The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-11-21
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hAi been 10 see President Roosevelt to [
obtain his support for the measure
providing for Joint statehood for those
two territories. stopped in indianapolis
last Friday on their way home from
TO talk with Senator Bev.
eridge concerning the measures that
would be pushed b. the senate at the
next session Of congress. In the party
were c. G. Jones, the chairman of the
joint statehood convention; Senator
Marum Of Woodward, okla, Thomas
Doyle Of Perry, Okla, Robert L. Lowry
Of saltwater, Okla, aud w. H. Ander
son of Lawton, Okla. The dispatch
bringing this intelligence says that
"the delegates we're somewhat disap-
pointed 20 earn that their bill for
statehood would be linked with bin
providing for joint statehood between
Arizona and New Mexico, saying that
this omnibus feature OF the bill would
jeopardize their chances in a degree.
II it is the intention Of Senator Rev-
eridge and others in charge of state
hood legislation to make the admission
Of all tha others. regardless of the
merits of the individual cases, the dis
appointment Of the Oklahoma and In
dian Territory delegates is fully justi.
fed The people of the territories
mentioned are sure Of the justness Of
their claims, and are naturally averse
to jeopardizing their chances by pool
ing them with any other applicant. Be
sides. such an arrangement would be
unjust to New Mexico and Arizona as
we'll si8'e the people of these are
quite as sure of the justness of their
cause as are those Of Oklahoma and
Indian Territory. Il is only fair to all
concerned that their chances of admis-
sion be made to rest solely upon the
merits Of their respective cases; and.
while 1t may he admitted that all are
deserving of statehood. It can not be
gainsaid one may be able top resent a
stronger case than the others This
being true, why should the admission
of Oklahoma and Indian Territory rest
upon the chances OF New Mexico and
Arizona any more than New Mexico's
and Arizona's chances should depend
upon them?
This is another case where the trite
old expression. Let every tub stand
upon its own bottom" may be very
appropriately applied. All the people
Of these commonwealths want is JUS
tice, and they should have t.
II Senator Beveridge is fairly report.
ed he and those supporting his con.
tention are probably opposed at heart
to statehood for either OF the appli-
cants. It is to be hoped that he has
been misunderstood. and that no such
unreasonable and unfair thing as com
pelling Oklahoma and Indian Territory
to depend upon the admission Of New
Mexico and Arizona, or vice versa, has
been determined upon or is contem-
plated. Such unreasonable contention
can leave only one conclusion possible,
and Il Is that the statehood problem
has fallen low into party politics; that
the applicants are 70 be kept out be
cause majority Of them are Demo
crats or Republicans, as the case may
be.
Everybody knows that Oklahoma
and Indian Territory are better fitted
for statehood than Indiana was when
that state was admitted It is question:
able whether any other people have
been better or even as well prepared
in any other instance as are the people
Of these two territories. There is nc
good reason why they should not be
admitted They are quite as wise ant
as well qualified as the people of Indi
ana. not excepting Senator Beveridg'
himself The fact that a majority o.
AnNhl hlA AtNittONi aus - AtA a NV "a
excuse for leaving them out. to b'
feasted upon forever as outlying prov
inres by few thousand appointees o
a Republican administration. Thi
same argument in their favor woul'
be made If a majority Of them wer'
Republicans and a Democratic admin
israuon, The same argument in thei
favor would be made If majority o
them were Republicans and a Demo
cratic administration sought by "
tile pretext to hold them in as hover
OF wood and drawers of water for tn
party appointees. If Senator Beve'
idge is correctly reported. that i
doubtless just what he is determine
TO do. While pretending 10 favor state
hood he and others Of his party appea
10 be. bent on preventing this neH
state from coming In because II an
pears that e may be Democratic, and
beirg so. It would send two Democrat
TO the senate and displace thousand
OF federal appointees, whose interes
il seems 70 be the purpose to subserye
II this is not true, and ii Senate
Beyeridge is fsirly reported, il is a