Should Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico Become States? 1904

"Shall Oklahoma, Arizona and New Mexico Become States?" from the Cherokee Scout, Murphy, N.C., published Tuesday, February 23, 1904

Statehood for Territories

Washington, Feb. 19—As the result of the territorial hearings for statehood, the prediction is made from reliable sources that a bill will be reported in the near future from the House Committee on Territories joining Oklahoma and Indian Territory into a single state under the name of Oklahoma. This state bill will not be admitted, however, until after the allotment of lands by the Dawes Commission has been entirely completed and the school land question has been settled. This, it is estimated, will take at least two years. The state, when admitted, as is expected, will have a population of 800,000, and will be divided into four Congressional districts. Later a bill will be reported admitting Arizona and New Mexico as a single state, but this latter proposition will not be pressed for some time.