The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1921-10-09
Oklahoma's Democracy in the Making

The first Democratic convention in
eastern Oklahoma was held at the
Presbyterian church in North McAles.
ter in May, 1892.
A handful of the faithful who had
come to make their homes in the
land of the Indians met in DR.. Ten.
ent's office and decided that il was
tine for the Indian Territory to take
a hand in national politics. Among
those who iathered the first Demo.
cratic political move were J. j. Me-
Alester, DR.. Z. y, Allen. p. A. Doyle,
Il. II. Doyle, DR.. l.. c. Tennent and
p. s. Lester. 1t was decided to call
q convention and the call was writ.
ten by Mr. Lester.
In wording the call Mr.. Lester used
the phrase that the convention was
being called Ito consider the advis.
ability" of sending delegates to the
national convention at Chicago. And
upon this phraseology the action of
the McAlester convention was dis.
puted and another convention was
called in June at Muskogee
DR.. L. n. Allen was the choice Of
the McAlester convention. Among
those present who took part were
w. A. Ledbetter and c. l.. Herbert Of
Ardmore and Judge Wayman Jack.
son, Earl Edmonson and Judge n. b.
Msxey of Muskogee.
Didn't Honor Delegate
The national convention afterward
refused 10 honor the delegates from
either the McAlester or the Musko.
gee conventions, ordered third con-
vention which was held in South Nc.
Alester and in which K. l.. Owen is
said to have won over DR.. Allen by
only two votes. Hence Owen was the
first accredited national committee
man.
The mex, convention was held in
hard fight developed between what
was known as the Lester delegation
end the Judge Stuart delegation. The
Lester delegation numbered 1876 TO n
for the Stuart delegation but Judge
Stuart appealed from the action Of
the decision OF the caucus who had
selected the committeeman from the
Choctaw nation to the general con.
vention. buf was defeated, the con.
yentiou sustaining the selection made
by this caucus,
owen Reelected
Robert l.. Owen was reelected by
the convention at Ardmore in 1900.
which was the famous long.drawn.
out wild and woody" convention Of
territorial history. II was the me-
morable Marcum-W -Wolverton fight for
national committeeman. Those were
exciting times" said some of the old.
timers who were in attendance. and
street fights were frequent. Anybody
could match fight who showed the
lease disposition" Seven hundred del.
egates left McAlester on q special
train in charge Of NJ. f.. Williams, who
was station agent here at the time,
and went TO the convention to
"straighten things out" These dele.
gates were from the Cherokee. Choc.
taw and Chickasaw nations and had
a great stablizing effect. The con.
yention, however, resulted in the split
and each faction elected its commit
,eeman, Marcum for one and Wolver.
ton for the other.
w. y. Redwine. Pres Lester, Judge
Yancy Lewis, Jack Harley, Tai Mil
wee and George Mansfield were
among those in attendance at the con-
vention. Later the factions met at
Holdenville and compromised upon
Homer Spaulding Of Muskogee.
At the Durant convention in 1904
Bob Williams of Durant was elected
over DIR. d. NJ. HALEY of McAlester
and Robert W. Dick of Ardmore. -
McAlester News. Capital
The McAlester News-Capital pub.
fishes here bit of interesting his.
tory. Many of the men who played
an important part in the organization