The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-12-17
DON
Want Us; Governors
Issue Memorial
Bureau of The Leader

1413 G. St, NJ W.
Washington, D. c., Dec 1.-THE
governors Of all of the hve nations Of
Indian territory have joined in a mem
oriai 90 congress. which has just been
submitted TO the house and senate by
Secretary Hitchcock praying congress
to refrain from adding any portion of
Indian territory 20 Oklahoma when the
latter is admitted as a state, and to
permit al the present time. the crea-
ton Of a state out of Indian territory
This memorial Is in the form OF reso.
lutions adopted by various tribes.
The Chootaw nation has also sub.
mitted separate memorial in which
reasons why the people Of Indian ter
ritory are advocating separate state
hood, are set forth in detail as fol
lows;
The Indians desire a state formed
out of the Indian territory at the ex-
ps-aticn OF their several tribal gov.
ernments. in order that they may in
corporate in the constitution prohibit
ing the sale of Intoxicating liquors. A
prohibition clause could not be embod-
led in a constitution for a state formed
by the union OF Indian territory and
Oklahoma, because Oklahoma is now a
saloon territory
II is well known that the political.
civil and religious conditions Of the
indians in the territory of Oklahoma
are seriously affected by the liquor
traffic. which Is nowhere more arro-
CANT than in Oklahoma The exten-
sion of the liquor business over the
Indian territory Is earnestly desired
by the wholesale liquor dealers of the
United States The daily papers of
the middle west have published the
statement that the Wholesale liquor
dealers have already pooled their in
terests and arranged to maintain a
strong lobby in Washington until the
Indian territory is made a part of Ok
lahoma The Choctaw people are in
clineG to morality and rel&ion. yet if
exposed TO the liquor influence of Ok
lahoma our present high standard of
morali and religion viii be lowered.
IL is also reported that all the great
railroad corporations whose lines ira
verse the Indian territory desire the
annexation of Indian territory to Ok
lahoma, and that they win have a
strong lobby IN Washington to work
for that purpose
The treaty of 1880, under which this
territory was segregated from the pub
lie domain Of the United States as a
continuing home for tho Choctaw peo-
PIE solemnly guaranteed: THAT no
part of the lands granted them shall
ever be embraced in any territory or
state"
The Atoka agreement of 1897. rad-
fied by act of congress. June 30. 1898.
commonly called the Curtis Act"
after providing that the tribal govern
menis. as modified by that instrument.
should continue until March 4, 1906.
says
This stipulation Is maie in the be.
lief that the tribal governments so
modified VIII prove so satisfactory
that there VIII be no need or desire
for fur her change until the lands now
occupied by the five Civilized tribes
shall. in the opinion of congress. be
prepared for admission as a state to
the union"
Again the United States govern.
ment has maintained the sric.est
laws prohibiting the sale Of intoxlcat.
ing liquors within the Indian territory
The agreement of 1897. and the act
Of congress of 1898, above referred TO
contains that law:
The United States agrees to main.
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