The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-10-27
pLINY SOPER
HAS PLAN OF
STATEHOOD
Would Create Counties and
County Government
AND A TAXATION SYSTEM
Indian Territory Should Be a
Part of Oklahoma.

Guthrie, o. T., Oct. 26.-P. L. Soper,
/ one of the United States attorneys for
| the Indian territory, has a scheme for
/ the organization Of Oklahoma and the
Indian territory os a state, which will be
| embodied in a bill and presented to con-
gress this winter. He claims for it that
if adopted, it will not violate the coun-
| try's treaties with any of the Indian
tribes, and at the same time win give
the people Of the territory a better form
of government and representation in both
branches of congress.
The territory ought to be divided into
counties and each county given a sepa-
rate seat of government and its own
officials" said Mr.. Soper. Three COM
missioners should be appointed for each
county, and poll tax should be imposed
on all men between the ages of q and
60, the money raised to be applied to
building roads and bridges, which are
sadly needed. Few people outside Of
the territory know that, although it has
100000 people, it has absolutely no road
law.
Schools should be established and sup
ported by general taxation. Each county
should have a probate judge, having con-
current jurisdiction with United States
judges Ia misdemeanor cases, and hav-
ing power 10 transact all probate bus
mess and keep record of their proceed
ings.
Each county should have register Of
deeds also. so that all initial conveyances
may be recorded and each county have
a complete set Of records. 1t Will not
be long before many deeds viii be made
by the Indians. The Creeks already have
power In a modified form. With the con-
sent of the secretary they may dispose
Of 30 out Of each 160 acres of their
land, and after five years from last
March Will be able to give a clear title.
The recorders should be paid in fees and
thus save the government a great deal
of expense.
Oklahoma and the Indian territory
should remain within the boundaries OF
one state. All the Indian reservations
should remain such until the times named
in the various treaties have expired, and
the local governments have passed out of
existence. on March 1, 1906. The treaties
with the Indians having expired. the In
dams also should come within the juris-
diction of the state government, with the
same rights and duties as other citi-
zens.
IF this plan is adopted. it will break
no faith with the tribes with which the
Dawes commission has made agree
ments, and avoid eastern opposition to
statehood on this ground. The Repub-
licans can hardly object to the scheme,
because, with a Republican majority in
Oklahoma, they viii be able to elect two
United States senators and two con-
gressmen. The people of the Indian ter
ritory can hardly object, because they
VIII be directly represented IN congress,
and viii no longer be absolutely at the
mercy Of legislators who do not know
their needs and have not their inter
ests directly at heart
Delegate Flynn, Of Oklahoma, intro
duced in the last congress a bill pro-
viding for the division of the Indian ter
ritory into counties. Mr.. Soper points
out that his plan, while somewhat more
comprehensive, is in harmony with this
measure.