The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-12-11
Single
Statehood Advocates
to Capture House
Committee
Special 70 DAILY Leader.

!
lahoma and Indian territories have
carefully laid their plans to capture
the house committee on territories
and to secure a report from that com
mittee which will make it impossible
for the creation of two states. For
the past week Representative Hamil-
ton, OF Michigan, chairman Of the ter
ritorial committee Of the house, has
been in frequent conference with Sen
ator Beveridge, Of Indiana. Senator
Beveridge is the leading exponent OF
single statehood here. Not only has
he impressed upon Mr. Hamilton the
Importance of reporting that kind Of a
bill out of the committee which will
prevent the creation of two states out
of the territories, but he has also held
similar conferences with Speaker Can
on, Chairman Payne OF the ways and
means committee, and other Republi-
can leaders,
At these conferences the situation
has been carefully gone over. Sen
ator Beveri6ge has informed Republi-
can leaders that while the Republi-
cans OF the senate two years ago were
able 10 prevent the passage of the ON
nibus statehood bill they are partic-
ularly anxious to avoid another con
troyersy of the same kind. He has
informed the Republican leaders of
the house that they must share the
responsibility and that in order to do
this It is Of the utmost importance
that the bill passed blythe house should
be such bill as win prevent the pos
sibility OF the creation of two states
out of the territories
While it is not definitely known that
Senator Beveridge Is the author OF
the proposition, or that he even favors
it, | am reliably informed that the
plan practically agreed upon is for the
admission Of Oklahoma territory and
the Creek and Seminole nations as a
state. It is asserted that the Creek
and Seminole nations are nominally
Republican by from five to ten thou
sand majority, Oklahoma, as it at
present exists. is looked upon as a
Democratic territory. with the I'm.
mediate addition of the Creek and
Seminole nations the Republicans
would have a majority not only in the
state but in the legislature The work
OF allotting the lands in the Creek and
Seminole nations has sufficiently pro
gressed so that these nations can be
added to Oklahoma without impeding
in any way the work of the Dawes
commission. The lands have all beer
allotted and it IS expected that al
least half of them will have passed
from the control Of the Indians by the
time the statehood bill becomes Q
law. With the title to 80 per cent O.
the lands In the Creek and Seminole
nations alienated by the Indians, anC
with these lands owned by white peo
pie they will be taxable, thus afford
ing the state considerable revenue.
In addition to the argument tha
The Creek ami Seminole nations vii
make Oklahoma safely Republican /
is also claimed that It will be impos
sible to create a separate state out o
the remaining portions Of indian ter
ritory
This proposition has been shbmitte
to President Roosevelt and it can b
stated huthoritatively that it meet
with his approval He believes tha
A. affords the best solution for thi
yexauous question that has yet bee
offered and he has virtually promise
to DO all he can to further the scheme
1t is suggested that the McGuir
statehood bill be amended in this r.
spect. and that 1t also be amended
as to extend the boundary line of o.
lahoma around Indian territory, an
that the Chickasaw, Choctaw an
Cherokee nations shall be held tempo
arily as Indian reservations With
the state.
That there IS an organized effort
SO shape the bill, which is to be
ported from the house territorial COZ
mlttee and which viii later pass q
house, so as to prevent the possibili
OF the creation of two states out OF q
Indian and Oklahoma territories
admitted by those who are interest
in the question 1t is known that D
egate Mcclure is not opposed to Il
scheme, but that he rather favors
It is apparent 10 even the casual
server that this time the house ter
49,. I'm 10 df,rfdoH alo