The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1901-12-26
The TWO TERRITORIES.


Representauyes a. Wash.nngton is /
said 90 show a clear majority In favor /
of reporting a blll t0 admit Oklahoma /
and the Indian Territory to statehood [
The Indications also are that a con /
sol.datlon of the two Territories into /
one state is the plan that viii be final /
ly agreed upon as the best for all con
cernef. Indeed. the two-State PROPOSE /
ton. it IS reported. has only three sup
porters among the fifteen members
OF the committee The outcome viii
probably be- bin admitting the two
Territories as one state and its pas
sage. unless defeated by the advocates
Of two separate states.
II the people in Oklahoma and In
dian Territory we're 20 agree upon con
solidation and ask admission into the
Union a. a State there would be little
opposition to granting their request
No Territory has been denied state
hood after g has obtained the popula.
ton Oklahoma and the Indian Terri
tory have together. or even separately.
According TO the last census the for
mer has 3ss.245 inhabitants and the
latter 3sl $50 inhabitants Since then
each Territory has had large acces-
sories. especially Oklahoma, where the
/ opening OF an Indian reservation
brought In many thousands Of new
settlers. II has now nearly 100000 in
habitants. while the Indian Territory
has probably increased TO about
$50 900 inhabitants. The two Terri
tories together have over 100000 in
lhabitAnts. which will doubtless be in
creased to 100000 inhabitants before
statehood is granted.
There are eighteen States in the
Union with a smaller population than
this and eight OF them have a smaller
population than either Oklahoma or
Indian Territory taken singly. II would
be- contrary 20 precedent 90 deny self.
government 20 so large a population
unless there are good reasons 20 be.
lieye that IN people are not fitted 10
exercise ,he rights Of freedmen. This
can not be asserted in the case OF
Oklahoma and Indian Territory, for
OF the g7.3Gl males Of voting age In
the latter sl.S79 are literate and only
ll5.4s2 are Hliterate. and Of the l09l9l
males OF voting age in the former l02,
7i2 are literate anu only 6,479 are IL
literate And even in Indian Territory
only 1925 males Of voting age are In
, dlans. or only a little more than one
tenth, and more than two-thirds o
these are literate while in Oklahoma
only 2.79O males are Indians, one-thirc
of them being literate. on the score o
= Intelligence. therefore. Oklahoma anC
! Indian Territory viii take high rank
3 A strong argument in favor of the
e consolidation Of the two Territories
D is area. Oklahoma has 3S95S squar'
- miles and Indian Territory has 81,
;. l54 square miles Singly they arr
smaller than any State recently admit
ted, although larger than many OF thu
older states. Together they would mak'
a state OF 7O,1l2 square miles, or yer!
= nearly the same size Of Missouri
= North Dakota or Washington II the.
= gave evidence OF being able TO sustain
a large population in the future
= would be an argument In favor OF ad
y hitting them as single States. But tn
prospects are that they will be almos
y wholly agricultural. and while sustain
ing a denser population than som
D. other Western states they may neve
equal the population per square mil
OF the older Eastern States. There ar
. difficulties in the way OF consolidation
such as the opposition in the India
Territory. where meetings against
union with Oklahoma are being helC
and the settlement Of titles TO land an
IA the taking of lands In seyeralty by tn
Indians. But the general sentiment q
n the country. as IL appears TO be i
, Congress. Is in favor OF the removal q
- these obstacles and union OF the tw
territories before statehood is granted
,s Philadelphia Press.
A.
- Courtcsies are extended 20 the ilrl
II Whiteman Bros, for a bountiful suppl
10 of oranges for the holidays. Boys ma