Evening star., 1922-08-02
khan F0E.LEADs
!. OKLAHOMA FIGHT
Walton for Governor About
8,0oo' 'Al4ead--State Issues
Paramount,
MISS ALICE A. VICTOR
! Herrick and Chandler Fall Behind
in denomination for
81 Congress.
MISS. ALICE A. VICTOR

ny tne AbBOciate0 tFeBs.s
OKLAHOMA CITY. Okla. August 2.
Mayor j. c.. Walton Of Oklahoma
City, anti-Ku. Klux Klan candidate
and supported by the farmer labor
element Of Oklahoma, was leading
his nearest opponent for the demo-
cratic nomination for governor by
almost 5000 votes early today with
unofficial returns from yesterdays
state-wide primary about one-t third
complete.
r, H. Wilson. superintendent Of the
state board of education, reputed to
have had the Endorsement of the Ku
klux Khan. was running second to
Walton and Thomas H. Owen, for
third, nearly 5000 votes behind VII
son.
Complete unofficial returns from s5s
precincts out of 2.S37 in the state
gave: Walton. 3s.oSs; Wilson. 31.l0S;
Owen, 23t79.
Managers Of both Wilson and owen
claimed success for their candidates
when the Anal votes are tabulated,
but the Walton camp predicted the
mayors lead would mount with fur
ther returns from county precincts
which were the slowest In reporting.
Farmer-Labor Pledge.
Walton made hle campaign on
pledges to put the state government
In the hands Of the farmer and
labor, where it belongs" He had
the Endorsement OF the Farmer
platform calling for state aid to
farmers state ownership Of public
utilities and the Plumb plan OF gov
crnEent administration of the rail-
roads.
1t is said he told a Ku Klux. Khan
deiegation during the campaign that
he INTENDED to run the kiansmen
into the Arkansas river" IL he became
governor.
John Fields. farm pape, editor Of
democratic gubernatorial nominee in
November, had virtually no opposi-
ton from his republican opponent,
George Healy. Fields was leading
more than seven to one on the re-
turns brought in.
Miss Alice. Robertson of Muskogee,
republican representative in Congress-
from the second district was out ahead
in her race for denomination on the face
or measer returns; Manual Herrick of
Perry. republican. who proclaims him
self Congress- aerial daredevil" was
running poor third in the eighth dis
trfct, with less than half of the pre-
cincts heard from. Other than Her
rick. Representative T. A Chandler, re-
publican from the first district, was
the only one of the eight incumbents
in Congress who fell behind in the con-
test for renomination,~
State Issues Paramount.
National issues played little part in
the primary, the three-cornered fight
Tor the democratic nomination for gov
ernor oatwefghfng the interest in all
the ether contests. This race was
fought out on purely state issues.
Prohibition did not enter
The' campaign centered on charges
made by Walton's opponents that he
represented the Non partisan League
interests in Oklahoma
The non-partisan. charges grew out
Of Walton's Endorsement by the okla
Dor Reconstruction
League, an organization formed for
farmer and labor groups of the state.
waiter has denied that he is q nom
partisan candidate. His oppone MT 8
have charged him with attempting to
"steaf the democratic party in this
state for the Non-partisan League.
The issue raised caused the cam
paign to be ore, of the hardest fought
in Oklahoma. and political observers
were frank to admit today that Wal
toms apparent victory held the posi-
| bfhty OF a large detection from the
democratic ranks in the general eiec-
tion in November.
Coming late in the campaign, the
Khan issue sprang to the forefront
with the publication of q purported
khan slate in papers of the state. VIII
sons. name headed the list. Walton
was blacklisted. Interest in the Ku
klux Khan angle reached its peak
last Sunday and Monday. when copies
of the slate were distributed at the
doors Of Protestant churches here
only. to be discounted the next day as
the kian's choice by the newspaper
mouthpiece>< of the organization in
Oklahoma.
Election officials through the state
reported an Unprecedented number of
votes. with women casting their first
ballots for state officers.