The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-06-30
SOCIALISTS
MAY GAIN THE
NEGRO VOTE
1T is PROBABLE THAT NO At
TEMPT WILL BE MADE TO DUST
GOVERNOR BECAUSE OF THE
"GRANDFATHER" CLAUSE.

Oklahoma City, June 29.-As a re-
suit of the supreme court deciding
that the grandfather clause" of the
Oklahoma constitution is invalid,
there is a possibility, but hardly a
probability. of legal proceedings being
taken to contest the election OF Gov
ernor Williams and possibly other
state officials chosen at the NOvem-
ber election on the ground that negro
voters were denied the right to cast
their ballots. The question involved
has had consideration among some
leading republicans. The difficulties
that are in the way however, seem
to be large The Oklahoma supreme
court has decided that quo warranto
proceedings will not lie against the
governor to test his right to the Of
fee. Other states, as a general rule,
adhere to this theory, but there are
two or three exceptions.
Governor Williams received l00,59I
votes, as against 95,9O4 cast for John
Fields This gave the incumbent a
plurality of 4,693 very small mar
gin, which amounted to but 3965 per
cent of the total vote cast. 1t would
be difficult, however, to show that
enough negroes offered to vote and
were refused permission, to change
this result. 1t would be difficult to
show that the negroes who did not
vote would have voted for others than
Judge Williams.
Negroes Stay Away From Polls.
Since the first days of the opera
tion of the grandfather clause" in
Oklahoma the blacks have been stay
ing away from the polls. They have
got out of the habit of voting or Of
fering to vote, save in some OF the
northern counties of the state, and
even here they approach the polls
with hesitancy and in small numbers.
The republican leaders of Oklahoma
have. to large extent, abandoned
the idea of seeking to have negroes
vote. 1t has been to the socialists
that the negroes have been looking
for champions in recent years. The
socialist party is now portentous
factor in Oklahoma politics and the
danger. as seen by the democrats, in
the possibility of negroes voting with
out let or hindrance is in accessions
to that party.
1t is in this situation that is seen
the lack of interest among republi.
provision that kept the negroes from
the polls. Republicans of Oklahoma
| have. to considerable number, tax
en- the position that the party will
| have a better chance with the negroes
| eliminated. Managers of the last
| campaign for the republicans were
apparently satisfied with the law then
existing as to negro suffrage, and a
vigorous campaign was made by the
republican candidate for governor in
| the southern and intensely demo-
| cratic counties of the state. There
! he assailed the appointment of ne
| groes to office through the influence
of prominent democrats Of Oklahoma,
| and in those counties he told his cele
brated "hc hoe hugum' story of the
| evening in the quarters after the days
cotton picking was over, and eX
planned that employers who happened
to hear must not conclude that this
is q Romeo and Juliet stunt in black
but consider it a review of the Latin
| lesson as taught at the negro Agri-
cultural and Normal College at Lang
ston. Latin and Greek have, it may
be noted. been discontinued in that
school by the state board of educa
ton at a meeting held since thai
compaign.
Republicans for Restricted Vote.
1t may be that the movement which
is sure to be made in this state at
an early day for some sort of law tc
restrict the franchise TO white mer
will have the support of the repub
| licans. The socialist strength, with
its leaning toward the cause of the
negro. and the growing sentiment
among younger republicans that the
Fifteenth amendment is not a good
thing, are factors that may be taken
10 point in that direction
That the Fourteenth and Fifteenth
amendments were indeed the "har-
vest of revenge" as written by q
Washington, publicist several years
ago. and that enlightened statesman
ship had nothing TO do with them
IS coming to be believed among 9th
ers than democratic politicians There
are many in the south among al
political parties who can see that il
Y -.