Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-08-23

and honest public opinion there has been
a degree OF public order SO far preserved
in this country which is extremely
creditable to the authorities and
to the people. But it can not be
hoped that such unusual conditions
shall permanently continue, and those
provisions for the preservation of good
order and the protection of persons and
property, and the regulation of conduct,
which are obtained in other established
communities, should be established here.
By the provisions of the act of March
3, 1899, the only modes by which
the title to town sites should
be conveyed to the actual occu-
pants of the town sites were under
sections 1887 and 1888 of the Revised
Statutes of the corporate authorities of
incorporate towns, or by the judge of the
county court in case the town is not in
corporated At present there is no law
under which towns can be Incorporated
or have corporate authorities, nor can
there be judge of q county court, and,
therefore there is no mode by which
town sites can be legally entered, or any
title TO town lots obtained by the inhab-
itants OF towns. This is S serious detri-
ment to the towns in this Territory,
and prevents the building up
of many substantial improvements
and enterprises in our towns, there being
natural indispOsitiOG on the part of the
settlers toward the expenditure of large
sums of money on either residences, bus
mess houses or business plants located
upon lotsI to which they have no title as
yet, nor any provision of law which, I'M
der existing conditions, can assure them
of title hereafter.
Until such legislation is bad we
cannot have fully effective city
organization for the furtherance of the
good and the repression of the petty evils
constantly occurring in city and town
life.
Until such legislation is had it will be
almost impossible to have effective rules
or laws as to public roads, or to prevent
the fencing up of roads through an evil
which has been increasing since the time
of our settlement until now. Some of
the principal roads are fenced and ut
terly abandoned, and whole neighbor-
hoods are debarred from any convenient
way to any town or railroad.
While this large growth has taken
place, and this settlement has been made
in the , 900 600 of acres opened, it is
well known that the government is now
negotiating for and expects soon to open
in the Indian Territory lands sur
rounding Oklahoma amounting to
not less than 20 900 900 acres
additional. If this large tract
is opened and settled with approx
mately like density and rapidity, there
will be as soon as opened q population in
this territory of from three hundred
thousand to five hundred thousand new
in, TO 10
| pie now in the whole Indian Territory,
Evil make total population of five hun
dred thousand to seven hundred thou
sand people. Part Of these lands can
now be opened for settlement without
further negotiation, if congress so de-
sires, and it seems probable
that all of the twenty mill
lions will be opened within
two years 1t is also probable that
large amount of these lands will be
opened before this congress adjouTns,
and that they will be settled at once or
within a few days after they are opened.
That those lands should be opened with
out a territorial government being pro-
vided for them would be to invite calam-
Ity, and the necessity for q provision of
| government for them needs no discussion.
1t would facilitate their orderly settle
ment and influence the best class of i'm
migrants to chose that land. The gov
-ernment given as herein prayed would be
a. nucleus and an aid to put in operation
the government needed in the lands that
viii be opened.
We, therefore, most earnestly pray
that the congress will as its first duty
upon its assembly, pass an organic act
! instituting this territory and giving to
oif q mi
cient territorial government.
This memorial will accompany draft
of constitution made by the cOnven-
ton
The constitution was taken up and
! adopted by sections The convention
| decided to submit it to a vote of the peo-
| pie on October %. 1t is possible that a
governor, legislature and judicial officers
will be elected.
At O'Clock p. m. the convention
| nearly broke up in a row before the
constitution had been adopted or time
| fixed for the election, but by the wise
| diplomacy of some cool heads the danger
was averted.
The different sections of the cOnstitu-
| ton as adopted were referred to COM
| mittee for codification vino VIII report to-
morrow morning.
| After the convention the homesteaders
! held council and decided upon five men
| to be appointed III to-morrow's cOnven-
| ton for delegates to go to Washington
| and present the memorial.
! Now that the constitution has been
| adopted by the convention the question
! is. will Southern and Southwestern
Oklahoma support 1t, oppose it or not
| vote at all. If the latter il Will carry =,
and the question then arises, viii Okla
| homa City, King Fisher, Reno and the
other opposing cities submit TO be gov
! erned by it? Lively times are undOubt-
i edIv in store for Oklahoma territory un-
| less congress soon comes to her rescue
and delivers her from an absolute reign
| of anarchy.