The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-07-15
JUDGE CLAYTON
GETS BUSY.
mlNoLEs WITH DEMOCRATS AND
REPUBLICANS ALIKE.
Says the Work Of oistrietins Must be
Non-Psrtisan and an Equal Number
Of Democrats and Republicans
Should Constitute Committee.

United States Judge w. H. 49, Clay
ton of the Central District member
Of the Indian Territory districting
board, arrived In the city yesterday
and was met az the Union station by
a committee composed Of $. r. Bledsoe
&. W. Baumbach. Sam Noble and May.
or X. W. Dick. represent the Ard.
more Commercial club. After lucnh-
con. Judge Clayton was escorted to
the court house. where he was intro
duCed To a large number of citizens.
who had gathered In mass meeting
for the purpose of hearing the plan
with reference td taking the census
Of the Twentyfrst recording district.
Under the terms OF the statehood bill.
the new state must be divided into
districts preparatory for holding the
constitutional convention for the for.
nation OF the basic laws OF Oklahoma.
Judge Clayton outlined his plan to
the meeting. which In substance waS
the selection of q committee of thirty
persons To take the census in each
township and report TO an executive
committee. who In turn will taoui1te
the returns and forward them 20 the
heard.
To diyest the plan Of any partisan
feature. Judge Clayton stated that an
equal number Of Democrats and Re.
publicans should constitute the com.
mittee which is TO secure the census.
He impressed upon the meeting the
fairness OF the proposition and as to
gerry.mandering the district for the
benefit OF any party. he emphatically
declared that nothing Of the kind
would be attempted
Judge Clayton stated that the board
estimated the total POPULATION Of the
Indian Territory TO be 100000. With
this as a basis the 50 districts provid-
ed for in the enabling act will each
contain $4,000 people. The act re.
quires that the districts shall. as near.
ly as practicable, contain the same
number of inhabitants.
He stated that the work must he
done by the citizens without compen.
sation.
lie said that the population OF 1900
IS useless as since tina. time the popu.
lation Of the country has greatly in
creased. At present there Is nothing
upon which to base figures and the
committees must ascertain the figures
for themselves.
Judge Claytons plan seems to be
the only practical method Of proceed.
ure.
The work will be non.partisan and
officers OF the Ardmore Democratic
club were on hand to cooperate with
Judge Clayton In the matter
The meeting was organized with
the selection of Hon. Lee Cruce as
chairman and X. l.. Sanders secretary.
IL was moved that committee OF
thirty. composed of an equal number
OF Democrats and Republicans. be
selected to look after the matter OF
the census in this district. The mo-
ton was carried.
II was moved that committee OF
four. two Republicans and two Demo
Gratis. be appointed to select the com.
mittee OF thirty. whose duty Il shall be
To take the census and that report
be made TO the meeting.
Chairman Cwce appointed w. b.
johnson Of Ardmore, w. n. Lewis OF
Davis. Jones OF Provence and Bledsoe
OF Ardmore. The committee went TO
work Immediately and selected the
names of thirty in the district. They
will be notified at once and II Is antic-
ipated that the workers will start the
task OF taking the census without de
lay.
II was moved that an executive com
'nittee OF four be appointed TO rr:c ;e
and tabulate the returns and forward