Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-12-18

Isssss-s1 ,r1xHs< ansx
er has been a kind Of still hunt af-
fair, II has been more Of question
Of personal popularity than anything
else, but as the fight draws near It's
close there are outcropplngs here and
there which give some evidences OF
real old time scrap before the vote In
the caucus Is taken.
Maxey was elected 10 the last legls,
lature from Pottawatomie county. At
that time he was resident OF shaw
nee but has since moved to Musko-
gee and this time was selected from
that county He took a prominent
part in all Of the debates OF the last
session and was regarded as one OF
the most influential members Of that
body He Is young man, n lawyer
and has a large following throughout
the state.
Williams is by way Of being nm ed
itor, and his passion Is the school
system. Any time you want to get
Williams on his feet just say some-
thing about the public schools and he
Is right there with all the dope and
what he cannot get out OF books he
supplies from his own abundant
sources Of knowledge He was speak
er pro TEN OF the last legislature, has
been a conspicuous figure in southern
Oklahoma politics for years and has
a following which is attached TO him
= no ~
that he was tied up with the farmers
caucus last session, a non partisan
organization, composed of all the far
mers in both houses of the legislature
but on two or three occasions he DEM
onstrated his independence and voted
against the farmers caucus measures,
He is yet n young man. but a force
ful character and as combative as
Robin Hood.
Crawford was considered the floor
leader OF the administration during
the last session, although he frequent
ly broke away from the Cruce rec
concentrations, notably in the capitol
commission fight and the abolition OF
the preparatory schools Although
It is said that he is the candidate Of
the administration for speaker, he de-
nies this and says that he Is for Cruce
when he thinks the governor is right
and against him when he thinks the
governor is wrong. At the last session
he was chairman of the committee OF
the committee on appropriations
which Is by far the most important
committee Of the house organization
and he was recognized as being an Inn
partial distributor Of the states mon
ey and close student Of the revenue
proposition.
Each of the candidate claims the
election. Crawfords managers as
sert that he has already thirty-siX
votes pledged to him, which leaves
only five short of the nomination.
Williams friends are not giving out
any estimates Of his strength, hut
give Crawford credit for only sixteen
votes at the most. They declare that
Williams has the lead and that he
win come under the wire an easy
winner when the caucus vote is taken.
MaXey's campaign has been vigorously
carried on all over the state. But no
statements are forthcoming as to his
pledged votes, although It is conf
IDENTIFY stated that he Is going to be
there with the grapes at the finish.
There are more than thirty mem,
bers of the last house reelected and
this holdover bunch is going to cut
lot of ice before the last roll Is
called. W. A. Durant, present speak
er; Is managing the Crawford capl-
paign. Durant is associated with
Charles ~ Haskell in the street rail-
road project and other things and his
connection with the Crawford candi-
dacy leads to the belief that Haskell
is behind Crawford although Hask ell
himself is not saying a word. MaXey
and Williams appear to be managing
their own campaigns. Here where
John B. Doolin. Lon Frame, John r.
Williams and the rest of the admins
tration people are congregated, II is
absolutely impossible to get any kind
of line on the speakership, further
than the repeated declaration that the
administration is taking no hand in
the fight and viii be satisfied with
| whatever selection the caucus makes.
This sounds all right to an outsider.
but the insiders know that 1t is just
as impossible for a scrap OF this kind
to go on without Doolin and Frame
and Williams dipping in 1t as 1t is for
ship to sail without rudder. At
that. they may be of the opinion that
1t is too early to get in deep and want
to test the temperature OF the water
before taking the final plunge.