The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-06-30
CHIEF EXECUTIVE Z
OPPOSES RECALL
GOVERNOR CRUCE ADDRESSES A
LARGE MEETING OF OKLAHOMA
CITY CLUB.

Governor Lee Cruce, in an address
before the City club at the city hall
Friday night squarely and unqualified
" declared opposition to the recall
in city charters or in other depart
ments CT government. lie also SUD-
scribed himself as opposed to gamb-
ling in any form and instanced the
mutual system as operated at the local
tracks as gambling in one form. he
declared that he would advise the leg
islature to pass law at the next
session to prohibit all charaot-- al
wagering on race horses.
incidentally he deplored the lack OF
enforcement of laws now on the stat
ute books including prohibition anG
the playing of poker, roulette or other
adjuncts of the Joint; the eXtraVa-
gance of taxpayers in voting outrage
ously large BOND issues and then criti-
cising public officials and laying the
blame upon them and, finally, he op-
posed the idea of any individual re-
naming on the pay roll who could not
consCientiously convince himself that
he was giving the public full value re-
cpjved. The address was somewhat
stronger than even Governor Cruce
has previously made. He was accord
ed the most appreciative attention and
frequently interrupted by applause
from an audience that filled the ca
pacity of the room and extended far
into the corridors.
Commissioner w. H. Hampton, pres
ident of the City club, called the meet
ing to order Immediately after Gov
ernor Cruces arrival at S:15. Col. j.
w. Johnson, municipal counsellor, was
introduced by Commissioner Hampton
and introduced the speaker. Col.
Johnson contented himself with hand
ing the governor we'll deserved com
plment in saying that 1--WE all love
him because he has the courage to
follow his conscience and the stamina
to keep uppermost his ideas of good
citizenship"
Because Of the high temperature,
Governor Cruce lost no time in intro
ductory ''frills." He declared he was
glad to make an address to other pub
lie officials in that he believed he
could get a sympathetic hearing. He
next took up the subject of the re
CALI and declared unequivocally
against that so-called progressive doc
trine. He stated that its natural con-
sequences would be the lessening of
efficiency in government and the pro-
motion of the rule of the minority in
stead of the majority; that it gave an
opportunity to every employe who
might be discharged to seek venge-
ance at the expense of the public and
the humiliation of the chief officials.
Concerning gambling, Governor
Cruce hoped that the prohibition and
gambling laws as now incorporated in
the statutes would be enforced re-
gardless of whether the officials be-
lieved them good or bad laws. He took
occasion at that time to contradict a
published report that he hea indorsed
the "mutuals system of betting" as
now operated at the local race track
He explained that he had Investigated
the machines and when asked by the
reporter for an opinion he had stated
that "if gambling was to be permitted
tina. the mutual system seemed to
be the fairest." He was opposed. how.
ever, to gambling in any form anG
promised that if the legislature took
his advice it would pass law prohib-
iting it at once and for all time
when women and little girls begin to
bet on race horses" declared the gov.
ernor, 'it is time that something be
done TO reconstruct the moral tone OF
E>the citizenship
From that point he discussed Okla.
homa City's burden of taxation. He
placed the causes fully upon the tax
paying voter and not upon the public
official His statement in connection
with this phase of city government
was repetition of several former ad-
dresses.
The next meeting Of the City cluf