Semi-weekly herald., 1907-11-18

and the ceremony viii be followed by
a great inaugural ball. A barbecue
and other amusement features will be
provided during the day.
| Washington. Nov. l6.-"Now, there
fore |. Theodore Roosevelt, president
Of the United States of America. an
nounce the result of said election to be
as certified and do hereby declare
and proclaim that the terms and con
ditions prescribed by congress to en-
title the state of Oklahoma to admis.
sion into the Union on an equal foot.
| ing with the original thirteen states Is
now accomplished. In testimony
whereof | have hereunto set my hand
and caused the seal of the United
States TO be affixed, this, the sixteenth
day OF November, 1907.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT"
With a presidential proclamation, of
which the foregoing is the concluding
paragraph. Oklahoma was today ad
mitted as the forty-sixth state In the
Union. The new states Includes Ok
lahoma and Indian territories. Okla
homa proper was organized as a terri
tory May =. 1890 and was formerly a
part OF the Indian territory II has
an area of 39,O3O square miles and
III 1900 its population was 39S, ,331. In
dian Territory has an area of 81 400
square miles and It's population in
1900 was 392,0 ,060. c. n. Haskell. Dem
new state and will he inaugurated to-
day at Guthrie. All the state officers,
and nearly all the congressman and
state legislators, are Democrats, and
both representatives of the new state
in the United States senate will be of
that political fa,:h.
The proclamation of President Roos-
evelt admitting Oklahoma to statehood
* the first of its kind he has ever
issued. as no state has been admitted
since Utah on January 4. 1896. In
stead of being written out In long hand
on parchment and decorated with fan
cy scrolls. as all former state papers
of this kind have been. the proclama
ton was written with typewriter
In its phraseologoy the Oklahoma doc
ument bears a close resemblance to
that issued by President Cleveland
in admitting Utah. and abounds In nu-
merous "whereases" These include
mention OF the enabling act passed by
the national congress. the election OF
delegates to a constitutional conven,
tion and the submission of the consti.
tuition to vote of the people and its
acceptance by them, these being the
various steps taken before Oklahoma
could be admitted to full sisterhood
with the other states. The signing of
the constitution by President Roose-
welt and the issuance OF his proclama-
tion today were the last steps in the
long fight for statehood made by the
people Of the territories.
The constitution of Oklahoma was
written by n convention composed of
100 Democrats and Twelve Republic
ans. 1t is said to be the most radical
document ever adopted by any state,
and by William Jennings Bryan has
been declared superior to the ma
tional constitution" The radical pro-
visions embraced in the constitution
are not favored by President Roose-
welt, who considers that the constitu-
tion makers have nsurped the func-
tions of Legislators. Before signing |
the document the president made IL |
clear that there were many features |
which did not meet with his personal |
approval, but that he regarded 1t as
his official duty to sign the docu-
ment, since 1t conformed to the pro
visions of the enabling act.
Oklahoma Is the first state south OF |
the line defined by the Missouri com
promise to be admitted into the Union |
III forty-four years. 1t Is typically |
neither distinctively southern or
western state. while possessing many
of the attributes OF both. That 1t Is, |
for the present at least, politically |
aligned with the Democratic states of
the solid south has been shown both |
in the election OF delegates to the
constitutional convention and in the
recent election OF state officers.
Under the prohibition clause of the
constitution. which was passed upon
layorably by the voters. Oklahoma en-
ters the Union as a dry" state. In
dian Territory has long been arid, by
hat OF the government and for the
protection Of the Indians. Prohibition
will now be extended over what Is
known as Oklahoma territory. and
with Kansas, which adjoins Oklahoma
ON the north, will make the largest
dry" territory in the country. Under
the prohibition clause is provision
for "a liquor dispensary for every town
OF 1000 or over in the new state.
There are "A OF these towns. 81 being
IN Oklahoma and 90 in Indian Terri
tory.
According TO an act OF congress
approved April 4. 1878, the new star
on the blue field OF the national flag