Evening star., 1936-10-23
ey the Associated Press.

Gsy the ASSoclateo freSS.
OKLAHOMA CITY, October 23.-
The text Of Gov. ALT M. Landon's ad-
dress at Republican rally here today
follows:
Paying a visit to Oklahoma and
to your city is always a genuine
delight to me. 1t is like visiting
with a next door neighbor who has
been an intimate friend for many
years. Your State and my State
are neighbors. We understand
each other. We know each others
problems.
More than that have many
warm personal associations with
your State. Today I count many
of my closest friends among the
people of Oklahoma.
I first worked in Oklahoma as a
very young man nearly 80 years
ago. That was on pipeline
gang. We were putting in a line
both north and south of McAlester'
I remember my first travels
through your State. I can remem-
Der to this day what a treat it was
to get into McAlester on a Sunday.
I didn't even have a horse and
buggy. I rode in an old-fashioned
blackboard. 1t was pretty hard
going in those days. We were
doing we'll If we averaged six miles
an hour. A little later we got the
automobile. But it still took US
four hours to drive through the
Usage country from Bartlesville to
Pawhuska. Now it has become a
simple job to journey several hum
dred miles in a single day. So I
have seen with my own eyes our
communities and States drawn
closer and closer together.
have been in almost every part
of this State. am we'll acquaint-
ed with it from the Western Pam
handle to the Kiamichi Mountains.
More than that. I am one of you.
I pay taxes in Oklahoma. And I
frequently run down to look over
my leases and properties in your
State.
So talking to Oklahomans is not
new experience for me. But 1t Is
q new, and a most gratifying, ex-
perience to be introduced by your
distinguished former Governor.
William H. Murray.
Record of Murray
Praised by Landon.
Gov. Murray has a record Of
service that goes far beyond his
splendid record as Governor. He
represented the people faithfully
and wen throughout his long and
distinguished service in Congress.
He was president of the c0nven-
tion that gave Oklahoma its pres
ent constitution.
Gov. Murray has won national
recognition as liberal and a pro-
gressive. But all his life he has
been a straight party Democrat.
His political friends and associates
have always been in the Demo-
cratic party. He has suffered
many attacks at the hands of Re-
publicans-and he has returned
them blow for blow. as the Re-
publicans well remember.
There are many people in this
country who are not closely afi-
lated with either party. Some
times they vote Republican; some
times they vote Democratic. But
for strict party man, there has
been but one standard of political
conduct-party regularity. You
people Of Oklahoma fully realize
what loyalty to the Democratic
party has meant in this State.
You know, therefore, what it
means when a former Democratic
Governor with a lifelong record
of party regularity introduces the
Republican nominee for the presi-
dency. 1t means Severing political
friendships of long standing. 1t
means opening himself to political
penalties in the years to come. 1t
means endangering the whole po-
1itical future of many of his loyal
supporters of the past. This is not
an easy thing to do. Only one who
has been in politics can appreciate
fully how great the issue must be
to cause recognized leader to
leave his party. Only threat to
our form of Government itself
could cause a man like Gov. Muir
ray to take this step.
Party Deserted
For National Loyalty.
II it were merely that I am his
friend, that am a neighbor from
an adjoining State on the north,
that I know your State and your
problems almost as well as I know
Kansas. Gov. Murray would not
have done this. He would not now
be a member of that distinguished
group of Americans who are put
ting their country above their party
name. I mean John W. Davis, the
Democratic nominee for President
in 1884: Alfred E. Smith, the
Democratic nominee for President
in 1928; Bainbridge Colby, Secre-
tary Of State in the Democratic
administration of Woodrow Wilson;
Joseph Ely, who recently finished
his term as Democratic Governor
OF Massachusetts,; James A. Reed,
former Democratic Senator from
Missouri; Lewis w. Douglas, former
Representative at Large from your
neighbor State of Arizona, and
director Of the budget in this ad-
ministration until he no longer
could go along with its financial
policies. These are only a few.
There are a host of others.
! AS say. these Democratic lead
ers have put loyalty to country
above fealty to a party name.
! They have been moved not alone
by principles. but by a desire to
save the Democratic party itself.
And they have not been alone in
this. Countless other Democrats
feel as strongly as they do.
! They have made no open break,