The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-03-17
TERRITORY DELEGATE.
A BIN to Give the Indian Territory a
DELEGATE In conRress--Its Pro-
VIsIOns--Senators Comment.
speeial Correspondence.

Special Correspondence.
Washington, d. c., March 15.-
Judge Little of Arkansas has in
troduced a bill to give the Indian
Territory a delegate in congress. He
introduced a similar measure N the
SD congress, but it never progressed
beyond the committee to which it
referred. This bill is similar to that
one, with such notifications as are
rendered necessary by the changes
that have taken place since that
time.
The bill prov des in substance:
That the Indian Territory shall
elect delegate to the house of rep
resentatives, who shall be entitled to
the same rights, privileges and
emoluments as are now exercised by
delegates from the several other ter
ritories of the United States; that
the first election for such delegate
shall be held at the next general
federal election; that the voting pre-
cincts shall be at the places now
designated for holding commission
ers' courts; that the United States
judge for each judicial district shall
appoint an election board for each
precinct, composed of three judges
and two clerks, not more than three
of whom shall be of the same politi-
cal party; that the marshal in each
district shall, by proclamation, give
sixty days notice of the time and
place of such election; that all citi-
zens of the United States over twen-
ty-one years old, and all persons of
foreign birth who shall have, six
months prior to said election. de-
clared their intention to become citi-
zens of the United States, and who
shall have been actual residents Of
the said territory six months, shall
be entitled to vote; that the election
returns shall be made to the clerk
of the United States court in each
district thirty days from day OF cleo
ton, who shall Immediately report
to the clerk of the court of appeals
for the Indian Territory, and to the
person having the greatest number
of votes, a certificate of the presid-
ing judge of the court of appeals
shall be given.
The bill comes as a surprise and no
clear estimate of its probable fate
can be made at this time. Immedi-
ately after its introduction / called
on number of those most promi-
nent in Indian Territory legislation,
and asked them what they thought
of the bill
Their replies vary considerably,
and are as follows:
Mr.. Curtis-"I think we ought to
pass the Curtis bill first. am not
in favor of considering any other
measures until that has been dis
posed Of"
Senator Jones-''The bill ought to
pass. The people in that country
ought to have q delegate in con-
gress. The fact that that country is
not a regularly organized territory
should not deprive these people of a
representative in congress. There
are many reasons why the bill should
pass, and none against it.''
Senator Pettigrew-"I had not
heard of the bill. / have never con-
sidered the question, and without an
investigation I am not willing to say
what / would do IL required to vote
on it. | am not at all opposed to
the idea. l am in favor of wiping
out all the Indian governments and
replacing thcm with a territorial
form of government at once. Until
this is done hardly think the peo-
pie of that country will be given rep
resentation in congress-"
Judge Little, the author of the bill,
said: 'I introduced the bill because
it is right and ought to pass. AS Ia
whether or not it will ever get out oi
the committee l cannot say. shall
do all l eau to press it. am frank
to say the outlook is not at all
encouraging. introduced a similar
bill in the Fifty-tnird congress. This
one is practically the same bill. Gun
government, if anything, is q repre-.
sentative one. There are nearly hall
q million people in that country with
no one to represent them. That ID
wrong. They are entitled to repre-
sentation without reference to the
organization or disol ganization 0i
the country"
We are anxious to do q little good
in this world and can think Of nc
pleasanter or better way to do il thar
by recommending One Minute Oougf
Cure as a preventive of pneumonia
consumption and other serious lung
| troubles that follows neglected colds