The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-01-08
Memorial Committee Appeals
to Congress for Statehood.
ANY OLD KIND WHATEVER
Senator Clarke Is Sent TO
Washington TO Nork.

the interest OF the statehood movement.
IN connection with a delegation. repre-
senting the non-partisan statehood COM
mittee. he viii appear before the terri
torial committee Of the house and sen
ate. asking for an enabling act for Okla
homa, with the Indian Territory added
al such times as congress may see ft
TO name.
Senator Clarke fully believes that the
only plan by which statehood can be Sc
cured at the present time is for the vari-
Gus parts of the Indian Territory to be
] attached to Oklahoma when the tribal
governments are extinguished.
The committee appointed at the state
hood convention held in Guthrie last
January, composed of Sidney Clarke a.
J. Seay, f. Z. GHlett. and Dick T. Nor
gan. have prepared a memorial TO con-
gress. which has been submitted TO that
body. The memorial is as follows:
THE undersigned respectfully repre-
sent: That statehood convention was
held in Guthrie. Q. T.. on the 30th day
of January. 1901. called by the NcnPar-
! tisan Statehood Executive committee. and
that about 400 delegates were in attend
ance, representing all parts Of the ter
ritory AMI al OF the political parties
That the convention thus assembled
was the most representative in its char
acter ever he'd IL Oklahoma. and in de-
manding teh immediate admission Of the
territory as state. undoubtedly ex-
pressed the sentiment of nine-tenths OF
the people on the statehood question.
ss'That f1,a fe-rad rrrera ar,r.of,,-a7
a committee to present TO congress the
claims of Oklahoma for immediate state
hood. In pursuance Of the duty devolved
upon US by the convention, we further
represent:
THAT the territory within the boun-
da-ies of the proposed state Of Okla
homa was acquired by the United States
from France by the teraty of April 80.
1893. and that by the third article OF said
treaty the people of Oklahoma have
guaranteed to them the right to be ad-
mitted into the union as a state "as
soon as possible. according to the prin-
ciples of the federal constitution" 6
Stat. D. 2o2-9
THAT the Territory of Oklahoma, as
now organized, contains 5000 square
miles. exceeding the total area of the
six states of Vermont, New Hampshire.
Massachusetts, Rhode Island New Jer-
sey and Delaware There are twelve
states now in the union with less area
than the proposed state.
That by the federal census of 1900
the territory had a poulation OF $685.
of which l09,1s1 were OF voting age, and
1852 of school age. Since that time
new lands have been opened to settle
ment, there has been a large immigration
into all sections Of the territory, and
a conservative estimate places the pres
ent population at not less than 50o.0o0.
Nine states have 2 less population than
oklahoma now has. The average pop
ulation of twenty-five states admitted
since the original thirteen. was 5s.1l3.
the highest being only 155,270. OF the
thirty-one states admitted. four states
had less than 50ooo population az date Of
admission; eight states had less than
e. 1000, 900: nine less than 10000: six less
than 100000; one less than 500. 600, and only
three in excess Of 5000
THAT the assessed valuation OF prop
erty for the year 1901 was $780, sos. the +
property being listed for taxation at less
than one-third its actual value. Sixteen
states had less taxable property At time +
of admission. Before Oklahoma would
become a state under the operation Of an
enabling act passed by the present con f
gress. the real value Of her taxable prop
erty would DO largely in excess Of 800 0oo. q
THAT the capacity Of Oklahoma for
agricultural production is fully equal to
that Of any state in the union Of the
same area The wheat crop OF 1901 +
4 - ~ rsral
the union produces greater variety Of
crops or with more Uniform success.
THAT according 20 the report Of the
secretary Of the Oklahoma Iivestock
association the total number of cattle
in the territory IS 1900. 900; horses .9z.-
l00. swine z9fg; mules. 5oo1; sheep.
8. .ol8. making a grand total ~ 2ss5.go4
That about f.2a0 miles OF railroad arc
90 operation IN the territory ct tho pres
ent time. and that more than 80 miles
are now in process of construction. RaH-
road lines are now projected and build
lag that viii reach every county ~ the
territory and make = connection with
an the great railroad systems of Tire
states.
That at the end n The last fiscal year
there were IT'S territorial aEf thirty-one
national banks. vith 81 80 60 resources
ard g25l2ns deposits Al the same date
the total territorial Indebtedness was
only ss6sa
THAT the common schools = the ter
ritory ara TIRE higher iustituters ~
earning. in thsir organization and sxcel-
ence are equal 70 thesc ~ a7r state
n tho ualou. There gre - school dis
.ucts. a territorial university. Two nor