The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-12-16
TAEES THE HIDE OFF
BIiStering Article on South
McAIeSter People.
IGNORED THE CONVENTION
And Completely Lack Public
Spirit Says Dan Peery,

FL Reno, o. T, Dec. 15.-Incidentally to
designating the South 1IcAIester conven-
lion as a rank failure, Dan Peery takes
the hide off the merchants Of South Nc
Alester. He says 1t was our privilege
to attend the single statehood convention
that met at South AfcAIester. During
our residence in Oklahoma Territory it
has been our pleasure to have attended
seven or eight statehood conventions,
and while we have no disposition to
boast, yet we believe we know something
about statehood conventions and are
qualified to pass upon the subject. And
we wish TO go on record as saying that
this McAlester convention created less
enthusiasm and was the coolest, frosuest
affair hat we have ever attended. If the
desire for statehood n either Of the two
territories was expressed by this conven-
ton. it is evident that the people of
neither territory are anxious to change
their political relations.
by the Lewis Bradford call there was
to have been 600 in the convention, 800
from each territory, and while no roster
of the convention was ever made up, yet
it is safe to say that at no time was
there 125 persons present purportng to
delegates and there was not over 200 per
sens in the house al any session of the
convention. Only eleven counties in Ok
lahoma were represented and several Of
those by only one delegate, while in the
Indian Territory many of the largest
cities had no representation, showing
plainly that the people took no interest
in the call and were not in sympathy
with the object Of the convention.
while South McAlester was the city
honored by being selected as the place
for the convention yet The people there
did not seem to appreciate the convention
and treated the delegates with cold indf-
ference bordering on to discourtesy. We
do not believe that there was a dozen
men in the city who had interest or curl
osity enough to stick their heads in the
convention hall We talked to some Of
tie citizens of AIcAlestar and we failed
to find q bus. ness man who thought i'm
mediate statehood is possible for the In
dian Territory, either with Oklahoma or
by itself. They stated, however that
there would have been greater interest
in the convention and it would have been
generally participated in by the people
excepting for the wording of the call
which prohibited anyone from parucipat-
ing who was not in favor Of single state
hood.
The reason that the people Of Nc
Alester assign for opposing statehood at
this time is that they could not possibly
bear the expense of local taxation, while
ne land an belongs to the Indians and is
non-taxable They say that the United
States government expende annually in
that city from $4,000 to 100000 in court
expenses and that if they had a state or
territorial government large part Of
this burden Of taxation would fan upon
those who are doing business there and
have personal property, while the coal
and timber lands around about would be !
exempt Commissioners are in the field /
appraising land and preparing to aHot /
the land in severalty to the Indians who |
own ii and are masters of the situation (
in that part Of the country. and # would /
ba but folly TO talk statehood to these !
people before their land titles arc adj /
justed. Some Of them admit that Okla /
homa has q good school fund and they I
would like to have slice Of it, but
don't want to risk it at present The
merchants and business men there are
making money, they pay no tax except a I
small annuity to the Indians, and they /
have no public spirit They do not care
how crooked the streets nor how long
hog wallows in front Of their places of I
business SO that they make money j."