The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-03-30
CAREER OF SIDNEY CLARKE
AS Sketched by Washington Paper
HIS Work for Statehood

CAREER OF SIDNEY CLARKE
AS Sketched by Washiegton Paper
His Work for Statehood.
Guthrie, o. T., March pa specia
| from Washington says: One of tbs
members of the delegation now in the city
trying to get bill trough congress
| granting statehood TO Oklahoma is Sid
ney Clarke OF Oklahoma City, member OF
the territorial senate and chairman of the
| territorial senate and also chairman OF
/ the non-partisan statehood executive
committee. Mr., Clarke lived at Law
renee, Kan, until 1883 and no other man
| living has been more prominently identi-
| fed with the early history of the state.
He was member of the national house
in the thirty-ninth, fortieth and forty
first congresses. Martin T. Conway was
the first representative in congress from
Kansas, serving nearly two years by ap-
polntment after the state convention held
at Wyandotte in 1859, and, finishing his
term by special election, when the terri
tory was admitted TO the union, in Jan
uary, 1854. Conway was succeeded in the
irty-eighth congress by A c. Wilder,
brother of Webster Wilder. and he in
the next congress by Mr.. Clarke Dur
ing his three terms Clarke was the sole
representative from the young state-and
this during the exciting and highly i'm
portant reconstruction period of recon
struction after the civil war. Mr.. Clarke
was in congress at the time of President
Lincoln's assassination and was on the
general committee of one from each state
which accompanied the remains Of the
martyred chief executive on the tour of
the several cities. In the Forty-first con-
gress Mr.. Clarke took Mr. WINDOWS place
as chairman of the committee on Indian
affairs. This great committee, while ad-
mittedly Of great Importance today, had
even larger problems to face then in the
proper disposition Of the lands of the var
ious tribes and their ultimate settlement
in the Indian territory. Mr.. Clarke was
prominently mentioned with the removal
of the Shawnees, Kaws, Pottawatomies
and Osages to the territory and the open
ing Of their Kansas lands to settlement
In fact the disposition Of the Usage di-
minished reserve lands. comprising a
tract of land in southern Kansas about
fifty by $50 miles, was made an issue,
which defeated Clarke for denomination
for congress before the state convention
in 1863
Without an attempt at exact accuracy |
the story runs to the effect that the |
treaty with the Osages-which must, OF |
course, be ratified by the United States |
senate-provided for the sale of the land |
to certain railroad companies at about 10 |
cents per acre, approximating a total of |
nearly $1,60O,0O0. Clarke opposed the rat
fcation of the treaty with all his might |
and introduced bill which opened the
ands for general settlement upon pay
nent to the government of $1.25 per acre.
BY the terms of Mr.. Clarke's bill the six
zenith and thirty-sixth sections in each
.ownship were set aside for school pur-
poses. After a years battle with the op-
posing interests the bill was passed. In
hose days one of the great issues was
he building of railroads. It was made
In issue in the nominating convention,
md Mr.. Clarke's political enemies gained
control Judge T. J. Low of Fort Scott
vas nominated and elected.
Judge Low served one term-untiI 1873
Then, by the reapportionment, which
grew out of the census of 1870 the state
# Kansas was shown to be entitled TO
hree representatives in the national con-
,ress. Judge Perkins of Oswego, William
Phillips Of Salina and S. A Cobb of
Yyandotte were elected
During Mr.. Clarke's three terms in con-
,ress he took prominent part in the
-ranting of franchises to the old Kansas
Pacific railroad, the st. Joe and Grand
sland, the Missouri, Kansas and Texas.
nd the old Leavenworth. Lawrence and
Galveston, now the Fort Scott and Mem
his.
Mr.. Clarke is now nearly 70 years old.
lie emigrated to Lawrence in 1888 from
Massachusetts,, where he was editor of
he Southbridge Press In 1862 he was a
lember of the Kansas state legislature.
lie served in the civil war as a captain
volunteers and assistant provost mar
hal general for the states Of Kansas. Ne I
raska Colorado and Dakota. serving in
lis capacity until elected to congress in
ga. Mr.. Clarke was also a delegate to /
lie "loyalists' convention" held at Phi!a- =
eiphia in 1866. I
Another man who is here to help bring s
bout statehood for Oklahoma is E. c.
orney of Ponca City. Mr. Fornev vas
'rmerly. a newspaper man of Topeka, t
eing connected with the old Common t
ealth. i
These advocates Of statehood for the a
rowing young territory are prepared to |
axe strong case when the measure h
mes uD for consideration. They will f
'int out that the population of the ter Il
tory is now nearly 4O0,00O-more than p
lat of any other territory at the time v
admission They viii also show hat Il
e school population of the territory is &