The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-12-19
A HOT FIGHT
FOR SPEAKERSH|P
All are Claiming a Victory, but 1t Is
impossible to Get Clear Line
on any Of Them


house of representative is getting
warm. The democrats have a clear
majority in the house and the choice
of the democratic caucas is sure OF
election. The democrats have eighty
votes sure, and this gives them a two
thirds majority if they stand solid on
party measures.
There are three announced candi-
dates for the spearkership and they
are all beating the brush to beat the
band. They are ]. H. Maxey of Mus
kogee, ]. Roy Williams of Lawton and
John p. Crawford Of Ada. All of them
are well known over the state.
Up to this time the race for speak
er has been a kind Of still hunt affair.
1t has been more of question of per-
sonal popularity than anything else,
but as the fight draws near its close
there are outcroppings here and there
which give some evidence Of a real
old time scrap before the vote in the
caucus is taken
Maxey was elected to the last legis-
Iature from Pottawatonie county. At
that time he was resident of Shaw
nee, but has since moved to Muskogee
and was this time 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 a young man lawyer and has a
large following throughout the state.
Williams is by way Of being an 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 source
of knowledge He was speaker pro
TEN OF the last legislature, has been
a CONSPICUOUS figure in southern Okla
hoIna politics for years and has a fol-
lowing which is attached to himde-
votedly. For a time it was thought
that he was tied up W tihthe cmfwcm
he was tied up with the farmers eau
Gus last session, a non-partisan organ
ization, composed of all the farmers
in both houses of the legislature but
on two or three occasions he demon
strated his independence and voted
against the farmers caucus measures
He is yet a young man, but a force
full 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 form the Cruce recon-
1nendations, notably in the capitol
commission fight and the abolition OF
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 reconized as being amin
partial distributor of the states mon
ey and a close student of the revenue
proposition.
Each of the candidates claim the
election. Crawfords manager as
sert that he has already thirty-siX
votes pledged to him, which leaves
only five shor of the nomination.
Williams friends are not giving out
any estimate of his strength, but
give Crawford credit for only sixteen
votes at the most They deelair that
Williams has the lead and that he
will come under the wire an easy
winner when the caucus vote is taken.
Maxey's campaign has been vigorous
ly 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
a lot of ice before the last role is call
ed. W. 4. Durant, present speaker,
is managing the Crawford campaign,
Durant is associated with Charles n.
Haskell in the street railroad project
and other things and his connection
with the Crawford candidacy leads to
the belief that Haskell is behind
Crawford. although Haskell himself is
not saying word Maxey and VIII
siams appear to be managing their own