The Wichita daily eagle., 1894-01-03
COL. OWEN SPEAKS.
SID CLARKE AND GOV. FISHBACK
GIVEN SOME FREE ADVICE.
What the Mouthpiece of the Admins
tration Says bout Statehood-He
Disapproye., OF Single State
hood as Against the Policy
Of the West.

Colonel Robert L. Owen of Muskogee
Indian Territory was in the city last night
on business connected with the town sites
along the Rock Island road. Colonel
Owen was allotting agent for the Indians
previous to the opening of the Cherokee
strip 10 settlement and is naturally very
much interested IN the said allotments
since they have been converted into town
sites, particularly as be is a member OF
the town site company.
1t is not fatsering Mr.. Owen, or under
estimating the intelligence of the good
people of the five civilized tribes, to say
that he ls.one of the brightest men in the
Indian Territory. 1t is said that this fact
is recognized at Washington and that Mr..
Owen is the mouthpiece of the national
administration in all things pertaining TO
the politics of the Indian Territory. In
addition Mr.. Owen is the national Demo-
cratic committeeman for the Indian Ter
ritory. He is admitted to the ground
floor of the inner administration circles
when he goes to Washington. and he is
especially welcome at the interior depart
ment.
Considering all these things his opinions
on the question of statehood are valuable,
as it is very probable they are also the
opinions OF the administration.
You may say" said he, that the politi-
clans of Oklahoma think they can get
single statehood more easily than dual
statehood. In this they are mistaken.
The five civilized tribes have treaties with
solemn declarations that the United States
will never extend the line of any state or
territory over them without their consent.
Congress has sent commission to nego-
tiate with the five tribes relative to state
hood, with that distinguished statesman,
ex-senator III. L. Dawes, as chairman.
Neither the president of the United States
nor congress could with dignity or pro.
priety violate the treaties with these five
tribes or favor the extension CT the lines of
states or territories over them while this
negotiotion is pending.
1T is against the interest of the trans
mississippi country to permit single state
hood while possibility of dual state
hood remains, for the self-evident reason
that the transmississippi country would
lose two voies in the United States senate
with the prestige, power, appropriations,
&c, which this conveys.
I'll the absurd statements of Governor
Fishback and Sidney Clark were we'll
founded, that the Indian Territory is full
Of criminals, Oklahoma should not de-
maud or desire such population. The
fact is the diligence Of the Indian Terri
tory officials is not adequate to keep out
all of the rascals fostered by Sid Clark
aud Governor Fishback in Oklahoma and
Arkansas. Ii they will attend to their
criminals at home and correct the
morals of their own people they
will do the public better service
than by writing God-like advice and
fearful appeals to Grover Cleveland. No,
we don't want any single statehood and
we wont have any; you can rest assured
about that. If Oklahoma attends to its
own affairs we will attend to ours aud be
good friends.