The independent., 1907-03-21


state making has there been imposed
so difficult task as that given to the
delegates who have spent the winter
framing q code of organic law for the
new commonwealth of Oklahoma The
conflicting interests have been more
complicated than In the admission of
any state since the days of the Mis-
souri, compromise. Despite the efforts
Of the delegates to give all factions and
all inhabitants of the new state
square deal-a very popular term in
the convention-they have had hard
task. A business and social situation
has faced the trainers Of the constitu-
ton that has been far from the SIM
plicity attending the incoming OF other
recently admitted commonwealths.
Oklahoma Is divided in two direc-
tions-east and west and north and
south. In one direction the line Is
racial and social one; in the other
political and social one He Is indeed
a wise economist who is able to har-
monize and pacifv the westerners who
are thus separated in ideas and am
billions. Little wonder that the con-
vention has long outstayed the time
set for it's meeting and that more than
once its deliberations were modified by
stern advice from Washington concern
ing it's possible actions.
When. seventeen years ago, the first
great rush" was made to open the
Indian reservation of Oklahoma proper
to settlement, it was from both north
and south. One great company lined
up on the Kansas border and another
on the Texas border The northern
company was gathered from every part
Of the middle west; the southern con-
tingent was made up almost wholly Of
neighbors, dwellers Of the Texas farms
and ranches who knew how rich were
the acres Of the new lands. These
companies Of immigrants met and min
gled. They were joined four year later
by other similar companies from the
same sections who made the rush" in
to the Cherokee strip. Then, in 1908,
was the opening Of the southwestern
reservation by lot and other thousands
drew claims, they likewise being sep
arated In residence. Perhaps the per-
centage of southerners in the latter In
stance was the greater when the slit
ing process and the buying and selling
Of chances were over.
Indian Land.
The eastern end Of the new common
wealth has been Indian land for
century of western settlement. The
five civilized tribes, now numbering
about so 000,' have controlled every foot
Of ground and every policy subject
only to the federal government. When
the whites began encroaching upon the
Indians and towns were started, rail-
roads were built and oil wells were
developed, the immigration was nat
urally large from the neighDorlng
states-Texas on the south, Arkansas
on the east and Missouri and Kansas
on the northeast and north. So the
population of the eastern end, now
about the same as that of the western
half, $4,000, is likewise made up OF
mixture of social classes representing
all parts of the country, the north as
well as the south.
When the delegate convention was
ordered and the members were nofii-
mated for election two factions became
prominent in the contest-those who
had been imbibing southern ideas and
those who had the prejudices of the
north. During the days of develop
ment some education had been going
on in the territory itself that helped
to draw certain lines.
Oklahoma is in the latitude of Ar
kansas, Tennessee and South Carolna;
It is in the same latitude as northern
Mississippi Georgia and Alabama. II
had according to the last census as
many former residents of Tennessee
as of Ohio, more from Texas and Mis-
souri, combined than from Kansas. as
many from Arkansas and Tennessee as
from Iowa, as many from Arkansas
as from Nebraska. Under the warm
skies of the new territory the cultiva-
ton Of cotton was soon large part
OF the agricultural activity of the peo-
ple. The northerners learned ways and
means from the southern neighbors,
and Il Is OF record that some OF the
finest cotton In the world is raised
here Last years crop was estimated
al 100000 bales In tho territory and
nearly as much more In the Indian
lands This necesstated much hand
labor, northern lahorefs would not
nick cotton willingly or cheaply Ne
rroes were hired and the thousands Of
northern farmers had their first ex-
perlence with negro labor In the fields.
AZ first they were awkward In hand
ttoer a bnf 0uatip they took un tho