The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-10-09

school children there than in our OWE
territory.
1 have said that the grants OF land
made 10 Oklahoma -aione-Jo which would
be added ten per centum OF the proceeds
o the public LANDS sold b. the United
States would largely reduce our taxes
ltoEa the present rate There can Be nc
DOUBT about the truth of this proposition
But what would be the result If We are
n4ade responsible for the alarming crimi-
nal record OF the Indian territory and The
cost OF the same2 Could The taxpayers
or whom this expense would Geyoive pay
the same without absolute ruIn2 IN the
ef-erTcScence OF soph0morlC recitdtfons
ana the blowing OF partisan soap bubbles
b the a1ti-statehood orators, the lamea-
table condition CT affairs IN the Indian
territory has carefully been kept out OF
sight. Let NE give you some pertinent
1acts. As reported by the attorney gen
eral OF the United states there were
pending IN the courts OF the Indian terri
tory on July l. 1871. 2,5s5 final pr0secu-
lions. OF this number Ii6S were IL the
northern district. $40 in the central dis
trict and so in the southern district For
many years this great avalanche OF crime
has swept over that territory Vast pro
cessIous OF convicted criminals have been
marsh@tied by carloads 10 the peniten-
uaries Of the states: the gaHows has
terminated the career Of many. and yet
the Jails and courts arc crowded more
ana more by the criminal classes. The
expenses Of the court for the fiscal year
ending June 81, 1871. were for the northern
district SIS. 81 p: for the central district
Sl34.63t39; and for the southern district.
Sl65,.55-S5. making the total cost OF the
three courts SfsS, 3s3fo. IN round numbers
II requires 0ne-half miliio1 dollars an
nually to protect the lives and property
of the people of that territory. al Of
which IS now paia out Of the treasury
o. the United States. Speaking OF the
prevalence OF iHiteracy and crime. Air.
Frank c. Churchill, special agent Of the
interior department, 10 investigate actual
conditions. as authorized By act OF con-
g ess approved March 8, 1901. says in his
report 10 the department under date CT
March 4. 1902:
ignorance and Crime.
"On October >, 1eCl, visited the United
States jail in the northern judicial dis
trict, and OF the 80 inmates on that day
6 who could speak English admitted 10
me that they could neither read nor write
and nearly all Of these We're young men
and women. The same condition of affairs
can be found in the other iails Of the ter
=
is that a large part Of the jurors and
witnesses who try these cases are iilit-
crate, as proven b. the books of the
United States msrshars Office where these
people receipt for their fees. / an in
formed by the United States commits
siOner that OF 400 examined by him since
he assumed his duties in this territory,
81 per cent could not read nor write. one
sixth of the male population Of twenty
one years ana upward are illitcrate. and 4
much greater per cent of younger men
are illiterGte as many or those more ad-
vanced in years have come from the
states where they enjoyed some school
1 LTiviIeges; and I have the testimony of
several persons whose judgment IS
worthy OF credence, that not less than
80 per cent Of the criminals are ilhterate
PERSONS. and criminals are being shipped
from this territory 10 the United States
Prisons and refOrmatGIiss in carload lots
at very frequent periods
In view Of these facts and conditions,
would it be possible for the people with
cut title TO the land and no land 70 tax
and living under a vast rental system.
to assume enmaSs this enormous burden
without actual ruin? This they would
have to do regardless of the ruin it wouio
bring upon them If the Indian territory
was added TO Oklahoma by any other
plan than that provided in the omnibus
bill. BY the passage of the bin the land
OF the Five Tribes would be attached to
the state Of Oklahoma by gradual pro-
cess whenever the title passes from the
indians ard IS subject to taxation. Until
that time comes it would crush the people
who occupy the land TO the earth, and
destroy every vestige of material pros
perity by tax on personal property only,
to say nothing of the necessary taxes
for public roads and Gor all other pur-
poses. No provision whatever has been
made by the Dawes commission for the
necessary public road system. in all that
great territory. Every loot or land for
reads will have to be purchased from the
Indians at cost that will aggregate
many millions Of dollars. Truly, as Col.
Hoffman says: 1.-THE state-s revenue
would necessarily be derived from the
patented lands in Oklahoma" under the
in practicable and impossible plan for
single statehood we are asked TO endorse
by the election of Afr. Cross.
Hard Slap at Cross.
1 recently listened to an eloquent ad-
dress by citizen OF Oklahoma City In
which the policy OF the Republican party
was eXcoriated with fiery zeal The evils
OF territorial government were graph
C6lly depicted. the trusts denounced and
the manifold ills that have crcvt. into our
rational life We're condemned ia the most
emphatic terms The remedy proposed
was for the people Of the states TO elect