The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-06
BRADFORD
TALKS ON
STATEHOOD
Declares No Statehood VIII
be Granted This Session.
OKLAHOMA WILL BE HELD
And Indian Territory Advanced
Declares the Judge.

Ardmore, I. T., March 5.-Judge S. B.
Bradford. who has been in Washington
several weeks in the interest Of statehood
for the two territories has returned 10
this city Judge Bradford was beseiged
by his friends in the Indian territory to
state the exact condition Of affairs in
Washington in regard to the passing Of
the statehood bill, making the two ter
ritories a single state. IN an interview,
10 the Ardmorite, he says:
I wiz give you as nearly as ] can the
conditions as I left them at Washington.
To tell what was done during our stay
would consume too much of your time.
I may say, however, that we were not
asleep. and the members of congress VIII
say that the true conditions of Indian
territory were never so thoroughly ex-
plotted before.
The conditions in Oklahoma have been
presented from day 10 day for years. ok
lahoma is an organized government and
has official machinery for gathering in
formation While we have from time 10
time presented 10 congressional commit
tees volumes OF information yet taey
cane from unofficial sources and their
force was lost AS one congressman said
10 me. we did not feel like telling you
SO, but we thought you were ronlancing.
Oklahoma has some wonders but consid-
ering the fact that everything has been
placed il the way of advancement in the
territory we have accomplished as much
as they. ] think 1 may say more.
Congress IS now fully aware that we
have about 10000 people and that we are
without organized government and that
something Is due TO the people as a mat
ter Of right. Oklahoma has made a clear
case Of readiness for statehood. The In
dian territory has made O clear case ex-
cept one thing. If the lands of the FIVE
tribes were allotted the necessary Iegis-
Iation to make one state would be passed
in less than ninety days Mr.. Flynn's
bill, providing for statehood for Ol17ho-
ma contsins a provision that his conSti-
tutional convention shall pass an ordi-
nance iFrepealable giving the consent Of
oklahoma that the indian territory may
be added in part or as a whole when the
lands Of the five tribes are allotted In
fact Mr.. Flynn cannot pass q bill through
the committee. even of which he is a
member without in some way providing
for the Indian territory I offered a fair
compromise. as 7 thought. and as many
members thought. and that was 80 throw
the lines of Oklahoma clear around the
lands Of the five tribes and make it a part
Of Oklahoma at once, even though it
should be treated as an Indian country
attached to Oklahoma for governmental
purposes. Mr.. Flynn was obdurafe and
the result was that his bnl was reported
containing the provision that ] have men
toned. His bill IS not as strong as it
would have been had It included the pro-
posed compromise. We We're not satisfied
and Of course our friends in the house
and senate are not. When his bin reach
IS the house. Mr.. Stephens of Texas viii
c1ove TO substitute his single statehood
blil for 1t on the floor, unless some chang
Is takes place before that 1.1ne.
Every member OF the committee on ter
ritories OF the house agreed that we were
entitled to and would get some sort of re-
lief this season. The committee or In
dian affairs are Of the same oDinion
There are three bills looking toward re-
lief for us and now pending The Moon
bin, the Curtis bill and the Scott bill The
Moon bin was intended to give us a fun
deceed territorial government. The Cur
lis bin only went far enough to give Us
machinery TO elect q delegate in congress.
the Scott bll includes the Curtis bill in
addition divides the territory into coun-
ties and gives Us aSprobate nudge with a
civil and criminal jurisdiction so as TO
relieve the congested condition of our
courts and recorder of deeds. The Moon
bill has been ordered reported but so
amended that its sires would not recoc-
nize it. 1t provides Tor sort % skele-
ton government. 1t does not divide the
country into counties. but gives us sort
~ legislative government apportioning
the members of the council and house
among the different nations. The Scott
bin is in the hands Of a subcommittee Of
the house Indian committee. composed Of
sherman Curtis and Little. The bin viii
be reported favorahlv but probably
amended Icy eliminating the county or
ganizati tion. An the arguments before
committees ~ tho house have been made
and nothing u1ore could he done except To
appesl 90 individual members and make
1cQuaintances until the bills set on the