The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1903-10-20

Mayor Dick Of this city is sending
out the following call 70 all tie may.
Ors o. the Territory asking that they
sign lt calling a delegate ccnveltIon
for South NcAlester. October 81. The
call would have been issued earlier
20 as 20 have given time for the gen.
eral call 10 BE- issued for the coayen-
ton % have been held on OctoUer
% had Mr. DICK not been delayed On
his recent visit 70 Philadelphia.
The call Is as follows:
4 Convention is hereby called 20
meet at al South McAlester on oct.
81, 1903. All of the organized Terri.
tories have had delegates in congress.
Hawaii and Porto Rico, both being
unorganized territories, nave dele
gates in congress, and 1t is practically
certain that provision win be made
for delegate from Alaska when con.
gress conyenes. Should provision be
made for a delegate from the Indian
Territory? No sane man will give a
negative answer 70 this question. The
experience Of all the territories, and
especially that Of our neighbor, Okla
homa. demonstrates the value Of
delegate in congress. Oklahoma's
princely school fund the donations
Of her cities for water-works sys.
tens; for her university, her agricul-
tural college. and her blind and insane
asylums, together with free homes do
nations, aggrcgating a grand total
in value Of probably fifty million dol
lars. have contributed greatly TO her
development and prosperity. and they
were procured largely by the efforts
Of her delegatcs in congress. But
the Indian Territory has had no dele
gate IN congress, and she has been
shamefully neglected. Her deplorable
condition constitutes the daily life OF
her five hundred thousand American
citizens and for the purpose Of this
call elaboration Is unnecessary farth-
or than TO suggest that the spectacle
Of seventy thousand bright-eyed boys
and girls without schools-with ten
thousand Of them yearly passing r--
yOnd the scholastic age-ought 10
quicken the conscience of those who
have power 10 afford relief, and arouse
~ the utmost activity the people who
are the victims Of the situation In
the near future matters of the great.
est possible concern to this Territory
viii arise in congress and must be
determined The statehood question
in all its phases must be di. ,ussed
ana settled
We assert that this call is not made
in the interest Of either single or
double statehood but in the belief that
no statehood legislation will be enact
cd at the special session. We believe
congress can be induced to provide
for the election OF a delegate in time
p Tor him to participate in the state
hood fight
Experience has taught us that we
cannot rely on the delegate from OK.
lahoma 70 look after our interests.
Representation in congress is an I'M
mediate and imperative necessity to
us
We urge earnest support OF this call
, by people Of every religion, political
belief and race, and full and enthus-
iastic attendance OF the convention
10 the end that congress may be pc
titioned and induced to provide for the
election Of . delegate at the extra
, session, which will convene early in
? November, the election to take place
5 not later than sixty days after the
, passage Of the act.
We recommend that the recording
, districts elect delegates and alterlates
as follows. That Districts !, 3, ., H.,
l3. 23 and - elect eight delegates
; and alternates each; that Districts 4,
/ g 9. -, 20, % elect ten delegates and
! alternates each; that Districts I, 10,
"A, 10, II, 10, p and % elect twelve
! delegates and alternates each, and
/ that primary conventions be held in
! the various recording districts on 0c-
i. tober 2Gth, 1903 to elect such dele
. gates and alternates.
r. w. RICK,
! Mayor OF Ardmore.