The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-11-02
In a Great Speech Delivered
ct Oklahoma City.
PLATFORM is THE ISSUE
Admits That Both Candidates
are Good Fellows.

Each party has put forth a candidate
Each is capital fellow. But their per-
| sonality is not considered in this cam
paign. for each party put forth a plat
form. the principal plank in which is
statehood" is the way he started upon
| his statehood argument The Cross
platform declares for single statehood
! for Oklahoma and Indian territory COM
| bined, or no statehood at all. The Nc
Guire platform endorses the statehood
/ bill that received the unanimous support
! of every Democrat and every Republican
1 in the lower house and which is now
| pending in the senate TO be considered
/ as unfinished business on the tenth day
! Of December next. Now here IN Okla
homa City the impression seems TO pre-
vail that the statehood bill which Mr..
| Mcguire and the Republican party advo-
Gates is for statehood for Oklahoma alone
| and eternally shuts out and prevents the
future admission Of Indian territory. The
Democrats tell you that the only way
you viii ever get statehood with the In
dian territory is to elect Bill Cross on
| the Enid platform. Let Us look into that
| a little
After reciting a few facts in relation
to the relative size OF the two territories
Mr.. Flynn declared that the Cross plat
form turned down the only chance Ok
lahoma had OF securing statehood.
Standing at the head OF the editorial
page OF the Okiahoman is a statement
purporting to be a quotation from a
speech of mine. in which 1 am made TO
say that I can secure statehood regard
less Of the results OF this election.
wish to God the statement was true, but
1 am here to tell you that statehood viii
be delayed from 81 xto ten years by the
election OF Cross. The editor Of the Ok
laheman knows that he is printing q
falsehood. He knows that I never gave
utterance to any such statement Is
Cross election to be accomplished by
falsehood and deceptionA'
BY far the most interesting part Of the
address was that giving the history Of
statehood in congress.
THE first statehood bill ever intro
duced for Oklahoma" said Flynn, was
introduced by General Joe Wheeler. This
bill was referred to the committee on
territories and by it recommend for pas
sage by a unanimous vote. The house
was OtlLoCfdlC anu 4A4AJoAAlg 0A tno
members OF the committee were Demo-
Gratis. That bill provided for statehood
for Oklahoma alone He might have
added also that the bill contained the
farmers mixed school provision for
which Flynn was so roundly abused. It's
provision regarding the sale OF school
land was identical with that OF the
omnibus bill except that il made no pro-
vision for the lessee. Coming 20 the bill
now before the senate he said that
statehood convention was held in Guth-
RE on January 80, 1901. which appointed a
committee 10 draft a bill for the admis-
sion Of Oklahoma TO statehood. Two OF
the members Of that committee were
Hon. Sidney Clarke and Bob Neff. The
bill was prepared and sent TO Flynn. He
introduced IL within one hour after the
organization OF the house. 1t was num-
Der 152. That is the Flynn bill so round
" abused by the opposition Out OF the
Flynn bill was framed the Oklahoma
provisions Of the omnibus bill.
In due time a hearing was had upon
the bill. Upon the day appointed by the
committee gentlemen representing both
statehood ideas were present and advo-
Gated their views. Chief Burford was
there as the representative Of the federal
Office holders. pleading for self-govern-
ment. Governor Ferguson and WAlism
Grimes sent kilograms OF approval.
About the same time the most represen-
tstive body ever assembled in Oklahoma
met at Oklahoma City. This famous
representative body was nothing less
important than the Democratic commit
tee. but congress has the committees
word for It that It was the most repre-
sentative body ever assembled IN Ok
Iahoma" Congress was also warned
that any statement TO the contrary was
a lie Of the first water. The most rep I
resentztive' body told congress that il i
must not consider the Flynn bill, Il as
sumed TO speak for the whole Democratic /.
party ard for the people OF Oklahoma. 4
The resolution enabling the most rep
resentstfve body's" views was sent % 1
every Democrat IN congress. The resoiu- 4
ton spoke in plain and uneGuivoosl terms. +
Congress. II said. must heed the voice of 4
the people. and then By its own fat de-
ciared II was the people. Nothing bit !
immediate single statehood would DO
The people s'in the most representative T
body ever assembled would have Meth
ing else Direful consequences would
follow an yother course. The resolution
frizhtened the Democratic members CT
congress They called a Caucus % con-
slder the state q the union ard q IN
struct the Democratic members 81 TIE
committee o. territories OF statehood
= .ie matter was fully discussed behind
closed doors 4 vote vss taken and
.------ 49, - ,r<---s -. = 49,. a. .. z
vor OF the omnibus IN. The resolstson
from the most representative body ever
assembled h Oklahoma" had dors is
work 81
TIE bgu "a due tire vas reported 70
the hcase ~ unanimous vote. EVER Re-
pEsiiczn ard every .)ezocrat voting fo-
q When the sfll cane ID or hearing.
TIE vzrso-s phases q ssztss0od wsrs
discussed TIE Democrats. Esz--- bv
Little q Arkansas. wanted the Er1len
territory proTtse s;rfcksa CIT. claiming
he Tscian territory ouzbt sTsztraGy -
- 81 independent STATE Ths Re2g1Iicarx
argued that fhe irelzn territory Should
eventually be Z part q OkizEor.a. fhzt
ewing % ia uzprePzrednees fgr re -
sponEghaifies 81 sszt>hecf = ssslst -
z1de1 70 Cklzharna as . became Pre-
osTed- 4 vote 1pon tte gsez,i1a f71-d
ne democrats voting Esrerzliy - strike
~; zrd The Rerusaeans - rst1sn shr
,rovisso. Cross kirt q sfzfshcot vas
also PIT forward AID voted upc-- 50 (
few zen be-s rcss6 soT Il Tax 80 asso-
sstss d. noT zxx fs- a Foz CAL
Ia sasfsz q ias Isgls-assca So E.rsz