The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1903-05-21
TERRITORY coat LANDS.
Proposition That They Be Set Aside
for School Land Purposes.


There has been under discussion
here for some time the advlsabllity OF
having the government set aside the
many thousand acres of coal lands In
the Indian Territory for school en-
dowment II Is meeting with immedi
ate Endorsement among party leaders
and Il is believed the secretary OF the
interior will be asked TO hold up the
final disposition OF these lands until
congress may act upon the matter.
with the sale of segregated coal
lands in the Indian Territory once
consummated, the opportunity OF Sc
curing landed endowment for the peo-
pie Of that Territory, leastwlse one In
any way commensurate In value with
that OF Oklahoma, viii, in all proba-
bllity, be gone and gone forever"
Such was the statement OF one OF
the shrewdest and best known politl-
cal leaders OF Oklahoma when asked
regarding the Importance Of this mat.
ter.
1T Is strange that in their excessive
zeal" he continued, that the advo-
Gates OF immediate separate statehood
for Oklahoma and the advocates for
the immediate union of both territories
as state are alike overlooking one
of the most vitality important matters
which concerns the people Of the two
territories-the equalization OF the
school fund. One thing is certain.
In event OF the union OF the two ter
ritories as one state. whether II be
immediate or ultimate. either that
part of the state which Is now In
cluded within the limits Of the Indian
Territory must be provided with a
school fund from some source or else
the school fund OF the present terrific
w OF Oklahoma will have to be APP
portioned for the benefit OF children
of the whole state regardless OF pres
ent boundarles
with this contingency staring
them suuarely in the face, the adyo-
Gates OF Immediate union Of both ter
ritories as one state are complacently
discussing the proposed constitutional
convention. while their opponents.
with an equal show Of self assurance,
talk knowingly of the early passage
of an enabling act 10 admit Oklahoma.
as II Is now with the provisions for
the attachemnt OF Indian Territory af-
ter the lands become taxable in 1906.
''In the meantime the press dis
patches announce that the segregated
coal lands OF indian Territory are to
be sold. presumably to Eastern opera
torh. at a mere 1.-THE OF their value.
Whether the people of Oklahoma who
are now paying two or three prices
for coal. mined In Indian Territory,
can then continue to render their
measure OF tribute indefinitely or not,
do not know. but | do know that II
a small part of the energy displayed
last winter in seeking TO enact or de.
feat the statehood legislation, then
pending, had been applied in the d.
rectlon OF securing the donation Of
the segregated lands of Indian Terri
tory, as an endowment for the public
schools of that Territory. or the state
of which It may seem TO be a part,
the result might have been not only
of great consequent benefit to the
people OF both territories. but also a
manifestation of some degree of real
statesmanship as we'll
zone thing is certain, the people
OF the two territories will eventually
have to take the kind of statehood
that congress sees NJ to give them.
II. at some future time, the people Of
Oklahoma wake mp and find their mag
nificent school fund has been halved
because. forsooth. no similar proyls-
ion is now being made for the endow-
htilA VI nAhNbio III NAN AAAlhh ~ AA
try. they can thank the spirit OF per
sonal and local jealousy which seems
to have blinded the eyes and preJu-
diced the minds of men who forget
there is a larger public welfare to
conserve. early statehood is to be
desired, but not at the sacrifice OF ev'
cry consideration other than the po
litical ambition OF the few.
"For the foregoing reasons the peo-
pie of Oklahoma are almost as d.
rectly interested In the endowment OF
the schools OF Indian Territory as are
the people OF that Territory them
selves. II the segregated coal lands
are permitted to be sold at nominal
price without protest on the part OF
the people OF either or both territories,
the people of Oklahoma need not com.