The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-06-29
THE GOVERNOR
OPPOSES RECALL
Chief Executive Addresses Large
Meeting of City EmpIoyes-ls
Against Gambling.

Oklahoma City June Ex-Governor
Lee Cruce in an address before the
City club at the city hall Friday night
squarely and unqualifiedly declared OPP
position to the recall" in city char
ters or in other Departments of goven-
ment He also subscribed himself as
opposed to gambling in any form and
instanced the mutual system as oper-
ated at the local tracks as gambling
in one form. He declared that he
would advise the legislature to pass a
law at the next session to prohibit all
character of wagering on race horses.
Incidentally he deproled the lack Of
enforcement Of laws now on the stat
ute books, including prohibition and
the playing of poker, roulette or other
adjuncts of the 'joint;" the extrava-
gances of taxpayers in voting outrag-
eously large bond issues and then crit
icisirg public officials and laying the
poseo the lea of any individual re-
mainil on the pay roll who could
not conscientiously convince himself
that he was giving the public full value
received. 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 Cover
nor Cruces arrival at S:15. Col ]. W.
.JehHson, municipal counsellor, was in
troduced by Commissioner Hampton
and introduced the speaker. Col John
son contented himselg with handing
the governor a well ?deserved compli-
ment in saying that "We all love him
because he has the courage to follow
his conscience and the stamini to keep
uppermost his ideas of good citizen
ship"
Because of the high temperature
Governor Cruce lost no time in intro
ductory ''frills." He declared ne 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 vengeance
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 inforced regard
less of whether the officials believed
them good or bad laws He took oc-
casion at that time to contradict a
published report that he had Endorsed
the "mutuels system of betting" as
now operated at the local race track
He explained that he had investigated
I the machines and when asked by the
reporter for an opinion he had stated
that 'if gambling was to be permitted
that the mutuel system seemed to be
the fairest" He was opposed, how
ever to gambling in any form and
promised that if the Legislature took
his advice it would pass a law pro-
hibiting it at once and for all time.
when women and little girls begin
to bet on race horses declared the
governor, it is time that something
be done to reconstruct the moral tone
of the citizenship"