The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-12-12
S HOOD ROOTERS
MAKEDEEP impress
SION AT WASHINGTON
NO ENTANGLING ISSUES
"JOintStatehOOd andNOthing
Else" Their Slogan.
Special to Daily Leader.

9HkRAeA ~ ARAAtS AaInnNAs
Washington, D. C., Dec 12.-Four-
teen years ago a delegation of three
oklahomans came to the national cap.
ital to plead for statehood. Today
there are one hundred and forty-three
Of them here. and they have come on
tickets that are good until the middle
of hext month. If they have to stay that
long to secure the squarest deal com.
ing to territory that has knocked at
the doors OF the Union for admission.
They were met ~ the depot by brass
band and marched two abreast, with
badges flying, down Pennsylvania
avenue TO the National hotel where
they are making their headquarters.
Since then they have been swarming
about like colony of ants. They
have been here several days now, and
it is said that no volunteer delegation
ever in the capital has worked under
such an intelligent direction as these
people are doing. Every morning at
10 O'Clock there is caucus; reports
are made and instructions for the day
are given
Surely no man 10 congress" said
Delegate Mcclure to The Leader cor
respondent, has ever had sam intel.
ligent AID unified assistance as the
Oklahoma and Indian Territory ci;i-
zens are rendering in this contest.
Their work is telling. because they are
discreet and arc stic1ing together and
are not entangling themselves with the
side issues that are sought to be fore
ed into this fight for the purpose Of
delaying and endangering the cause"
"Joint statehood, and nothing else
has been The slogan right from the
start. It was drilled into the dele
gates in the meeting held at headquar-
ters an hour after they emerged from
their train Saturday morning The
value Of this advice has already be-
come apparent Now and then they
run into some congressman or sena.
tor whose whole exiJtence seems to
turn upon the question whether Ari-
zona should come into the Union singly
or yoked up with New Mexico.
'In tell you" said Judge sullwell
Russell, Of Ardmore, who was spokes.
man for a group that got into one of
these tight places. I'VE have left our
business to plead for what should have
been granted us years ago. We are
not putting a thing in the way of Ari-
zona or New Mexico, but haze come to
plead for the joint statehood OF Okla
homa and Indian Territory, that Okla
homa may thrive as a state and that
the people of Indian Territory may
have the right to tax themselves foI
the education and development OF
100000 children who are growing into
youth and manhood in that territory" !"
The delegates have seen Congress
man Hamilton and have been cordially
received by Senators Beveridge ant
Bailey and they have made a telling
impression with Senator Foraker
Things have been looking bright fol
joint statehood frSa the ycry openinl
Of congress-, SO much So that surprise
was expressed when it was first an
nouneed that Oklahoma would send I
delegation OF business men 10 help ths
thing along. II was in that very feel
ing Of security that the danger lay
for even before the delegation go
here. forces were at work to delay th'
progress Of the bill through the re
opening OF the Arizona-New Mexic'
fight. and the prohibition issue which
seemed TO be the only leverage left t.
the opponents OF the measure now be
fore the House and Senate
The work OF the delegation and III
friends. however. is bringing out tn
lOklahoma- Indian Territory joint state
hood strongly as the predominatinl
feature Of the aght and there Is NJ
question but that obstacles for the pun
pose Of opposition, OF for The purpos
Of whipping up support for other mat
tiers, are gradually being cleared ava
by the policy Of sticking together an
non-interference.
Incidentally, the whole-souled goo
, fellowship OF the Oklahoma and India
7 Territory people is making friend
among the people and the Easter
f, newspapers for the new state-to-oI
and Is giving their section an adye