The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-09-09
But He Wants No Concubinage
With Oklahoma.
CITES FORMER CUSTOM
Importance of Maintaining
Identity Is Urged.

Porter is considered the greatest living
Indian Of the day. and a this IS tho first
statement that any member OF the nve
civilized tribes has made 10 the press
signifying the wishes OF the Iadian 70
adjust himself 70 the future conditions
! and. coming as it does. from such
| source, will probably attract more atten-
tion and comment than any article pub
lished in recent years regarding terri
toriaI affairs. The statement is as foi-
lows:
Much has been said and talked in the
newspaper columns suggesting single and
separate statehood for Oklahoma ard In
dian Territory A bill has passed the
lower house Of congress granting state
hood to Arizona, New Mexico and Okla
homa. and is pending in the senate for
consideration at the coming session Of
congress Bills have been introduced in
both branches OF congress proposing ter
ritorial government for the Indian Terri
tory. among others tn Moon bill which
has been favorahly reported ia the house
Of representatives Conventions have
been held in the territory proposing some
law providing for the annexation of IN
dian reservations 10 Oklahoma when
i Sutu 1uul1n ttlht OF lGllpi- SAl1lis ll-l 81
its council, assent TO 1t. Such disposition
will have to be made OF the question
as to whether separate statehood shall
be given the Indian Territory by act Of
congress or annexation TO Oklahoma.
The thought suggests itself that in or
der to give identity to the form of states
of all the territories within the confines
of the United States it will be fitting
and proper to propose an amendment 10
what is termed the omnibus bill granting
statehood to Arizona, New Mexico and
Oklahoma providing an enabling act Civ
ing statehood to Indian Territory, to take
effect under the dissolution of tribal gov
ernment. March. 1906. This would settle
the question and remove the necessity
of separate statehood act Tor the In
dian Territory TO be passed sometime
within the next two or three years. ard
would give ample time for the general
government to complete the distribution
OF the lands to the Indian tribes owning
the territory and would give general sat
isfaction TO the people inhabiting the m
dian Territory
The annexation to Oklahoma of the
territory. either as a whole or piece-meai,
as has been suggested by conventions
held at different places in the territory.
would only add another factor t0 the
complex problem that is not wrought cut
( in the territory that is, the transforma-
ton of the Indian people from their tri-
bal institutions 10 that Of a more en-
larged system Of government. that Of
United States citizenship and statehood.
including common holding Of property to
individual tenure.
1T may be we'll to look into the reasons
underlying separate organizations Of pa
cifc territory ito statehood. II will be
found that states have been organized
with boundaries and including territory
within pacific rights have been accorded
to or won by the prOwess Of its inhabi-
tants; so It will be seen that the rights
Of persons was the principle upon which
they had been organized. and that the
sentiment should not be lost sight Of in
the accession Of new states or territories
by the United States.
THE country upon the older maps de-
nominated by Indian Territory was set
apart by the United States out Of a por-
ton OF what has been commonly called
the Louisiana purchase Since il was set
apart portions Of it have been segrcsa-
ted and organized into states. namely.
Kansas. Colorado. Nebraska. Colorado.
and latterIy. the Territory Of Oklahoma
Now. in the same manner the North
west Territory was organized into the
states Of Ohio. Indiana. Illinois and Ken
lucky. by grant II the olu state o. Viz
ginia. and by some others. This is men,
toned to show that the uniform punci-
ple in the organization Of states has not
been varied from since the formation q
the government 20 the present time
Now. when the last portion of terri
tory. which was granted in perpetuity 30
the Indian people FOR a perpetual home.
has sentiment under which The older
states were organized. having separate
history. with separate rights and instiru
tions there is TO reason why this time
honored custom should be violatea
The people # the territory. accedigg
to the demands Of progress restward
have not denurred 10 leasing portions -
their territory when conditions bad
changed and the country was occupied
by an invading army of seif governing
people from the east ard south All -
this magnificent territory ont = which
states have been born has passed f-en
the conditions q the FIRST grant 20 the
psoule II the Indian Territory Sow.
when II IS propose % iuduct irto etefe-
hood an the remaining territory Vlthfr
the confines of The United states. the
territory has thc right - Insist fhat its
identity be not lost or submerged f1r
any economical reason or any reason as-
vaucrs - - the ~Tr---etricei portion -
statehood which seems % he desired
-.SScl.d it not be naa-e cozsisfe-t Tilh
the principles upon wkich 80 fhe rtetea
have been orKauixe6 q let the ideatits
q the territory remain And when or
ganize6. E1ro i Berpeflal i1ertiy eT EiF-
inE 70 Il separate stsfehood Ihe iarz
virgin territory n the Fnftef states
wh-ch - the states and trzrelers f-o1
I'll nations ls dsacznlnafr1 the resst
ard nost heaufifsi porti1a = -1e Iritf1
States with the Eneez climate 1ll 80
protective czrzcltv eqs11 50 fh-t p fae
richest state CROWNS fhe E-ar-ee 1fa
wheat ard cntron. ard ~ hes- 1rz.tz -
ary o the stztrs. ssoaid rot - ssaserts
4 q feze- estate thaa tAst = tts rsef-
states that have ben lnd1rtsd l-t7 fe
s.zeyhao1 = states Ths TERRITORY sael
ros - eurr.-rftes g. sceept = rnsltf1r rf
.lnare - cklafarra ukFr e-e
srzo rtare1aes-. Tee frf
- stait 81 else- Hef aerr- Na -
ciser s-t lssf s.rsartlss Anf tis %
p-ohssse that T-neis SER ~su teE1
AK ~ Fl-xla STATE - ao1esk tas aair7
into statehood 50 io~sr Szaas tss7 -
o.sar ki.tes~