Free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1888-1908, 1906-06-23
constitutional convention to be held.
Sneaker C,aDnon I,,DIa;ns

constitutional convention to be held.
Speaker Cannon Explains
Mr.. Moon of Tennessee. the ranking
member of the minority on the COM
mfttee on territories, had made a
statement in relation to the position
Of the democrats on the compromise
agreed upon in conference He was
! frequently interrupted with applause
| and was then followed by Marcus 4
! Smith. the delegate from Arizona, who
took occasion in a guarded way to in
| sinuate that there had been undue in
: fiuence used in posUponfng an agree
meat
Smarting under what he believed to
! be a direct insinuatio1 against him,
/ Speaker Cannon impetuOusly left the
! chair, calling Mr.. Dalzell to the desk
/ and taking a position unconsciously in
! the isle opposite the seat which he
occupied for many years until chosen
/ speaker he asked the speaker pro TEN
/ for five minutes to explain his position.
/ Thunders of applause greeted the
! speaker as he stood with hand uplifted,
his head shaking, waiting for quiet in
! the house. Again and again waves OF
| applause swept over the chamber, DEM
ocrats and republicans participating
Finally order was restored and then,
measuring every word, Speaker Cannon
said:
Mr.. Speaker. as u member of the
house of representatives. during this
session as at all other sessions, have
represented my constituents and acted
for the whole people according to my
best judgment. The coming into the
union of Oklahoma and Indian terri
tory meets my approval If had my
choice and were supreme. 1 would in
fnitely prefer to see Oklahoma and the
Indian territory come in separately
with an aggregate population of two
and one-half millions, with four SEN
ators, rather than 70 see New Mexico
and Arizona come together. and God
knows. rather than to sec them come
singly with about 100000 population
and four senators.
MY views are not secret; I have
sought to the best of my belief to voice
them. You have the result before you
Although every man in the Indian Ter
ritory should vote against statehood
for the new proposed state of OklahO-
ma, Notwithstanding that protest, the
state would be and will be formed IN
Ger this enabling act"
When Speaker Cannon finished the
house was in an uproar 1t could not
ne controlled, nor did the presiding
officer make any effort to Go go. Mem
bers who had sat in silence during the
delivery of the speech, democrats and
republicans alike, crowded around the
speaker to shake him by the hand and
tell him how glad they were that the
long-drawn out fight for statehood had
been happily ended in a compromise
and that his cpeech voiced the senti.
ment of the members.
The Steps to Statehood.
The first state election in the new
state of Oklahoma probably will be
about February 1. At this election
will be chosen the state officers from
governor down, members of the legis-
lature and five members in the nation
al house of representatives.
The first step towards the formation
of the state constitution will be taken
by the president, who will designate
two judges in the Indian territory,
who with the commissioner of the
five civilized tribes will constitute the
election hoard that will apportiOn the
Indian territory into districts which
will send delegates to the convention.
Oklahoma will be so appOrtioned by
beard consisting of the governor, the
chief justice and the secretary of that
territory These two boards will d.
vide the territories into 112 districts.
55 in Oklahoma, two in the Usage ma
ton and 50 in the Indian territory.
1t is estimated that the work of
these boards will not be completed be-
fore August and that the electien will
Eot be before October 1. The conven-
ton will then form a constitution I'M
der which the state election will be
held. Delegate Mcclure has estimated
that the work Of the convention proba-
bly, will be prolonged and that the cleo
ton will not take place before Febru-
airy l. The constitutional convention
will te in Guthrie. When the cleo
ton returns have been compiled they
will be sent to Washington with a
copy of the constitution for the ap-
proval of the president. If the pres
ident decides that the constitution is
republican in form and that none of
it's provisions are repugnaDt to the
constitution of the United States and
the declaration of independence, he
will issue a proclamation declaring
Oklahoma and the Indian territory
state
Grand Jury to Planters.