The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-12-14
willing to take the chances of delay

statehood for Oklahoma alone are in
the ascendancy and are consequently
the more aggressive. One or the best
expositions of this side of the ques-
ton is found in AIcMaster's Weekly,
at hand today. That paper says: In
the preliminary discussions by appli-
cantS for statehood the residents are
prone 10 assume the prerogatives and
claim the right which properly once
belonged TO them as citizens of state.
| They forget that even citizenship is
state crea ton with no national exist
ence, in SO far as 4 right 10 participate
| in the administration OF the general
government is concerned. They have
the rights pertaining to the early col
onists, in the government of Great
Britain, the right of petition, and moth
ing more. For this reason the late
convention at Shawnee wisely asked
the creation of such state with such
| boundaries as in the wisdom of con-
greSs will best subserve the interest of
good government" In very recent
times territories of long creation and
we'll defined boundaries, have been adj
mitted with unchanged lines, but this
| is true of only the more recent noun
tain states. In the earlier years con-
| greSs carved states from territorial
boundaries very often regardless of the
wishes of the inhabitants. AS an ex-
ample of this take the area of the pres
ent states of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois,
Michigan and Wisconsin. Made up
| from cessions of the older states and
erected into the northwest territory by
the ordinance of 1877, being the first
| territorial creation of congress. In
1872 Ohio was admitted as state from
a portion of it, having previously con-
stituted a part of Indian territory
| created in 1900 from the northwest
territory. In 1905 Michigan territory
was carved out from the northwest
territory but included only that part
| of the present state lying south of the
! lakes.
| In 1909 the territory of Illinois was
| formed including Wisconsin, part OF
| Michigan and Minnesota as now
| bounded. In 1918 Illinois was admit
| ted as state and the territory not in
Guided in its present limits was known
as Michigan territory. In 1887 Mich
igan was admitted into the Union and
Wisconsin followed in 1S4S. both with
boundaries vastly different from their
areas as territories. In all these vary
ing changes and conditions the terri
torial lines were continually disrupted
and parts even annexed to contiguous
states for governmental purposes
Massachusetts claimed and controlled
Maine, which was not coded TO the
general government until the time of
its admission to the Union in 1870.
Vermont was part Of New York until
1871 and ceded back to New York a
portion of its territory as late as 1880
This very brief historical narration
tory has neither a vested right of area
or form of government, nor political
citizenship pertaining to Individual
residents. With this as truth of our
condition it behOOves us very properly
in all statehood matters TO invoke
that discretion which congress will GER
tainly exercise and avoid the conten-
ton of boundaries which it is doubtful
if congress will regard or create. And
this is more especially true as such n
course avoids interminable contrOver-
sizes among our people. and dissipates
the very serious opposition Of our con-
tiguous territory which will be serious
" affected by our action.
If the result of such a resolution
would tend TO create state from Ok
lahoma alone the questions for con-
greSS to consider are, does our area,
wealth and population entitle us to the
honors and lit us for properly perform
ing the duties of a state.
As to area Oklahoma has 81, 499, $50 |
acres of land Ohio has 25,2S1,9 16, I
Indiana 81, 637, 80, and ten other states
still less. All of this land is produc- /
tive for some purposes and the greater
part Of it has already been home
steaded.
As TO wealth, its assessed value Is /
S39, 0O0, 900 with the most of the lands /
still unpatented and therefor untax-
able. Wyoming has S13,000,000. Mon /
tana $4,000. 900, Utah S24,O00.000 and !
Nevada S29,0OO.OOO in assessed values. /
In pODulatiOn Oklahoma has UPWARDS I
of $4,000 inhabitants. The census /
reports for 1890 give much smaller 4
populations than the following esti- |
mates. made by state officials, Of their /
population on Jan. LIST, 1895: Arizona,
6S.0O0: Idaho. 125. 900; Nevada, 1900; I
New Mexico. 10000; North Dakota,
100000; Oklahoma, 10000; Utah,
252. S34; Wyoming, 5000; Delaware,
1890.
If we are the superiors OF so many
states in area. wealth and population
we are as fully equipped for statehood
as they possibly can be. for our pros
poets for an immediate increase OF
population is far better than any OF
theirs Our unopened reservations
alone will add - per cent to our pOpu-
lation. so soon as entries are allowed.
Our lands 10 be decided viii double
our present assessed valuation In the
next two years, and possible additions
OF territory may increase our area
The earlier states had fragmentary