Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-03-14
MAKING A CONSTITUTION
Oklahoma Has Been at That Task
For Four Months.
The New Commonwealth Split Into
Many Camps of Differing interests
md Political Beliefs-Geography
nnd Temperament.

Seldom in the history OF state-making
has there been imposed so difficult a task
as that given to the delegates who have
spent the winter framing a code of or
|ganic law for the new commonwealth OF
|Dklahoma. says n special correspondent
|pf the Boston Transcript under date of
Guthrie, OKLA Despite the efforts of the
delegates to give all factions and all in
habitants of the new State square deal
y very popular term in the convention
they have had a hard task.
Oklahoma is divided In two directions
|east and west and north and south. In
|one direction the line is a racial and So
(cial one; in the other political and So
|Fial one.
When II years ago, the first great
r'rush' was made to open the Indian
reservation Of Oklahoma proper to set
Element 1t was from both north ami
fouth. 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 mid
pie West; the southern contingent was
made up almost wholly of neighbors,
jewellers of the Texas farms and ranches
who knew how rich were the acres of the
new lands. These companies Of immi-
grants met and mingled. They were join
ed four years later by other similar COM
ranies from the same sections who made
he rush into the Cherokee Strip.
hen, in 1908. was the opening of the
southwestern reservation by lot and other
thousands drew claims, they likewise be-
ng separated in residence. Perhaps tho
percentage of Southerners in the latter in
stance was the greater when the sitting
process and the buying and selling OF
,hances We're over.
The eastern end Of the new common
wealth has been Indian land for CEN
ury Of Western settlement. The five
civilized tribes, now numbering about
900, have controlled every foot of ground
md every policy subject only to the fed
fral government. When the whites began
fncroaching upon the Indians and towns
were started. railroads were built and oil
wells We're developed, the Immigration
WAS naturally large from the neighborinu
ftates-Texas on the south. Arkansas on
he east ana Missouri and Kansas on the
hortheast and north. So the population of
he eastern end. now about the same as
hat or the western half, COO, oO0 Is like.
Mise made up of mixture of social
lasses representing all parts of the coun-
ry, the North as well a s the South.
When the delegate convention was or
Tered and the members were nominated
or election two factions became proml-
bent In the contest-those who had been
mhibng Southern ideas and those who
lad the prejudices of tho North During
he days of development some education
lad been going on in tho Territory itsel,
hat helped to draw certain lines.
Oklahoma Is the latitude of Arkansas
ennessee and South Carolina. Under
he warm skies of the new Territory the
cultivation Of cotton was soon a large
part of the agricultural activity of tn,
|eople. The Northerners learned WAYS
nd means from the Southern ncighhors
nd it is of record that some of the finest
otton in the world is raised here. Last
ears crop was estimated AT 800. 900 bales
b the Territory and nearly as much mort
b the Indian lands This nocessitated
ouch hand labor; Northern laborers
you'd not pick cotton willingly or Cheap.
y. Negroes were hired and the thousand.
Northern farmers had their first ex
erience with negro labor in the fields
It first they were awkward In handlns
but finally they took up tho Southern
RS ways and Oklahoma carried on II
otton raising much as does Texas anC
he other Southern States.
The economic effect was far reaching
nd it has come out strongly in the fran
tg of the constitution. The dominance %
be Southern idea has insensibly bee
Crced upon the Northern residents OWN.
b the large negro population and the neet
labor which pnCoIIrac~ea NJ