The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1922-10-30

To The Daily Ardmoreite-
Ia the closing days OF the political
campaign in Oklahoma, we see the sor-
~ spectacle Of the entire campaign
narrow down 10 mud singing, and per.
sonalities of Jack Walton and John
Fields.
The attacks that are being made on
Walton. the democrat, by the forces
and the gang that is making them, re-
minds me Of the story by Dickens in
Oliver Twist, where the real theft ran
down the street uttering the cry Of
stop theft" in order TO make safe
get away himself, these things are
being done TO cloud the real issue.
The real issues in this campaign
are not something new, they are as old
as the state itself.
Stale History
What are the real facts as shown
by the real history of this state. At
the time Oklahoma was admitted to
statehood, hard times and industrial
depression similar 10 what we have
now We're prevailing and from the
same cause. i. e., the squeezing OF the
masses by special privilege.
In order to be admitted into the
union as a state. we had to draft n
state constitution: knowing this, and
wishing to protect Oklahoma as far
Us possible from The grasp of corporate
interests, and 10 protect the rights
OF the masses. what we might term the
working class, composed of different
agricultural and industrial workers or
Plantations, held convention at Shaw
nee and drafted certain demands to
he Incorporated into the state consti.
tuition. They presented these demands
to all the candidates for delegates to
the constitutional convention, the dem
ocrats accepting and the republicans
rejecting and the campaign between
the parties was made mostly on this
issue with the result that the democrats
elected an even one hundred Of the
one rundred and twelve delegates that
composed the constitutional convention
Lawyers in Convention.
Alas and alack. enough corporation
lawyers succeeded in getting into that
constitutional convention to so emas.
culate what of the Shawnee demands
that were put into the constitution as
to partly destroy their force and use
fulness.
This caused a great deal of dissat
.sfaction among the masses, and paved
the way for successful socialist palito-
cal party propaganda and growth but
conditions during the war practically
destroyed the socialist party in Okla
homa
This year being again an election
year. the same working proceeding or
gani2ations met again at Shawnee,
and drafted certain demands TO be put
into law: this last Shawnee convention
was composed of 1852 delegates from
all parts of the state and was much
more representative of real public sen
timent than was the first one.
All Democrats.
The personelle OF this convention
was composed of men and women who
in politics We're democrats, republicans,
and socialists, they were not there as
politicians, but as representatives of
their organizations to draft such de.
mands as they could all agree upon.
Their first demands made at the be-
ginning OF statehood We're accepted by
the democrats, ana they decided to try
them again,
This being state convention they in
dorsed some candidate for every state
office before tGe primary from the gov
ernor down.
Walton imediately accepted their in.
dorsement and made his campaign on
that issue, and In spite Of the opposl.
ton of the monopoly owned press. and
the reactionary politicians was nominal
ed by the largest plurality ever given
& candidate for office In Oklahoma then
came the state convention to draft a
party platform
Not Representative.
Did this convention represent the
people?
As far Us Carter county was con.
cerned II did not; Carter county's rep
fesentatives in that convention voted
against the wishes OF Walton, and a.
gainst the platform on which Walton
carried Carter county over both owen
and Wilson.
This action by Carter county dele