Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-02-11
The Problem of New States.

| 1t is not to b. assumed that the proc
| lem of the admission OF the proposed
new states is yet solved. As the mat
ter stands now. the House has voted 40
admit Oklahoma and Indian Territory
as one state, and Arizona and New
Mexico as one state. The Senate has
voted to admit Oklahoma and Indian
| Territory as one state. and New Mexico
as state leaving Arizona as a terri
tory to be admitted as a state by some
future Congress. A conference be-
| tween the two branches is now in
order and nobody can tell what the
outcome will be. 1t is han dly likely to
result in the Senate program being
carried out. although the Senate often
| triumphs when il comes to a committee
of conference. Several outcomes are
possible; the House program may BE-
carried out Or Oklahoma and Indian
Territory may be admitted as one state
with New M"xi"o and Arizona both left
as territories, or it may b. that no new
state will be admitted at this session,
| and the whole matter Will go over 10
| the 59th Congress.
1t is everywhere agreed that Okla
hu.na and Indian Territory ought to be
| admitted to Tie Union a. cur 18th state.
and it is unfortunate for the chances of
these territories thai their admission
has been tied up in q bill which also
deals with the admission of the south
western territories OF Arizona and New
Mexico. whose claims for admission
have not 50 good a foundation. Okla
homa. with Indian Territory added is
population in 1900. WIS ,9o,3?1. making
it larger than l. states which are al
ready in the ,-nion. 1t is of interest
to us here in Maine. that Oklahoma
| would displa"c Maine which now ranks
as the 30th stat" in populations, crowd
ing our State down 10 the 3lst place
The other sta.,.s which have smaller
population than oklahoma are Colo
RADIO, Floridl, Washington. Rhode
Island, Oregon. New Hampshire. South
Dakota. North DaIDta. Utah. Yer
'front.', Montlra. Delaware. Wyoming
and Nevada i'll the CIGCr named.
Okiahoma's area is 10000 square
miles. lItuc more than twice
the size of I'll" State of Maine. Its
population is ..rawH largely from tn"
middle West and represents a splendid
type Of Amerirtnism. There is no good
reason for Keeping Oklahoma longer
| out of the Union. and it is to be hope!
that its admission is accomplished ut
the present session. Doubtless it would
have been admitted several years ago
had not its fortunes as stated above
| been compile ltcI with these of the ter
ritories of NV Mexico ilnG Arizona.
Concerning these two southwestern
territories th,,r. IS mach more room Toy
debate The general feeling has bcen
! that they should rot be- admitted
| separately for ...any years to come. al
| though one has becn a territory for
| over % years. and .hc other 40 years:
| but it has been quite generally agreed
| that con- bin"d they had u fairly good
claim to Statehood. Their combined
| formulation is less than half that Of
| Oklahoma: thrr ar"l however. is %
SEQ square miles. which would make a
state larger than any stat" now in tn"
| Union. cAcept Texas alone. One of the
strongest objections L, their claims 70
statehood has been the character o:
| their population. which is made up
Very largely "f pcoplr Of Mexican aud
| Spanish descent with Il very low order
Of Intelligence and morals. Tho Nor
| mon problem also enters into the uucS-
ton somewhat. Moreover, the chances
oi admitting them as a state has been
| iesscncrl by til" fact that Arizona has
| objected to an alliance with New
| Mexico. and NY NJ 'XlcD has objected
To having the uew state called by the
name Of Arizona. Beth states have
viii do much for them along asricul-
tu.al lines. Neither has developed very
fast however. and Ill no respect does
others claim for statehood approach
the claim ot oklahoma. Tn" develop
mcnts OF the committee of conference
tcrcSt.
A Blaine School.