The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-05
OKLAHOMA STATEHOOD.

This week a convention will be held
means TO statehood. and also the kind
whether single or double. That is
whether the people should favor state
| hood for Oklahoma as defined by pres
ent boundaries, or declare for one
state for the whole of the original In
dian Territory. Next TO the Oklahoma
people themselves, the people of Kan
SaS, especially of South Kansas. are
interested in this question of statehood.
OF course our interest is largely a sen
| timental one, growing out of the fact
| that they are not only our neighbors,
! but that very many of them were once
| of Us. To resolve for single statehood
would probably postpone the admis-
sion of Oklahoma, as state. for some
| time; not necessarily 50, but because
/ congress would desire TO fix the
| autonomy or status of the Five tribes
before embracing them within the lines
and subjecting them to the laws of a
state. SO, without pretending to advise
or so much as suggest, We find that the
people of South Kansas are hoping TO
see Oklahoma, as She is today. made
commonwealth and sister state.
However, with the Indian Territory in
cluded Oklahoma would make a great
state, Of vast domain, and rich in
natural resources as a whole. Yet to
wait till the Indian is fixed, and finally
disposed Of, means a prolonged terri
tOrial life and Federal dule, which es-
ponage is in many ways Objectionable,
and in some directions burthersOme.
That the present Oklahoma, as a state,
would in a very few years become
highly prosperous we are convinced
Compact and sui generis there would
be such community of interest as to
preclude Earring, rivalry and discord.
Oklahoma and South Kansas are today
one, more really, than are the Indian
Territory and oklahoma For that
reason, and there is more than senti-
ment in it, double statehood naturally
commends itself to the Kansas neigh
Dor.
That the Indian Territory. is ready.
in any sense, for statehood is question
able, either as to its population, realty
titles and what not The Indian Ter
ritory contains, it is reported. about
fifty thousand Indians, and twice or
three times as many whites. But the |
whole domain, including all its people |
and interests, are under the SWAY of, |
If not adventures, of home-deyeloped |
bosses and their rings. Everything |
and everybody seems to be controlled |
in a high-handed way. Before much |
could be done in the way of statehood |
Tor 1t and them, Subjugation and regu- |
latlon would both be necessary prelim- |
lnarieS. Lands might be held in com /
mon, by lazy, thriftleSs Indians and
still be included within the bounds of |
state, but not in a So-caHed common
atty with a dozen or two men prac-
tlcaIly owning and controlling every
thing in sight including the in
habitantS. There are too many white
men III the Indian Territory calling
themselves Indians. Their paint would
nave to come off, metaphcricalIy. and
instead of being big chiefs they would
have to be reduced to ordinary citizens
of the realm. In short, these Five
tribes and their numerous barnacIes
would have to be reyamped and made
1Ver And pv-an +l,ar fo,. ,-o, -, a., |
going TO be no end OF trouble coming
put of the mixed conditions now ex-
sting.