The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-04-24
MCGUIRE ON
I STATEHOOD
Continued From Tenth Page)

out any school privileges. They have no
school houses; they have no school dis
trict organizations; they can vote no
boards for school purposes. They can do
nothing toward the organization of school
districts, and the yhave no opportunity for
Rchool advantages.
] want to make the observation here
which viii indicate to you the result Of a
conultion of this kind. The census of
1900 shows that per cent of illiteracy.
with the same kind and character of peo-
pie, people coming from the same states
which had populated oklahoma, We find
that there Was about 16 per cent of il
hteracy. In Oklahoma we had district
schools; in oklahoma we had had school
district organizations from the first set
tlemen of that territory. In the Indian
Territory they had none. l say, Mr.
Speaker that We can improve. and that
We ought TO improve this condition, we
ought to do something for those people;
we ought to give them statehood. And
say without fear Of contradiction that at
this time the people of oklahoma and Of
the Indian Territory arc praying that this
bill VIII pass this body. we are unani-
nous upon the proposition. There is no
dlsseitno 1T home. There is no negative
voice in the Indian Territory There is
no one in Oklahoma who would defeat
this bill; and it seems to me. Air. Speaker.
that it is the duty Of the American con-
Eress to see that this bill is passed. and
that million and a half of,People in that
territory get statehood. We are better en-
titled to statehood than the people Of any
other territory ever admitted at the time
its admission. ! desire to call your at
tention TO some Of the conditions which
exist in those territories. and some OF
the natural conditions at this time
There are in oklahoma and the Indian
Territory fifteen hundred churches; three
thousand Sunday schools. with eighteen
Thousand officers and teachers and one
hundred and fifty thousand pupils. There
are fifty daily newspapers; nearly five
hundred weekly papers. besides many
quarterly. monthly. and semi-weelly pub
licatiens In Oklahoma there are two
thousand two hundred district school
houses. worth a million and half Of
dollars There are but few of this class
of buildings in the Indian Territory out
side OF the cities. Tor the reason that
there is no organized government in that
leFllttlA- itt tNs.t amount OF lAnI re-
served for common schools. universities
and public buildings for the future state
OF Oklahoma is TWO million fifty-two thou
sand acres, a large part Of which IS
leased and at the present time bring an
income to the educational interests Of
the territory OF one thousand dollars Per
day Within the next year and before
Oklahoma can be admitted as a state
this enormous sum VIII be increased to
Q million and half dollars per annum.
The five million dollars appropriated
In. Shis bill - offset the school londs in
Oklahoma at three per cent interest
Would produce one hundred and fifty
Thousand dollars annually. This added
70 the sum provided in Oklahoma would
jamount to about three quarters Of
fmillion dollars per year. a sum sufficient
to maintain our educational institutions.
and equal if rot greater than tie in