The Elk Mountain pilot., 1902-12-23
Statehood Bill Minority Report.


Senator Bate presented in the Sen
ate the minority report of the commit
tee on territories, favoring the imme-
diate passage of the House omnibus
statehood bill without amendment
The report opposes the uniting of the
Oklahoma and Indian Territory into
one state. 1t shows minutely the con-
dition of each of the three territories
as to population, wealth and general
feature of the territories and says that
these are such as to call for imme-
diate statehood.
II shows that both the Republican
and Democratic parties in their last
national conventions adopted with per-
feet unanimity platform planks recon-
mending each of the three territories
by name for statehood. Such express
sion, the report continues. should be
respected by both parties. 1t says,
among other things:
ut never was intended that Con-
gress should bar, by party objection.
admission when population, wealth
and institutions were the same as in
the case of other states"
With reference to the qualifications
of the population of the territories, the
report contends that at ought to suf-
flee that ninety-five per cent. of the
population are white in Oklahoma and
the 10000 white population in Arizona
and the 122,000 white population in
New Mexico are quite sufficient to even
up all the foreign-born in each of those
territories
Referring to the proposition to unite
Oklahoma and the Indian Territory
as one state, the report says:
"Al legislation for the admission Of
rnr- tot ha- loJ
preston of desire on the part of the
people for admission to the Union.
But the amendment submitted to the
Senate committee on territories incor-
porated the Indian Territory with the
state of Oklahoma without expression
of the desire of the people of the In
dian Territory to be either a state or
part of Oklahoma. So far as your
committee has information, this alli-
ance may be the union of an unwilling
people and an undesirable connection.
In no case in the past have the people
of any territory been compelled by
the enabling act to form a constitu-
ttion against their expressed will.
However much the people of Okla
homa desire statehood, the Indians
have made no expression of any such
| DESIRE
Summing up, the minority report
says:
Each of these territories has com.
piled with every requirement hereto
fore made by the Congress for admis-
sion into the Union. Each has popu
lation sufficient for representation in
Congress. Each has wealth abundant
to support all the expenses of state
hood. Each has institutions in har
mony with republican government as
understood in the Union"
Liberal quotation is made from the
report of the majority on the state
hood bill. One of the parts quoted
is that referring to statement made
by witness that some of the white
people in the territories are like the
riffraff who follow the construction oi
railroads.
Commenting on this abatement, the
minority says:
The riffraff who follow the rail
roads have been the sturdy Irishmen
whose pick and shovel and spade and
labor have built the hundred thousand
miles of American railroad. Why thai
riffraff should not be good citizens ir
New Mexico. as they are in every
other state and territory, the report
does not advise the Senate. Presum
ing the witness upon whose testimony
| this reference to riffraff has beer
made was greatly misinformed, we are
forced to conclude that there has beer
a mistake somewhere between the
witness and the committee, since the
testimony has all the ear-marks of {
purpose to convict of unpreparedness
on the part of Arizona and New Mexi
CO, rather than to enlighten the Sen
ate as to their republican form of gov
ernment."
The report is signed by Senators
Bate, Heitfeld Bailey and Patterson
constituting the Democratic member
ship of the committee on territories