The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-07-05
The Man Who Entered Into Covenant with His Own
Conscience.
SENATOR FRED E. I

Every man who enters the legisla-
tive assembly of a state, whether of
Oklahoma or any other state, must
choose between these two PROPOSE
tions: He must vote with the special
interests in order to have men of
wealth and influence back of him, or
he must take the side of labor and Of
the people as a whole and trust his
case in their hands for reelection.
If the big land owners and the big
oil operators and public service cor
porations are pleased the legislator
does not have any bitter opposition.
But If they are not pleased there is
always ready generous sum OF mon
ey to be used to defeat him.
Now if you were in the legislature
you would be confronted with this
proposition. If you liked to be wined
and dined and to have the lobbyists
pat you on the back and call you the
broiniest man in all the legislature.
you might be tempted to vote with
them. You would know at least that
opposition to you would not be cen
tralized and backed by money and
made effective.
But on the other hand if you had
entered into covenant with your
own conscience to do what is right
even if you had to fight the devil
armed with poisonous gas you would
forego the wine ana the suppers and
the words of praise ana you would be
true to the folks back home and rest
your case in their hands, rejoicing
at the assaults made upon you be
cause you would not pay the price to
ward them OFF. You would not stul-
tify your conscience and betray the
honest men who elected you in the
home district merely because you
We're afraid to fight and afraid of de-
feat and would cover and trembe
when it seemed you were attacked
by superior forces.
Senator Fred +. Tucker whom you
elected four years ago to represent
you in the state senate had to take
his choice between the two PROPOSE
tions heretofore set out. You be
lieyed then that Fred Tucker would
obey his conscience, you believed then
that he would stand and fight to the
death before he would outrage you by
his vote, and he has done that very
thing. He has been true to his trust.
Here are the measures for which
he stood He voted for them because
he knew you would do so if you had
been in his place: He voted for the
graduated land tax law because he
believes the happiness, prosperity and
contentment Of the home depends
upon home ownership That bill eX-
empted grazing lands so no ranches
on mountainous lanes would have to
be broken up, but the bill provides
that extra taxes shall be paid on all
agricultural lands in excess of $40
acres owned by one man.
He voted for the oil tax law, and
as a result Carter county ought to be
receiving $3.50 a day for its schools
and a similar amount for its roads,
and the prospects are that Love and
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partment S27.OOO,OOO. and with the ma
tional guard of all the states called out
we will have expended 100000 600 in
a very short season, not to speak of
the additional outlay on the navy for
additional supplies.
\ SlOO.OOO,O0O loan will not be diff
ficult to place, as the bankers say they
would have no difficulty in supplying
the funds, but the whole situation is
radically changed and a re-arrange-
ment of plans with regard TO our ex-
ternal commitments and obligations is
not unlikely.
Economically we will not gain by
war with Mexico, as we shall be vast.
ing with one hand what we have