Harlow's Weekly (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 25, No. 22, Ed. 1 Saturday, May 29, 1926 Page: 6 of 16
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Harlow’s Weekly and was provided to The Gateway to Oklahoma History by the Oklahoma Historical Society.
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6
HARLOW’S WEEKLY
der such handicaps as he has taken upon him-
self.
Trapp isn’t by any means Oklahoma's worst
governor, but he is placing himself now in an
altogether' indefensible position, and Fitzpat-
nick is right in insisting that his eligibility
. be hurried to a court test.
And the Ada News declares; .
1 Kirby Fitzpatrick of Ardmore asserts that
he is going to test Trapps eligibility to suc-
ceed himself, carrying tlie matter to the Su-
preme Court. It is to the best interests of all
concerned, including Trapp himself, to have
this question settled before the primary and
end it as an issue of the campaign.
But it is noticeable that there has been a
great reduction in the interest of the editors
of the state in the eligibility question since
the decision of the state election board, the
opinion seemingly being that Trapp ,is going
on through, and is accepted on this basis.
Astute observers do not believe that the long
and drawn-out wrangle over the eligibility
question has permeated to the voters of the
state, other than lawyers and a few oppos-
ing politicians of both parties. One partic-
ular observer who is strong for a test of the
question is free to admit this, privately.
But the republican editors seemingly are
advised by the leaders in that party that it
is to the interest of the republican party's
chances this fall for Trapp to be the demo-
cratic nominee, and said editors are lending
every encouragement possible along the way.
Evidence of this are seen in the recent com
ment of the Oilton Gusher, which declares
“Ed Trapp is going on. He will be nominat-
ed for governor by the democrats. That's
our candid opinion." And this, from the Law-
ton News-Review: “We have a hunch that
Trapp will be held eligible ami a further
hunch that he will be the democratic nomi-
nee for governor." Both are repub)ictiu
new spajiers.
•The political writer for the Oklahoma
News and Tulsa Tribune sees “Politics A-
plenty in Trapp 'lest,” under which heading
he declares:
It's needless to say that there's a lot of
politics in the threatened test of the eligibility
of Governor Trapp as a candidate for gov-
ei nor. There’s politics on his side, and on
that of his opponents.
Most of his opponents want a decision from
the Supreme Court, and think it will be ad-
verse to the governor. But they don't want
the opinion too soon. If Trapp should be de-
clared ineligible before .lune 14, Jack Walton
might file. And it is the desire of others of
his opjsments that the decision Im* postponed
until after June 14 so that, if it be unfavor-
able, Trapp will be prevented frum tiling Sen-
ator \\. J. Holloway or someone else in his
.stead.
One rumor has it that if the Supreme Court
refuses to accept jurisdiction, or holds Trapp
eligible, a constitutional amendment will be
initiated, specifying that a lieutenant gov-
ernor who succeeds a governor shall be in-
eligible to succeed himself immediately.
Such an amendment would require 84,000
signatures. Enemies of the governor believe
this number easily could be secured, and that
it could be filed with the secretary of state in
plenty of time to win a place on the Novem-
bet ballot.
But what would happen if the amendment
should be adopted, and Trapp elected, in the
same election, is cause for further speculation.
As to the proposed constitutional amend-
ment, which is being talked in case the Su-
preme Court holds Trapp eligible, it is the
view of most observers that in the eventual-
ity that the Court holds Trapp eligible, any
such effort to interest the public in a consti-
tutional amendment such as is proposed,
would react strongly in Trapp's favor, for
this reason: it would be the viewpoint of
the voter that the Court, having held Trapp
eligible, should be final, and any efforts up-
. (tn the part of Trapp’s enemies to rule him
out after the Supreme Court has held him
eligible, would be classified as persecution,
and an unfair attempt to prevent a man from
running because of some candidate’s fear of
his probable strength.
Trapp Silent on Klan Charge.
Trapp has remained silent on the charge
by M. M. Alexander of Okmulgee, that he
(Trapp) was forming a coalition with the
Ku Klux Klan, except to discuss the matter
very briefly while at Muskogee recently.
The Muskogee Times-1 Jemocrat recently said:
M. E. Trapp came to Muskogee to-day to
look over his fences and to deny Kirby Fitz-
patrick’s charge that he has his "own can-
didate for attorney general in the race.”
Mr. Trapp was also silent upon the charge
of his opponents that he is attempting to af-
filiate himself with the Ku Klux Klan. His
enemies, desire he said, that he be placed in
the |M>sition of injecting the klan issue into
the campaign. Once they have placed all the
cards upon the table and made the charge spe-
cific the governor will reply and "blow them
out of the water," he let it be known.
It is a well-known fact to those who fre-
quent the state capitol that, since assuming
the office he now holds, Trapp has played no
favorites in the matter of appointments, hav-
ing religiously sought to prevent the injec-
tion of the klan question into his regime. He
has appointed klansmen. non-klansmen, anti-
klansmen and Catholics to office since he be-
came governor. It is the belief of many ob-
servers that any successful attempt to inject
the klan issue into Trapps candidacy will be
favorable to him. for In* has, in past, been
accepted pretty thoroughly as being anti-
klan, when forced to take a stand, and should
his opposition force him to do so, there can Im*
but little doubt that the anti-klan element
would tlock to his standard as the best
chance to defeat any klansman. This hy-
pothesis being based, of course, u]mhi the
eventuality that the klan issue is injected in-
to the 'Trapp candidacy.
