The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-03-07

the speakers friends for the speakers
benefit I favored a later date. Dur
ing the holidays the speaker delivered
seven OF his characteristic speeches In
Oklahoma This famed the feryor OF
his friends. AS late as the middle Of
January tne situation was so desper-
ate that Wilson's manager refused 70
permit the governor 10 visit Oklahoma
and deliver an address the first week
IN February. His theory was that to
lose the state 80 soon after the visit
would cause reaction and have a
damaging effect in other states Thus
promising was the prospect for viii
son one month before the Oklahoma
convection.
Almost every sinew known to polit-
ical warfare was employed in the
speakers behalf Several parties
went to and fro in the state canvass
ing for him constantly The state was
sowed down with anonymous circulars
assailing the record and writings of
Governor Wilson His record was
thoroughly ventilated and, | may add.
thoroughly yindicated by our conyen-
ton declared fro mthe beginning
that no one could tortue me into say
ing a single word against the speaker
or any other democratic candidate.
do not believe that a war of erimina-
tion and recrimination should be wag-
ed for the democratic presidential
nomination. do not believe that any
candidate who conducts or counten-
ances such war should be nominated,
can be nominated or win be nominat-
ed 1t is but preparing harvest of
whirlwinds for our own reaping.
'The most comic charge yet full
minated against Governor Wilson in
respect to the Oklahoma contest is the
following:
''The Wilson fight there has been
costly, desperate and splendid. II was
good politics for him to make such
fight for the spectacle of candi-
date from a northern states leading
off by carrying one in the far south
west would impress the country. Re-
alizing this the Wilson managers have
poured money into the state for paid
organizers and newspaper publicity.
The amount is estimated at from $4O,-
600 to $6O,OOO.'
more active than accurate | deliver
ed one advertised speech in the state.
The Wilson statewide club raised $3.50
and collection was taken up at the
Wilson caucus during the convention
to pay a deficit of 5000. Several col
umns of plate matter were used during
this contest. The other expenditures
were incurred by myself and consisted
of printing, planographing and pos
tage. The total was mere trihe--
merely dust in the balances. as COM
pared with the golden guess above
submitted. | did not suppose that any
democratic candidate would expend
$4,000 in all the forty-eight states
combined. Wilson's books are open.
| trust that their books are open. The
author of that estimate over-estimates
the difficulties of carrying an enlight-
ened state like Oklahoma for such a
candidate as Governor Wilson. More
over. he over-estimates the witchery
of gold in my state and underesti-
mates the integrity and patriotism of
the Oklahoma electorate | do not
know how $40 600 could be expended
to advantage in Oklahoma. The
choice of our people for the. presi-
dency is not for sale 1t is not bought
and sold in the market place. 1t is
not auctioned off to the highest or the
worst bidder. | must repeal the inti-
nation The candidate whose repre-
sentative would suggest that the hon
est democracy of Oklahoma had been
controlled by corrupt or eorrupting
money is not entitled to the suffrage of
our citizenship.
THE sentiment in behalf of Wilson
in Oklahoma was in great measure
spontaneous. 1t was the instinct Of
the masses for the leader that can
lead, for the man Of the hour for the
men of destiny 1t was due in part to
the faculty which Governor Wilson has
of appealing to the popular heart and
imagination. that faculty which will
enable him under existing eircum-
stances to defeat any republican who
possesses like faculty and overwhelm
any republican who does not possess
it, It was the intelligent faith that