The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-07-23

ing of November 16, 1907, when this
became state until your recent resig-
nation, that you have not been sworn
officer in Oklahoma. You have sworn
to defend and support the constitution
and laws of this state IL was your
duty, both as a citizen and as 4 public
official, to call attention of proper of
fcials to graft and corruption i'll Office
if it existed. | challenge you to name
single instance i'll which you have
ever called my attention to any cor
ruption or graft in any Office in this
state and il you have called any other
public officials attention thereto, | have
never been apprised of it.
state that if elected to office you cN-
pect to whip every CRATER in public
As governor of the state, entitled to
know these things and anxious to cor
rect them, | now demand of you that
You place in my hands the evidences
of graft and corruption in public po-
sitionS in this state which you, by in
direction, inform the people that you
possess. You certainly cannot justify
yourself before fart thinking people in
Withholding this information, using 1t
for political campaign effect and then
still Withholding II to see whether or
not the people will elect you governor
in order that you may proceed TO dis
close it. | promise you now that any
charge that you will bring to me OF
corruption or graft in office against any
public official in this state will receive
my immediate attention, and the proper
officer will be instructed by me to pro
cced with prosecutions.
But this is only another one of the
Inconsistencies with which you stand
charged: in fact, your whole life has
been a continued season OF incOnsls-
tencies. In your earlier years you took
upon yourself the vows OF the church
and preached the gospel of the Son
| of Man. From modest temples dedl.
Gated to the service of God there tell
from your lips the story of the cross
In later years. in hotel lobbics, on the
streets, and in your private apart
ments, there have come from those
same lips streams of profanity that
shocked every believer i'll the Chris
tian religion From being a follower
of the Christ, you have become a ser
want Of Satan. Instead of calling Tor
Gods blessings upon the people, you
are invoking his curses. From being
preacher OF the gospel, you have be.
come a self-centered politician. ON
what a fall!
You ask the people of this state tC
place in your hands the administrator
Of the laws of Oklahoma and to dele
gate TO you the high responsibility o
aiding in the enforcement OF the pro
hibition law. You show your con
tempt of that law by failing to. prac
tice its teachings. The constitution oi
this state, which you claim you had al
important part in making, provides thai
if shall be unlawful for any man tC
give drink of Intoxicating bever
ages to any other man within the STATE
of Oklahoma. No man can violate thl'
law unless his neighbor encourages tina
violation by accepting the gift. Iot
will hardly claim that during your tern
of office, lasting for seven years, una
YOU have neither given to nor accept
ed from another person Intoxicating
beverages. ! sincerely believe that ever!
Gambler and every bootlegger IN TIN
State should be made to seek decent
different and legitimate calling, or b.
compelled to leave this state. be
lieve that this is the surest road to !
substantial and permanent reduction II
the cost of government.
Again, you state that you have mad
your campaign i'll the open and tina
your position on public questions i
known of all men. This, | likewis
deny. Last night, when you stood il
the Overholser Theatre and made you
assault upon the present adninistra
ton. you, for the first time during thi
campaign, stood in the open. 1t
for the very reason that you have nc
stood in the open that | most seriousl
object to your nomination as the dem
. ocratic candidate for governor | be
leve that it is wrong for any ma
to take a position before a class O
the citizens of the state and to pledg
himself to support certain measure
without acquainting all the people Q
the state with that fact. Pledges mad
in secret by public officials to brln
2 about the enactment of laws that WI
inure to the benefit of few to III
= disadvantage of the many, should M
E be tolerated by the people of Okl;
homa. urged the last legislature
pass a law making it a penalty an
i forfeiture from office for any cand
;. date for the legislature or governor
D thus pledge himself. 1t is through tn
4 method that special interests procui
an advantage over the public, and thot
= sands of good men vote for candidate
- for Office believing that when electe
to office they will be fair to all Il
, people, not knowing that the candidat
l for whom they vote is already pledge
to support certain measures IN III
r event of his election.
= There exists in this state what
{ known as the School Land Lessee
5 Union, a compact organization OF fe
I thousand voters who are pressing &c
= certain legislation in the interest q
!, that organization. These lessees hay
t formulated certain demands In mai
I ing these demands | do them no II
{ Justice to say that they have made III
c demands in what they think is the
e interest In this school land contrC
!. yersy there are two sides, as there al
i to practically every question. II ther