Discussing this angle of tin* gubernatorial
race, the Ardmoreite recently commented edi-
torially, under the caption, “No Explanation
Needed," as follows:
Acting Governor I'M 'I’rapp possesses a sil-
ence that is sensational. lie made a new
epoch in poiltics recently when he used sil-
ence to reply to the man who said he had
made all kinds of overtures to the klan.
The governor’s attitude toward the ylan is
well known and his friends did not want an
explanation and his enemies would not have
accepted his word so what’s the use of making
reply.
Manx times the man who can stand in sil-
ence when he is being maligned is much big
ger man than tin* one who is attacking and he
is always a bigger man than the one who
loses his equilibrium in his haste to make re-
ply to charges.
Largely similar views tire taken by tin*
Poteau News and the Wagoner Record Dem-
ocrat, two east side newspajters.
Trapp Opens litadquarleis.
Meanwhile, during the present week Trapp
opened his state headquarters on the second
floor of the old Security National Bank
building, wherein the Oklahoma Educational
Association had its headquarters during tin*
state convention of the educators not long
ago. The old bank building has stood vacant
for many months since the Security moved .in-
to its magnificent new home in the Medical
Arts Building, on up the street a short way.
It has been listed for «ale with real estate
firths hut has not been sold, and,’ cotisequeiit-
ly, affords a good, centrally-located spot for
a gubernatorial headquarters.
However, it is understood that headquar-
ters of two of Trapp’s opponents already have
moved to capitalize this location of the Gov-
ernor’s headquarters as indicating a strong
link between Trapp and the Security bank,
(’argill’s headquarters are in the American
National Bank building, and political writ-
ers have referred to the fact that Frank 1*.
Johnson, one of Oklahoma’s leading bank-
ers, and Hugh Johnson, the first president of
the American, and the second, of the First
National Banks, are classed as (.’argill’s
staunch supporters.
'i’rapp is o]iening headquarters almost a
month after some of the other leading can-
didates have maintained their places, and
consequently, indications point to a whirl-
wind campaign during the remaining two
months prior to the primary, upon the part
of Trapp.
Democratic Gubernatorial Candidates.
WHiile this whole campaign thus far has
centered to a large extent around the ques-
tion of Trapp's eligibility, that being prac-
tically the only issue that has been brought
forward by the various candidates, all candi-
dates are active, particularly in respect of
Trapp, now that he has opened, Cargill. Rob-
ertson. Johnston and Darnell. All of these
five candidates have been actively campaign-
ing tin* past week, and claims ami counter-
claims already are springing forth.
Robertson has seized upon the union sta
tion question as an issue ami has let it Im*
known that, should he Im* elected to serve
another term as governor, he will do what he
can to aid Oklahoma City and Tulsa in ob-
taining union stations. Il<* takes an indirect
slap at Cargill in this connection. declaring
relative to the Oklahoma City angle, that
“those i.ow entrusted with tin* duly will do
only what the railroads want done."
The klan question again has entered into
discussions of the week. the Oklahoma News
recently declaring:
Robertson leaders were peeved by an editor-
ial in the Oklahoma News, in which their can-
didate was reproved for injecting the klan
issue into the campaign. It is the Robert-
son contention that he did not bring up the
issue, but. merely met an issue that had al-
ready Iwen injected by Henry S. Johnston.
Did you ever, asked Russell, “see a cam-
paign that has gone as far as Johnston’s, and
inquired as great momentum as it has, and
that with practically no public speaking, with
no headquarters, with almost no expenditure
of money? It’s solely a whispering campaign
and it s made possible only by rbe fact that
*t is the klan that is conducting it."
I he fact that Johnston and his lieutenants
never mention tin* klan, and indeed publicly
deprecate such mention, assert (hat the klan
is not an issue, and protest their freedom
trom all religious and racial bias, means notli-
,l|l,l5' :t*<‘r,>,?ling to the Robertson viewpoint.
I Im* fact is it is the klan that is being relied
to put Johnston over. And Robertson
is ihe only candidate who has dared to meet
the issue.
Russi-H says there is one infallible test,
they say tin* klan is not in politics Read
tor yourself the stories of but a few days
ago -the elections at Muskogee and Okmulgee
alk to a klansman in your vicinity. He
will deny the charge but will espouse the
"* the klan candidate. 'Try this test.”
1 he Johnston people strenuously deny they
have raised the klan issue, or are depending
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Harlow, Victor E. Harlow's Weekly (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 25, No. 22, Ed. 1 Saturday, May 29, 1926, newspaper, May 29, 1926; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1600728/m1/6/?q=%22Business%2C+Economics+and+Finance+-+Advertising%22: accessed July 16, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.