The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-07-14
OKLAHOMA EDITORS.
Proceedings of tie State Convention at
the Territorial Capital.
Special Dispatch to the Daily Eagle.
IL. VI

gone. As body. il WAS above the average
of western editorial convention. The
crime of being young man" applied to
nearly all. Almost every man had come
up from the case, and had been familiar
with his Satanic majesty. These men rep
resented brains and indefatigable energy.
Every one of them knows what privation
| and self-denal means. They know what
nultum in parvo means, inasmuch as
many of them have been and some or them
are editors-in-chief, reporter, compo=ltor
and devil at the same time. it Is these
| men who have done more than any other
body TO make Oklahoma what she Is to-
day, and who will be the potent factors OF
the great state Oklahoma is to be in the
near future.
On Tuesday every train brought
delegates to the convention. The commit
tees appointed by the city press made pro-
visions for their entertainment, and at :
o'clock m they repaired TO the court
room, only to adjourn and accept the es-
cort of the Guthrie band to the opera
house, where they were to take proml-
peuC part in the program. Hundreds or
opr citizens lined the streets to nave lock
at the newspaper men of their adopted
territory. Arriving at the opera house,
representative gathering or our young So
ciety people met them, and soon the guests
and Guthrie's fair ones were tripping the
light fantastic toe to ths music OF an ex-
celleDt orchestra.
At II o'clock the guests sat down to
sumptuous repast, garnished with dow
ers In due time the toasts were proposed
by the master of ceremonies, and happy
responses were made by those to whom the
pleasant duty was assigned Lack or
space forbids giving the responses at
length.
The order Of toasts was as follows: The
Press" Hon. Joseph Wisby;" Early Days.
Robert Martin; Statehood" Hon. Horace
Speed; The Judiciary" Mr. Roy Hotf-
man; "Oklahoma's Progress" j. Z
Queen: 1.-THE Ladies'" Hon. I. g. Risley;
Guthrie E. z. Brown; FL Rene" j. L
Admire; ''Kingtisher, 6. w McCllntock;
'OGiahoma City" A. 6. @. Bierer.
Roy Hoffman. considering the subject as
foreign TO his line, spoke pointediy and
we'll.
Hon. Horace Speed responded in a m as
| terry spesch to the toast Statehood"
MR. SPEEDS ADDRESS.
Flanagan of Texas, at national con-
veptiou, unwittingly was wise when he
yelled What are we here forT That ques-
tion imnlortalized Flanagan Of Texas. 1t
| was the key question 1t Is the
| key question that every man In
every position ia life tacltiy asks
! himself. The people OF Oklahoma should
| be as wise as Flanagan OF Texas, and ASK
themselves, repeatedly, What are we here
| for? Primarily, they are here TO better
| their individual fortunes; to establish
| bones. to educate their children, to do the
work that is before them, to help build
here the best society that the people OF
this territory ars capable OF. and to feel
! that the little world In which
they live will be the better
| for their having lived in it. They are
! here to found and enjoy those American n
! institutions, without which American CIT
| izenship cannot be, and American man
hood cannot grow TO its fair proportions
Anything that prevents or retards that
| full growth and development Is an INJURY,
no matter what il s uame. They cannot be
! full American citizens in territory; they
cannot be full American cltlzens until
| they are citizens of a state, governing
! themselves, with Il voice III national gov
| ernment, "A legitimate Interest III national
| affairs. Whatever holds them territory
| " hen they could be Il state is calamity,
ana detrimental to those rights OF the cit
| izen which should be dearer than any
| pecuniary consideration, or than lie
itself.
Statehood can be in Oklahoma next
winter: statehood should have been IN
! Oklahoma last year; and it Will be the
! fault of the men in Oklahoma II we do not
have statehood next year. Not halt q
state but whole state-the state OF OKLA
| homa containing the whole Indian lerrl-
| tory. Iu area it will be one-ffth larger
| than the Empire state OF New York; In
mineral resources it will be equal to The
state of Missouri; in agricultural resources
| it will be equal to southern Kansas on
| our uort lern border, and equal to north
eru Texas on our southern border. 1t Is
magnificent domain. 1t will make mag
pificent state, and we should make that
| state without delay. Within five years Il
| will contain IA million people. lt now
| contains q quarter OF "A million. 1t con
tains thirteen hundred miles OF railway,
which alone, if taxed, would mere than
pay all the expenses OF state proper: As
a state it would have as much railroad
mileage AS Kansas or Iowa.
| THE unit OF American political life Is
not the state nor the nation, but the couu'
| ty, in which are full corps OF legislative
| executive and judicial officers, needing nt
assistance whatever from the state Tor an J
purpose, save to periodically raise money
for the payment of salaries. The STATE ma
chinrry requires only seven men to run tht
| state-the governor, the Judges and thFes
:
is a legislature, which each state Sladi y
sees come i'll, and with JOY sees go out
The total expense of statehood cannot eS
| ceed thirty Thousand dollars per year. Iht
| tax on property in the Cherokee outlet
not now taxed, would more than pay TINS
sum. The railroads in The new state would
far more than pay the state expenses
There is no reason, economic or other. WHY
! a state should not be founded here at once
| Every reason economic or other. cries ou
against the continuance or TINS territory
Statehood institutes foil civilization
and full civilization will not hurS any
man, Indian OF other. bnt Will protect ant
! help Tim. Full civilization ls simpiy aiF
plied Christianity. IL l. law, order, re
sDect for the rights of Others. sell respect
! the Ineans of obtaining knowledge opi'oT
! tuujty to Apply kuowlesige-Jhe H4faus o
gratifying every tasie and need oil lnte.il
gent men. Absence OF cIylllttlou j. th'
absence of these. 81 atehood VIII fehoS'
the intruder from the Indian lands IL VII
destroy the harbors for tie iawie>s, It VII
bring IN era Of acflvity ana prospetli
such A, has not been known since tie earij
California days Ii will not simply max
| the wilderness blossom as the rose IL WI
! not simply make this paradise; it VII
| make Lhis paradise Ii IL home FOR toe 70 os'
intelligent people OF the most lntei-issh'
aud luxurious age OF tie world lals j
will DO. not in a century or Il generation
as with OTTER states, buI wItnIn lev
years. less than a decade: In time FOR in
tu.Iers to enjoy the fruits OF their LABOR.
Nh J. + Queen, who responded 70 -
toast 'OkiaGoIaa's Progress, was repeat
e,lIy encured as be called TO mind IN
scenes Of 1889.
Mr.. Rislzy made many happy allU>ion
II his response.
The address OF welcome WAS made b,
Mayor McElainusy and the response - 4
4. Nc14asteTs-
. TIE NETTING.