The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-10
ROY HOFFMAN
GIVES VIEWS
ON STATEHOOD
Still Stands for the AmaIga-
nation of Two Territories.
OUTLINE OF HIS PLAN
He Wants the Question Taken
Out of Politics.

NIuIllfle. ~.
of the statehood fight that is again tc
come Up in the new congress of the Uni
ted States next winter. many ideas rela-
tive TO an enabling act are being express
ed by Oklahoma people.
1.-The question of statehood for the ter
ritories is one of those grave political
aproblems that VIII never be settled until
1t is settled right" said Col. Roy V. Hoff-
man, of Chandler, one of the stalwart
Democratic leaders of the East Side.
land in our case it will never be rightly
settled until the people of Oklahoma and
the Indian territory join hands in earnest
and ask congress to create OF the two a
magnificent state under conditions which
Will allow all sections of the new COM
monwealth TO share equally in the loca-
tion of the state institutions and to enjoy
without discrimination the generous pol
icy of the federal government in making
for every new state a princdy endow-
snent in money and public lands for uni
Sersities, colleges and public schools. Abb
solute fairness and equity according to
population in the apportionment OF dele
gates to a constitutional convention, and
q spirit of concession and fair play be-
tween all sections will result in the al
most immediate abrogation of former
boundaries and the permanent and happy
union of more than million enterprising
and energetic empire builders The fail
ure of the omnibus bill in the last con-
gress was not the fault of Oklahoma or
the Indian territory, but it should be ac-
cepted as the unalterable decree of the
conservative states of the Union that no
more states or sparse and migratory pop
ulation, limited area, and undeveloped re-
sources can be admitted to the sisterhocd
of states This defeat OF a measure that
embraced the interests and hopes of the
people of four territories and rallied to
sts support, not only united minority
party but the able representatives of
powerful corporate interests from every
section, was as complete as 1t was spec
tacular and It marks the political over
throw of one Republican dynasty in Ok
iahoma and the rise of new one, among
whose leaders may be found some of the
staunchest single statehood champions of
the past
THE result of this, in my judgment,
viii be TO take the question of statehood
out of politics and to unite the people of
Oklahoma in asking Of the new congress
a union of the two territories in one
single state.
4 notice in this connection that
movement is already being agitated for
the calling Of a constitutional convention
by the people Of the two territories and
The submission to congress next winter
for ratification OF a state constitution.
This movement has my unqualified in
dorsement, for II will not only hasten the
fulhllment of our hopes for one great
state, but viii put out Of the question
any further factional attempts to orga-
nize political bOroughs Indian states
etc. The call should emanate from the
executive committee of the single state
hood organization Of the two territories,
which has done so much with the aid of
the single statehood press to educate the
people and promote harmony and concord
Between the sections.
The lodges. churches, commercial bod
les and financial institutions that already
embrace both territories in single juris-
diction will be reliable factors in awak-
ening interest and cementing all locali-
ties. No political campaign will be in |
progress, and appeals to partisan preiu- |
dice VIII be neither timely nor profitable |
The appeal to congress of an organized /
state through its legally elected provis- /
3onal officers is neither an experiment nor /
an innovation. Seven states of the union /
have been admitted in a similar manner. !
Perhaps the most notable precedent in /
this respect was the admission of Califor /
mia. President Zachariah Taylor. in his /
Hrst message to congress. expressed his /
sympathy with the Californians and ad- /
Tised the formation of a state govern 1
ment preparatory to admission into the I
union. The people of California promptly |
accepted the suggestion. and convention /
OF delegates was held at Monterey in 1
September of 1919 A constitution pro-
hibiting slavery was framed. submitted |
to the people and adopted with but lit |
tie opposition. Under this instrument. /
Peter II. Burnet was elected governor /
Members of a general assembly were [,
chosen, and on the 10Th Of December. |
lSi9. the new government was organized /
at san Jose. A. the same time a petition /
In the usual form was forwarded 10 con-
ETess asking for the admission Of Cali
3ornia as state. This occarred NJ a I
zine when the country was driven into
bitter sectional factions over the ine+i-
tuition OF slavery, and while the prohi- 7
niton Of slavery clause IN the California
state constitution provoked acrimonious
debate In congress. and led to the CLAY
compromise' Of 1889. yet California was
admitted under her constitution with but
Few minor changes.
II this could be accomplished by
far-awey community during the strife
and bitterness over slavery in those ante
oeilum days, why should not commu-
nifty in the heart Of the nation. with six
times the population California then had
and with the varied and manifold re