The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-09-22
IMMEDIATE
STATEHOOD
IS WANTED
c. Porter Johnson of 0kIaho-
ma City Interviewed
IN BIG Hot AIR BLAST
There Are Some Little Sug-
geSiiOn5 That Are Good.

Oklahoma City, 0. T, Sept. &c.
Porter Johnson of this city. in an inter
view with i. f. Brown, says:
There are some questions have decid-
cd opinions about. and there are to me a
Gospel, for am for Oklahoma and for
immediate statehood This territory has
Cocoon people and nearly s500.0000o0 Of
actual wealth, and yet the Republican
members Of congress and the Republican
party. has compelled this great common
wealth TO remain in swaddling cloths of a
government akin to that of Cuba and
Porto Rico. We have as a territory alb
solutely no more rights than the PhiliD-
pines This is of the chiefest concern OF
Oklahoma. and ! am for immediate state
hood. This is personal matter to
every citizen of Oklahoma and the IN
dian country and as soon as it is set
TED, there win be millions of developed
property thar VIII never exist until this
IS done I believe that there should be a
cali made right now, for an election in the
Two territories. and that this election
should select for each 300 voters a dele
gate to constitutional convention. and
that this convention should sit until il
has prepared for submission to congress.
at the December session a constitution for
the great state that should be formed of
The two territories. and that they should
appoint q commission to wait upon con-
gress and insist that this constitution be /
adopted or ratified. as being in accord I
with the constitution of the United States. (
and that We he admitted as a state
Not TWO states. but one state. with one /
set Of officers, and that congress grant to /
The new state the right to. close the In |
dian question
The government ward idea is a faIIscy.
and the people Of this great state. after
il is formed, should have the right 10
close up the Indian affairs. with justice
10 the Indians and to the people who are
vitality concerned. believe that we should
have home rule in a broader sense than it
has ever been asked for before. and the
intelligence of the peopl OF these terri
tories, is great enough. and their sense
of justice so magnaminous that we
should be given the right to settle these
affairs away from the jobbery OF commits
Eions. Indian agents and other government
boards. Make us a gate and let us close
up the infamous procedures of the past
thirty years, i'm the affairs that effect
This section. and which the government
proposes TO extend ten years more in
settling. We can be given this authority
by congress. It is less than the author
ity given TO the commission thai has
charge OF IN administra ton of the Philip
pines.
This is all that care to say at this
time but I believe that action should be
taken on the terrtorialu questions at
once so that we can get before congress
at the next session, and believe that The
plan that have suggested is the one
that viii mean success. Can the election !
through regularly appointed committees.
select constitution for the single state.
vote upon it. present it TO congress. Have :
the entire act passed. and then endorse
the action Of the constitutional conven-
ton again. select our state officers and :,
our capital. and then through wise pro-
visions in the constitution that We adopt.
and the statutes that viii. enacted by the
first legislature make a business settle :
ment of the Indian questions and in less
than two years we can accomplish what
The general government has been attempt
ms for thirty years and which il acknowl-
dyes it viii take ten more at least to 81
work out