Mexico weekly ledger., 1893-12-21
Clark on Oklahoma.
THE NINTH DISTRICT CONGRESS-
MANS PRAISE OF THAT
TERRITORY.
ASpeeeh Delivered in Congress @ II Fri.
day. December 18th, FaS0ring the
Admission of Territories to
the IniOn-He Wants
Oklahoma In.

man, l voted with a great deal Of
pleasure to admit Utah into the
Union; | voted with a great deal of
pleasure to admit Arizona; | am
going to vote with a great deal of
pleasure to admit New Mexico.
New Mexico ought to have been ad
mitted ten years ago. 1t is a great
outrage that she has been kept out.
[Applause.l Having said this, l
wish to make another remark or
two. Some gentlemen here do not
seem TO know anything about Okla
homa; and the less they know the
more they have to say. Laughter.
Better act on the principle of BE
sure you're right. then 60 ahead"
That country is as fine a country
as God Almighty in His infinite
wisdom ever made. In the Indian
language Oklahoma means "Beau-
tiful country" and it comes fully
up to the promise. If you will ad-
NIT what is now the Territory of
Oklahoma and the remainder of the
land which belongs to the Indians
down there as one State, it will
make as good a State as Iowa, as
good aState as Illinois, las good a State
as any other State except Missouri,
which is the great imperial State of
the Mississippi Valley. Laughter
and applause.l Oklahoma is a
land delightful to look upon
bountifully watered - abundantly
wooded.
One gentleman here-I forget who
talks about the population of Ok
lahoma Territory being ''inchoate; )"
that they do not know one another.
Let me tell you that they are
American citizens, all; they are the
adventurous spirits of all that West
ern country - Illinois, Missouri,
Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Arkansas
and Texas. They are the same
sort of men that laid the founda-
tons of free government in all the
Louisiana purchase, in California,
Oregon and Texas. They belong
to the class of men such as old Sam
Houston, who fought for liberty at
San Jacinto, and such as Davy
Crockett and Travis and the brave
men who died at the Alamo in de-
Tense of American freedom. Zap
plause.l An "inchoate" popula-
ton, is it? Why, sir, take one
hundred and fifty thousand Anglo
Saxon American citizens, place
them in the middle of the great
African desert tomorrow, and in
less than a week they will have a
constitution and laws and be living
in peace and order under them. TAP
plause.l That is the distinguish
ing characteristic Of the race from
which we sprang. [Applause.
These Oklahoma people are flesh OF
our flesh and bone of our bone.
[Applause.1
Mr.. Chairman, I feel friendly to
the people of Oklahoma. [ have
tasted of their salt, eaten of their
bread and drank at their springs.
| do not know whether that Terri
tory is ready to be admitted or not
[ am not passing on that question.
But l want to tell you Eastern gen.
tlemen something about that Ter
ritory. In 1890 | ran for Congress
and was beaten lLaughterl by a
scratch.
a Member. You ought not to
call him that.
Mr.. Clark of Missouri. | did
not say l was beaten by "the old
Scratch" but by a scratch. Laugh
ter, Well. a fellow in that condi-
ton, just after he has been beaten
you have all been there and know
how it is [applausel-feels that he
would like to go off for recreation
and recuperation-hunting, fishing,
and SO forth. Laughter.
A Member. And a good deal of
the $50 forth" Laughter
Mr.. CLARK of Missouri. More of
the $50 FORTH sometimes than any
thing else. [Applause.l Well, 1
went down TO Oklahoma and spent
three weeks in that Territory three
of the happiest weeks of my life.
Why, Mr.. Chairman, the land down
there is so rich that if they had it
up in New Jersey, Maine, New
Hampshire, or Vermont, they would
sell it by the peck for seed laugh
ter or use it as a fertilizer. Laugh
ter and applause
One gentleman says there is
nothing out there but people and
therefore you must not admit Ok
lahoma. Applause. That is
beautiful logic. GApplause. Moth.
ing but peoplel Applause,
What constitutes a State?
Not high-raised ~battlement or labor
ored mound,
Thick wall or moated gate;
Not cities proud with spires and tur-
rets crowned,
Not bays or broad-armed ports,
Where laughing at the storm rich
navies ride;
Not starred and spangled courts,