The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-04-02

OKLAHOMA CfTY.-Thc politi-
cal temperature has mounted stead
lily during tho past week. this ap-
plying to rcpublicas as well as dem
oCrats. Tor the former party lead
ers suddenly developed an interest In
the situation and candidates as well
as rumors ~ booms brought forth
more political gossip than has been
true since the first OF the year
In the beginning the meeting Of
Mayor Walton to open his candidacy
for governor was staggering reVc-
lation to tho state capitol leaders.
The mayor had crowd-as many
as the largest auditorium In the city
would hold with many turned away.
Part OF this may be attributed to the
fact that he has been so vigorously
assailed many wanted 20 hear what
he had to say, but there Is no gain
saying that he demonstrated he is
a contender In the race for tho DEM
ocratic gubernatorial nomination
and means business Coincldent
with this lifting OF the veil was the
attempt OF his bitterest opponents
TO get some OF the other four demo-
cratic gubernatorla aspirants to
withdraw. All other candidates are
willing for this providing the one
left is himself, hence the elimination
program stands in about the same
position II did when the effort was
made to clear the field and have
Senator Thomas become candi-
date.
There are two outstanding feat
ures to this opening event-first, the
fUHu - al n n "a ~
sive; second, that he believed his
nearest competitor Is Justice Thorn
as II. owen. for his speakers at the
meeting bitterly assailed the jurist
and his hackers, very clearly showing
In what direction they presumed the
enemy was to be located.
In this was perhaps the only
solace To the Walton opponents in
the city whore they had been scat
tered among four candidates. In
the capital city the Walton oppons
ents are not caring so much whom
they vote for as thoy are TO soak
the mayor n solar plexus that will
leave him n corpse on the political
battlefield. 10 must be remembered
that Crystallization OF sentiment
among the rank and file IL yet to
occur and frontal attack by the
Walton captains on the iurist was
accepted by the latter's champions
as being rather pleasant adertlsing
and without monetary cost.
The Owen-I Howard Wilson devel-
opments are all centered around this
opening OF the contest by the Okla
homa city mayor. Neither Of the
three has made any effort toward an
Oklahoma City campaign, although
the state superintendent has head
quarters open and Is using the mails
10 distribute literature. The major
ity OF the campaign work Of the
various candidates has been done IN
the smaller counties, remote from
the capital, while the Walton OPEN
Ing was In Oklahoma, pottawato-
pie, Bryan and Atoka, indicative Of
the fact that someone Ia advising tho
mayor to shoot straight AZ the great
democratic strongholds.
But while the uptahle part OF the
week showed the mayor In a better
light than heretofore. II must not be
forgotten that his adversaries are
more skilltul and what Is doing In the
hills~and down In the ravlnes may
reveal to him that In oklahoma the
bands do not always indicate where
the strongest reserve forces may be
found, Time and again Oklahoma
democracy has demonstrated that
the singers do not always impress
the most deeply. MIR. Walton has
demonstrated capacity for audi
ences and his men are cheerful, but
the greatest leader the democrats
produced In the last quarter OF a
century was always favored by the
largest crowds, but was unable TO
make them vote accordingly TO the
way they should.
In a final summing up OF the
democratic gubernatorial situation,
the most favorable thing that has oc-
CURED for the mayor, denominated
the radical candidate and most GER
tainly opposed by the strong con-
servatives, is that many II not all of
the other candidates admit they are
running ahead and that Walton is
the nearest competitor.
This OF course means little more