The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1922-11-16

To The Daily Ardmoreite:
. The editorial in the Daily Ardmore-
ite on the meaning of the vote in Tues
days election, while acknowledging
that it showed trend toward radical
ism, it stopped at that. II the editor
was going to deal with this subject at
all he should have gone farther and
said more.
While the election in Oklahoma, es-
pecially in the governors race was on
the radical VS.. the conservative issue
and this was the main issue in the
states of Wisconsin, Iowa, North Da-
kota, Washington. California and Ida
no, Oklahoma is naturally democratic
while the others mentioned are just as
naturally republican. l mention these
things to call attention to the fact that
what is called radicalism is not parti-
san politics.
This issue has to some extent split
both of the dominant political parties
throughout the entire union On this
issue in Oklahoma many Democrats
voted for Fields and many republicans
voted for Walton. This was true of
precinct five in Ardmore which has
perhaps larger per cent of work.
ing people than any other in the city
This condition prevailed to a greater
or lesser extent all over the state with
but little partisan political enthusiasm
anywhere.
The fact that oklahoma has nearly
two million population, and that sta
tistics show that more than half the
population are of voting age hence
there must be nearly one million peo.
pie in the state Of voting age, yet there
We're less than half that many that
voted. In precinct five with a registra-
tion Of over nine hundred there were
an even four hundred votes cast. this
being less than fifty per cent. In pre-.
cinct five Walton the radical. among
all the democratic candidates who had
a republican opponent led the demo
cratic ticket by seven votes and out
of votes cast received a majority of
ia votes over the conservative repub.
lican candidate. Fields. At this same
election the republican candidate for
sheriff received a majority Of 55 votes
over his democratic opponent. This
shows that among the working masses
that partisan politics as between the
two dominant political parties has lost
its hold.
This economic, or Glass" issue is fast
becoming the dominant one in every
civilized nation in the world, and it is
an issue separate and apart from par.
iisan politics as they now exist and of
forms of government. The working
masses are fast finding out that an
economic autocracy is the same every.
where. That it can flourish and make
slaves and mendicants Of them lust
as well under a government that is a
theoretical democracy as it can under
one that is an absolute monarchy.
Hence IL is not n change from our
American governmental ideals or DO.
litical democracy that the working
want but n change in the own.
ership and control of certain kinds and
classes of property, that as now con.
trolled makes slaves and mendicants
Of them.
Charges made that they are trying
to destroy the government is n stop
thief cry, and pure bunkum. The votes
as cast only partly express the trend
Of public opinion in Oklahoma. To real.
ly know we would have to know what
Is in the minds Of the silent majority
who did not work at all. They are
part of our citizenship, and on this is.