The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-03-16
STATEHOOD
PROBLEM UP
Arizona and New Mexico Bill
Is About Ready.
TAXATION DIFFICULTIES
Probable That Two Territories
Will Make Two States.

Washington, March .15-The statehood
problem was taken up today by the sub
committee of the house committee or
territories, recently appointed to draft
statehood bills for Arizona and New Mex
fco and Oklahoma and the Indian Terri
tory. The bill making "a state of the first
two named was practically completed.
The difficulty of adjusting the taxation
and other questions with regard to the
admission of Oklahoma and the Indian
Territory as state are next to be taken
up. When the second bill has been COM
pleted, it is probable that the two bills
viii be Joined as a dual bill for two states
out Of the four territories. The sub-com-
mittee is to continue its work daily.
Guthrie. o. T, March l5-The matter of
statehood is evidently not going TO be a
factor in the coming campaign in Okla
homa this fall Everything, however,
now indicates that the school land ques-
ton may enter into the politics of the
territory and be a subject for discussion
IN the congressional election. however
much the politicians may wish to avoid
il. The people are now practically united
on the idea of single statehood and the
only effort Of party leaders is to make
st appear that they have never been in
favor of any other kind of statehood. 1t
is not so with the school lands This is
q very important question to the people
Of the territory. Two million and fifty
five thousand acres of land in this coun-
try, already noted for its bountfful crops
Is mine of wealth worthy Of careful
fattenton. Something of their rental value
may be inferred when it is remembered
i1hat last year the income from those
lands was one thousand dollars a day
for ever yday in the year and this year
the income for the school fund will
amount to over four hundred thousand
dollars
The indications all point to the Republi-
can territorial convention as certain to
put a plank in its platform favoring the
holding of these lands as a sacred trust
for the schools of the territory An effort
is being made to induce the Democratic
party to take the other side of the ques-
tion and favor the sale of the lands at
the earliest opportunity.
The shaping of the issue here reminds
one of the long drawn out contest in Hi
nois over the Illinois Central railroad
The great Democratic leader. Stephen a.
Douglass, secured the passage of a law
giving the Illinois Central a large body
of land 10 aid in the construction of the
road. a clause was placed in act making
the company liable TO the state for GER
tain per cent Of its gross earnings.
When the lands became settled and the
railroad a powerful. rich organization, it
kept organizing the people along its line
to force the state to rclinquish the tax on
the gross earnings of the road 1t came /
up in state conventions and in the CON /
stitutional convention. but through it all 1
the people of Illinois stood like a stone |
wall for that part of the contract. 1t /
looks like the people Of this territory are /
going 10 do the same thing in regard to |
holding the school lands.
People outside of Oklahoma are liable |
Go be misled in this discussion. 1t should
beb remembered that the territory has
barge tracts called indemnity school lands.
They are given 10y congress in lieu of
sections Is and Sc in the Indian reserva-
tions. There is a large amount of these
Indemnity lands in Oklahoma county and
Lincoln county has three townships of
such lands. Il has been always under
stood that these large sections would he
sold. and the men who favor the holding
of the school lands consent to the selling
Of all these indemnity lands except sec
tions Is and 36 in each township.
They admit that it would be inconveni-
ont 20 hold a whole township for rent.
and besides the rent would go To the
state and the renters in the school land
townships would have no land to tax TO
support their schools outside of what
they got from the state or territory.
1t has been given out that the school
land lesseees have formed an organiza-
tion for the purpose Of forcing the lands
TO sale but quite a number of lesscos
who have been in this city the past few
DAYS have expressed their satisfaction
with the proposition of Governor Fergu-
son to give a long lease on the lands, so
that the lessees might make valuable i'm
Trovcmonts and sell their interest and
give possession 70 another party.
Many OF the lessees admit that prac-
tically perpetual lease would save the
school lands for the people and would. to .