Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1901-190?, 1902-10-25
that territory is today ready for state

that territory is today ready for state
hood.
From the legal standpoint II Is not
an open question. The supreme court |
of the United States has already de- |
cded In the case OF Thomas against |
Gay, 169 U. s., 264, that congress has |
the right TO attach all, or any part, Of
the Indian territory to Oklahoma |
Any one interested in the legal rropo |
sition may pursue the inquiry by ex
amining that case. There being nC
legal obstacle in the way, the ques-
ton Immediately arises as TO what
are the conditions which would gov
ern congress in granting statehood. In
the first place, there Should be ter
rltoryN capable OF supporting and sus
tanning a population. This condition
exists as is known to everybody, the
Indian teTritery: being rich in agrl-
cultural and mining and timber re-
sources.
In the next place, there should he
q people capable of self-government
The people OF the Indian territory are,
OF course, capable Of self-government.
There are about one-haH million peo-
pie living in that territory. Of whom
about 425,000 are American citizens.
They come from the same states from
which our people come. They have
been raised under American institu
tions and are familiar with all the
traditions and history and habits of
our people, and are Just as capable OF
self government as those Il any other
section OF the United States. This is
also a proposition that is not open to
argument
In the third place. there should be
sufficient taxable property in order to
sustain a government without MAKING
! the taxation oppressive. Where thest
conditions all exist no fair-minded man
can for a minute say that the territory
is not ready. for statehood. The first
two propositions must necessarily be
admitted by every truthful man. The
third proposition is equally as certain
but the republican IWlitic ans are
steadily asserting that there is not
sufficient taxable property in the In
dian territory to sustain state gov
ernment. This is also matter about
which we do not have to speculate. II
there is sufficient property there, tina
territory is ready for stateh cd.
Mr.. Flynn. in his speech at El Reno
the other day. said "They do no
tell you that they have no taxable
property whatever except some towr
lots and some personal property. The!
do not tell you that it would taxi
seven millions of dollars to buy pub
lie roads alone and have no rropert!
to tax. That If they come in with u
that the Oklahoma taxpayers viii
have to pay that seven million do
lars" And again, 81 deny the righ
of Mr. Cross. or his committee. to sa.
to the taxpayer of Oklahoma. yo
must pay ten milli ms of dollars il
order that the people of the India
territory may open up their section o
their half section lines" We wi
come to that section line propostio
little later on, but now | want I
say that Mr.. Flynn in saying that tn
people of the Indian territory "hav
no property to tax" is either ineXcu'
ably ignorant, or wilfully undertal
ing to deceive the people. Mr.. Flyn
has been a delegate to congress fC
! a good many years and the lresuml
tlon is that he ought to be famil q
! with the proceedings OF that bod.
Last spring the committee of the low
er house on territories, OF which con
mittee | believe Mr.. Flynn is men
ber made a rep rt to congress on tn
advisability of organic ng a territorl
form of government for the Indie
Territory and naming it Jefferso
In thnu don
with the question Of taxation an
: used the following language
: 1.-The real estate in the Indian TIE
! ritory is at present exempt fr m Ia
, alton. the title to the whole body
> the lands outs de Of the towns beir
+ yet in the Indian. but the taXab
| property is sufficient to support a te
D ritorial government. The folowir
= data obtained FRI m reliable source
l give a conservative estimate of son
4 OF the property subject to taxation
I Ninety incorporated towns, iucludiI
e only about 10000 of the populati o
!. have an assessed valuation Il taxab
Q PROPERTY OF twenty millions Of dc
lars A conservative estimate OF the [;
I able value of Incorporated towns
o FIVE millions of dollars. There a
g one and one-half million head OF CT
y tie, 10000 head of horses; $50
4 head of mules; about 100000 no
d and $4,000 head of sheep. There
It invested in coal mining and coke ov
a properties about four millions OF d
d lars. There are 1,415 miles Of ra
y roads now in operation and about 3
Il miles now under construction. A &C
: servative estimate I the entire ia
able wealth OF the territory could +
Q be less than sixty million dollars
II estimate is made on corn, wheat, oa
e and cotton, which are also extensive
produced in the territ ry."
9 Mr.. Flynn being a member OF tn
committee ought certainly TO ha
y known of that report and II he d
&c his effort to make the people OF {
e lahoma .elieve that there is no Il
g. able property in the Indian Terrto