The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1906-11-23

Special to The Chieftain.
Guthrie, Nov. 23-The constitution
al convention was today addressed by
Judge J. Henry Sheperd Of McAlester
in favor Of the sale of the segregated
coal lands Of the Choctaw nation. A
memorial carrying out this suggestion
was introduced and defeated A COM
mittee was appointed however, to
draw up another resolution. The con-
vention then adjourned until Monday
afternoon.
President Murray in a speech be-
fore the secret caucus Of the delegates
pledged to the farmers union last
night said, "Watch Asp and Led
BETTER Both these gentlemen are
railroad attorneys, one q Republican,
and one a Democrat. Neither belongs
to the Haskell combination that is
now dominating the convention, tho
Ledbetter voted for the Haskell slate.
Senator Fegan of Guthrie yes esterdaY
protested against the adoption of the
| United States constitution into the
Oklahoma constitution, saying that
if this were done it would be impos-
sible to disfranchise the negroes as a
race or to do away with the grand
jury system.
The permanent committe on rules
and procedure was appointed by Pre-
sident Murray last night. The COM
mittee consists OF Haynes Of Chick
asha, Sandlin Of Prague, King Of New
kirk, Johnston of Perry, Hopkins Of
Muskogee and Pittman of Enid.
/ Invitations to address the conyen-
tion were dressed to President Roose-
velt, Senator La Toilette, Senator
Bailey, Senator Tillman, John Sharp
Wtlliams, William ]. Bryan,
Watson and others. There was op-
position to extending an Invitation to
Bailey, because of his connection with
STANDARD Oil, and to Watterson, be-
cause he had bolted Bryan in 1896.
From present indications the Sc
ouoyah crowd, which controls the con-
7ention, will divide Indian Territory
into practically the countries as out
lined in the Sequoyah map. This
divided the territory into As counties,
of the average area Of about 800 mile.
Guthrie, Ok, Nov. 23-No ques-
tion that will come before the consti-
tutional convention, not even prohi-
bition, which has kept many states In
turmoil for years, promises to cause so
much trouble and interest as the mat
ter of county lines and county seats
| in the Indian Territory and county di-
vision in Oklahoma.
One of the men who occupies a
prominent place in the combination
that CONTROLS the convention, said
that the convention would not dodge
the county question, as many Demo-
Gratis are advocating, but that it
would be among the first business TAX
EN- up by the body. He said Uenta-
tive agreement had already been
reached whereby the number Of coun-
ties in Oklahoma and Indian Terrific
nv would be made exactly the same.
He said also that the county seats
would be located as many delegates
| come pledged to such action. 1.-THE
county seats can be changed later" he
said, 'if the voters Of the counties so
desire, We have in the enabling act,
which locates the capital temporarily
at Guthrie, a precedent for fixing the
county seats"
In Oklahoma there are. twenty-six
counties. The leaders have already
determined upon the division Of Beav-
er county, with the present county
seat, Beaver, nearly in the center Of
the eastern county, while the county
seat for the western county is unde-
cided. The county is $50 miles long,
and has an area large enough for six
counties, tho it is short 10 population.
The latter is on the increase, howey-
eT, and according to the present de-
cisson. Beaver is to be cut fin twain.
There is also talk Of a division in
Greer and Comanche counties, but
nothing definite has been decided.
The Usage nation is, Of course, to be
a countyIas. Csage county, so on the
Oklahoma side it is certain there will
be 28 counties, while there is posi-
bility Of more.