The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-01-04
Statehood
Legislation VIII be
Enacted Says a
Legislator
Bureau Of The Leader,
141Q r. CT NJ w

Washington, Q. G., Jan. The |
present session Of congress will auth
orize the organization Of two new
states"
ARIZONA and New Mexico will be
authorized to consolidate and form a
state, to be known as the state of
Arizona; authorization will also be
given Oklahoma and the Creek and
Seminole nations in Indian territory
to consolidate and form a state, with
a provision for the addition of the
Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw
nations, comprising the remainder of
Indian territory, as soon as the agree
ments with those nations expire by
limitation. which will be in the spring
Of 1906"
It was prominent Republican
member of the committee on territor-
les of the house who made this EN-
phatic declaration to your correspond
ent He is a man in a position to-
know whereof he speaks. and his past
record for conservatism and reliabil
ity gives great force to his present
utterances. But it is apparent to any
one who is not blinded by prejudice
that such is the intended policy of the
Republican majority IN congress. 1
have asserted this on numerous occa-
sions in the past, and. the statement
has been contradicted in other papers.
The next three months, however, win
see the absolute and complete fulfil
ment of my former predictions.
The Republicans are lining up al
most to man in favor of the creation
of one state out Of New Mexico and
Arizona They point out that these
two territories have not now a suffi-
cient population to justify the crea-
tion Of two separate states. The last
census figures give the population Of
, these two territories as follows: Ari-
zona, 122,9s1; New Mexico, 195,S1O.
Ths same report shows that Of the
122,931 population in Arizona in 1900,
that there were 24,644 Indians living
on reservations not subject to taxa
ton. In New Mexico there were O.
937 Indians living on reservations
whose property was non-taxable. This
would give total population for the
two territories according to the cen
sus figures of 31S,241, or $4,000 popu-
lation less than Oklahoma had at that
time Admitting tat there were many
people in New Mexico and Arizona
who were not included in the census
returns, and estimating tina. the pop
ulation has increased at the same pro-
portion it did during the decade from
1890 to 1900 the population of the two
territories Is still under the 500, 900
mark. This, 1t is pointed out, is less
than one-third of the average popula-
ton of the states of the union. As a
prominent member OF the committee
said to me the other day IF you Will
take the census returns for 1900 you
viii see that the population of the
forty-fve states in the union was
about 74.OOO0OO Since that time it
has probably Increased to $4,000, 600.
If yor win divide this by forty-hve you
will see that the average population
per state in the union Is nearly l.
100000 people. He proceeded to ar
que that no state should be admitted
Athe union that Is not susceptible
OF Sustaining Immediately a popula-
ton of 100000. He pointed out that
by the extention Of the irrigation sys-
tenn In New Mexico and Arizona that
those territories would, In course of
time have a combined population Of
100000 people. If after they reach
that number then they should desire
to separate and form two separate
states iie said he would be in favor
OF It.
tories the Republican members of the
house are likewise practically to a
unit in favor of the ultimate union OF
those two territories They propose
to join Oklahoma and the Creek and
Seminole nations. This would give
Oklahoma a population of over SO0.-
600 II would also preclude the pos
sibility OF the creation OF another
State out Of Indian territory. It is
then proposed 10 extend the boundary
line OF the state Of Oklahoma around
Indian territory, and 70 hold the
Cherokee. choctaw and Chlckasaw
nations as Indian reservations. When
the agreement with these three ma
tions expire by limitation in 1906 II
is proposed to insert in the bill a
mandatory provision whereby tho
president Is 20 add these three In