The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-07-23
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,
July %. 1914.
Hon. R. L. Williams,
Oklahoma City, Okla.

hon. H. l.. Wllllams, 4
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Dear Sir: l have just read that
portion of your speech delivered last
night at the Overholser Theatre, pub !
lished in this mornings Oklahoman.
Inasmuch as practically all of the Okla !
homan's reproduction OF your speech
deals with my administration, and in
are now aspiring to the highest Office
within the gift of the people of this
state, | would be traitor 10 the people
who have honored me with my present
position if | permitted your statements
to go unchallenged.
| have tried to keep out of political
campaigns in Oklahoma since / have
been governor, and have succeeded
measurably well in doing so. | believe
that the governor of the state has asI
much right as any other citizen III
the state to a choice between aspi-
rants for office within the democratic
party and in general elections, but |
do not believe that the governor, nor
any other public servant, has a right
to use the power and influence OF his
office to further the candidacy of any
individual. Realizing how hard it is
from his official influence, | have stead
fastly refused to be drawn into the
contests that have been wagcd in this
state for political preferment. Your
course i'll the present campaign leaves
no discretion in the matter, and faith
with the people and personal self-re-
spcct demand that | give expression
to what is to follow.
| am opposed to your nomination as
the democratic candidate for governor
of this state, not because of any per
sonal feeling of ill-will towards you,
but because your ideas of government
are so thoroughly at variance with
what | believe is for the best interest
of the people of this state No man
in Oklahoma is more interested in the
who occupies that position. If he be
man who is not in sympathy with
the people, it is natural that he should
| want as his successor that type of
man. If he be a man who believes
in the rule Of the people and who
stands for a square deal to all the peo-
pie he naturally is interested i'll seeing
| that type of man succeed him in of
| fee. | have read the platforms OF
all the candidates aspiring TO the dem
ocratic nomination for the governor
ship. and when it comes time Tor me to
cast my ballot. | shall choose from the
! list of candidates that man who, in my
Judgment, is best fitted, by tempera-
ment and synpathi,s to carry for
ward TIE great work undertaken i'll tlS
state in the interest of good govern
ment and an advancing citizenship.
You have seen proper to charge, over
and over. that there exists in Ok
lahoma an administration or Cruce po-
ltical machine You have played at
the game of politics too long to igno-
rantly make a charge of this kind. You
know that no such machine exists you
know that no man ever detested ma
chine rule more than |, and you know
that no man has ever occupied an I'M
portant position such as that of : the
! governorship of a state, who has been
farther removed from machine DONNA
ton and machine tactics than | have
been, and when you make these charges
fyou do not make them ignorantly, but
YOU make them knowing them to be
false and for the sole purpose of mis-
leading uniformed voters.
You charge that there have been two
three. and possibly more conference:
between me and certain appointee:
whom YOU name. These are deliberate
wanton, misstatements of fact. ] hav'
never requested single appointee o.
mine to support any man for the gov
ernorship i'll this race. ! have ha(
no conferences with friends of MINI
touching the campaign for the COVER
norship The nearest approach to any
thing of that kind was a meeting hell
on the front porch at my residenc
at so West Thirteenth Street, Okla
homa City. At this meeting ther
were present John b. Doolin, K. w
Dick, Lon Frame, John r. William
and myself The question OF the gov
ernorship was discussed. There was n
agreement that any man should be sup
ported for the governorship. nor wa
there any attempt on my part TO i
anywise influence any of these gentle
men to support the candidacy of an
man. Not one of the men in the con
| ference WIFI llC CNpl lNooNb I'7 P'N
erence among candidates for the demo
cratic nomination for governor.
stated to these gentlemen that so Ia
as l was personally concerned ha
my choice and expected, like ever
other man in this state, to exercise IN
privileges as a citizen when / cam
to cast my ballot; that expected t
take no active part in the campaig
unless the attacks being made on m
administration were continued; that
did not propose to sit idly by and Sc
the work accomplished in this state IN
der democratic rule assailed by me
claiming to be democrats without en-
tering a protest. As to whom thes
men are supporting for the governor
ship, | do not know. 1t would b
very natural that they should not sup
port you, because they know OF tn
wanton and false accusations you hay
made against them and against this ad
ministration. | have never had a cor
ference with Ben Riley, nor with ID
Mahr, about the race for the governor
ship, nor have l requested either o
Il 70 Stfnnnrt lnV car