The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1910-10-05

1
the talking. Whenever he says he's
going to do anything or announces
where his strength lies, just cut right
in and go for the strong point until
you beat it down. Don't give your op-
ponent chance to attack you in the
same way The nomination was won
for Cruce. the man from Ardmore. by
this method"
Therein is the political creed of John
R. Williams of Hobart, chairman of
the democratic state campaign com
mittee. who successfully managed the
primary campaign for the "man from
Ardmore" To the political thinker
it represents the acme of political sue
cess; to the average man it represents
the highest creed for the manipula-
tion of any line of endeavor toward
the highest goal Of success.
John Williams has been practising
this creed for more than twenty years.
He learned it in Texas, of which state
he is a native, and practised it valli-
antly in the historic Kilgore congress
sional campaign. On the broad acres
of the cattle ranch when the western
country was young and the revolution
airy tendencies of the times foreboded
the entrance of a new civilization; he
practised it among the COW punchers
as a ranch boss and as ransh owner,
and it won for him both friend and
Temporary foe the loftiest of econiums.
Master of the art political, Williams
occupies in Oklahoma today a position
of high political honor and of high
political trust He believes in the
sacredness of the principles of the
democratic party and places honor,
alertness and loyal activity above the
sordid menialities of the muckraker,
the character assassin and the politi-
cal miscreant whose ambition is to
become a boss and the leader of host
that is pushing him forward toward
the counter of governmental pie.
Once his mind is fixed on PROPOSE
ton the chances are ten to one that it
is right. He is close student of af-
fairs, close observer of the actions
of men, and the analysis that he en-
ploys in arriving at a judgment sell
dom has missed the mark This does
not signify, however, that he even ap-
Iproaches the position of an egotist,
for he is one of the most tactfuI Of
Listeners. He courts the ideas and
suggestions of his friends and cola
Iborers and is a cordial, congenial com
panion, in the precincts of his head
quarters, in the lobby, at the club or
on the street.
Cold-bloodedness as a fine art has
been developed in Williams to the
masters degree. To his most intimate
friend he can say no with the finest
courage and most cordial spirit imagin-
able. The whole scheme of politics
with him is like the scheme of bust
mess, An advantageous dicker in a
horse trade, barring the rules of un-
Ncrupuious iockeyism, is made with
THE same precise abandon of friend
ship that he employs in dealing to an
unauthorized applicant for a dirty job
in politics pronounced blow of denial.
But there it ends. The next minute
he is buying cigar for the other
horse-trader and they are figuring to-
gether how much profit there might
be in bunch Of cattle on neighbor-
ing ranch. The dictum Of rebuff is
never employed when he deals with
an honorable man-but he can say no
just the same.
AS rancher in southern and west
fern Oklahoma for many years, as Unit
ed States commission in the southern
district of Indian Territory during
Cleveland's last administration. and
finally as manager of Hoffman cam
paign in 1907, Williams acquired the
art of successful dealing with men.
And the art seldom deceives him.
Newspaper men never fail to get
courteous treatment in democratic
headquarters. Williams has never
courted publicity. He hasn't tse re-
motest idea that a newspaper wfjter
has prepared this brief and crude ana-
/ lysis of his character as a political
leader When he has anything to say
there is no doubt that it would be said,
and he sends for the newspaper man
and gives it out. Usually a matter of
/ Importance in the campaign is involv-
ed and he sees that every newspaper
man in the state is supplied and that a
release date is fixed. He never talks
extravagently or boasts. His is the
quiet conversational manner that i'm
presses the auditor with the mans
sincerity No rash promises to the pub