many places this year. and which
Is probably the finest political speech
Geing delivered by any candidate
In this state during this campaign.
he permitted his temper and his
au'ocratic spirit to dominate h
TO an extent which instead of max.
ing MIN new friends rather alienated
many old ones. The general opinion
OF conservative people is that any
man who aspires to be governor of
Oklahoma should have sufficient
poise and self-control to avoid the
scenes which Mr. Murray caused
during these debates. and the in.
temperate language he frequently
used. 1t is certain that such noise
and self-control will be needed if
ne becomes governor. 1t is doubtful
as a matter of fact, whether Muir.
ray is not weaker in the state TO.
day than he was ten days age
On the issues Mr. Murr,v's cau.