Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-11-11
His Opinion on the Oklahoma
Vote.
EAST RIVER BRIDGE BURNED
BRISK BOSTON WOOL MARKET

A reporter of The Citizen called
upon Delegate Rodey this morning ana
asked him what effect, II any, he
thought it would have on statehood
that Oklahoma had elected a repub-
lican delegate by such a close ma
jority.
1T will have no effect at all" an
swered the delegate, ''in so far as the
omnibus statehood bill now pending be-
fore the United States senate commit
tee on territories is concerned. II is
well known to the United States SEN
ate that the present fight in Oklahoma
does not indicate the political leaning
of the territorys inhabitants. Okla
homa is normally from 5000 to 10000
republican in politics. The present
fight was really fight between what
are known as the single-statehoodite
that is. those who wish Oklahoma and
the Indian Territory to come In as
one state, and those who wish Okla
homa to come in alone as a separate
state at the present time, leaving the
Indian Territory to come in later when
1t can. That fight is very bitter down
in that section OF country. 1t pre-
vented President Roosevelt from rec
ommending statehood for any territory
in his message to the last session Of
congress. He did not want to mention
any territory for statehood without
mentioning all three. and so he did
l not mention either, but would have
signed q. bill for either or all II con-
gress had sent the same to him. The
president told me this when | called
upon him directly after his message
was read in the house last December,
to express my disappointment at its
not containing any recommendation
for statehood. The Indian Territory
kept a strong lobby in Washington all
last winter fighting Oklahoma's efforts
to come into the union alone. The
members Of this lobby cheered them
selves hoarse with joy when the omni-
bus statehood bill was finally put over
to the coming short session. Congress.
man McRae, of Arkansas, made an
effort on the floor of the house during
the passage of the statehood bill to at
tach Indian Territory to Oklahoma
and had an immense map on tripod
down by the speakers desk to show
members of congress how uneven the
boundaries of Oklahoma are, and what
nice big, square state 1t would make
If Indian Territory should be attached
to It, He was voted down, but he and
the lobby referred to followed the bill
into the senate and are after 1t yet.
Delegate Flynn tried to pacify the
Indian Territories by putting a pro
vision in the Oklahoma part of the ON
nibus statehood bill, that the constitu
tion OF the state of Oklahoma, when
adopted, should contain a provision
giving congress at any time in the fu
| ture the right to attach to that state
any portion, or the whole, of Indian
Territory, as the government might
them open for settlement. Oklahoma
has a splendid endowment of schoo
and institution lands, and it does not
want to share those lands with the In
dian Territory. The Indian Territory
although it is as big as the state OF
Ohio. is all owned By about 10000 In
dians. There is not an acre of public
land in the territory. That territory
contains a population slightly larger
than the territory of Oklahoma, ol
about $50 ,OG0 people. Those people
are pure tresIassers on Indian grounC
and pay a license for being there, ex
cept that they have title 10 their town
sites purchased from the Indians. The
Indians want to maintain that condi
tion because they get large revenue
from the licenses and rents. mere arr
very few blanket Indians in that terri
tory; most of them are civilized, edu
Gated people, and some of their ables
men equal to any citizens of the Unit
ed States appeared before the commit
tee on territories of the house last win
ter against statehood for that terri
tory. They are satisfied with theil
condition. There are treaties between
the several tribes there and the gov
ernment of the United States, provid
ing that our government shall no
create any state government owe
them or attach them TO any othe
state previous to 1910. The white peo
pie in the Indian Territory want on
government to violate those treatie
sand create them a state anyway witt