The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-01-01
DENNIS HOLDS UP
BRAKE ON STATEHOOD BILLS BEARS
ON THE WHEELS OF CONGRESS.

lvust as soon as the feopfe OF thS ierriUory
Have Finished Holding Conventions and
Drafting Resolutions, the Statehood
Measure will be Pushed Into the Ring
and Congress VIII be Given an Oppor-
tunity to Say Whether it shau be Single
or Double Observation-Disclosures for
Quick Contamination is Getting Strong.
Guthrie, o. T., Dec. 31-This is prob
ably the last December 81 that Oklaho-
ma wild be "a territory. Tomorrow viii
be the last time in all probability that
Oklahoma will greet New Years Day
as a territory. 1t is confidently expect
ed all over the domain that statehood
Is coming.
What will congress do? A dispatch
from Washington says that congress is
favorable to the statehood idea, and
that Dennis Flynn is holding up dnis
statehood bill until the resolutions and
memorials from all the statehood con-
ventiols get in. The convention at
Oklahoma City in this coming month
has yet 10 be held and after that a. con-
ventton may be held somewhere in the
Strip, Ponca City rs mentioned.
II Is difficaI4t TO say what the outcome
win be at Oklahoma City. A fight be
tween the Republicans and Democrats
Is predicted straight out.
The papers are discussing the mat
fer freely. The following extracts viii
show on what matters they divide:
The Oklshornan at Oklahoma City re-
GENTLY said: THE congress of the Uni
ted States is too broad TO accept the
niggarly policy of making a state out OF
Okfah oma alone That the old Indian
Territory would make a magnificent
state. But when Oklahoma alone is
considered, the prepriety of making a
state at once becomes more Questiona-
BILE"
In reply to this the Perry Enterprise
Times says: In answer to the posi-
ton taken by the Oklahoman we will
state that dt Is not the desire or purpose
Of the Republican party to make
state out Of Oklahoma alone. The Re-
publican party. together with large
majority of the citizens Of Oklahoma,
of all parties, want statehood. Now for
Oklahoma, because all who are fanii-
ar with the attitude of the Indian ter
-itoTy, relative TO statehood, know that
HAT this is all we can get, perhaps for
rome time TO come.
There is no desire on the part Of
hose who favor the admission of Ok
ahoma now to make two states out of
Oklahoma and the Indian territories.
This is not the purpose of the Oklahoma
stat movement
We favor statehood for Oklahoma for
the reason that if we wait for the In
dian Territory 10 join us, the object for
which all are striving would become a
ma0ter wholly indefinite and uncertain.
II might be five or ten years before we
could secure the consent of the various
Indian tribes to accept the proposition
and they might never, of themselves,
consent TO do so.
The proposition 10 include the Indian
Territory in the effort for statehood Is
clothed with too much uncertainty and
is too indefinite ito harmonic with the
wish Of a large majority of the people Of
Oklahoma for immediate statehood.
The PROPOSE ton TO admit Oklahoma
to statehood is not questionable, but
10 attempt to make a state out of both
territories is no only questionable, but
at any time Within the bounds of sever
el years, impossible
GOT HEIR DIVORCE.
Mrs James T. Benton was granted
divorce in the district court at Okla
hona City yesterday, the principal
ground being that Benton is now in
the penitentiaTy serving A twenty-one
year sentence for manslaughter. He
was sent to the Lansing psnitendary
In 1892 for killing Mrs. Benton's father.
john NJ Murphy on a claim two miles
east Of Oklahoma City. The old man
had always been opposed TO the mar
riage of his daughter and Benton At
the time of his death Murphy was I'M
der sentence OF four years in the pen
itenbjary for perjury, but had secured
his release on bail pending an appeal
Benton is highly connected and strong
efforts are being made to secure a par
don for him.