OKLAHOMA 



Kansas & Texas; the Wichita Falls & North- 

 western; the Missouri, Oklahoma & Gulf; the 

 Midland Valley; the Fort Smith & W 

 the Missouri Pacific; the Kansas City, Mexico 

 & Orient; the Kansas City Southern, and the 

 Oklahoma Central. There are 71,325 miles of 



OKLAHOMA 



public roads, only 500 miles of which are yet 

 paved. The control of railways and other pub- 

 lic-service corporations is vested in a board of 

 three commissioners, whose decisions may be 

 appealed only to the supreme court of the state 

 of Oklahoma. 



Government and History 



Government. The present constitution, which 

 adopted when Oklahoma was admitted to 

 the Union, contains many provisions which in 

 other states are subjects of amendments and 

 purely legislative enactments. Amendments 

 may originate in either house of the legislature 

 or among the people ; but must be adopted by 

 a majority in both houses and by the voters. 

 Constitutional conventions may^ be held only 

 with the approval of the people on a referen- 

 dum vote. All male citizens, including those 

 of native Indian descent who have resided in 

 the state one year, in the county six months 

 and in the precinct thirty days, may vote, pro- 

 viding they can read and write the Constitution 

 in English. Women may vote in school elec- 

 tions. In the election of state senators, voters 

 may express first and second choice. 



The legislature, which meets biennially, con- 

 sists of a senate of not more than forty-four 

 members, elected for four years, and a house 

 of representatives of not more than 109 mem- 

 bers, elected for two years. In 1915 there were 

 forty-four senators and ninety-nine representa- 

 tivt's. The initiative and referendum are in 

 efifect. 



The executive power is vested in the gov- 

 ernor, lieutenant-governor, secretary of state, 

 attorney-general, treasurer, superintendent of 

 public instruction, commissioners of labor, 

 charities and corrections and insurance, mine 

 inspector and state examiner, all of whom are 

 elected for terms of four years. The governor, 

 secretary of state, auditor and treasurer are 

 not eligible to immediate reelection. 



The judicial department consists of a su- 

 preme court, district, county and municipal 

 courts and justices of the peace. The supreme 

 court consists of a chief justice and four judges, 

 elected for six years. The state is divided into 

 twenty-one judicial districts, each having a 

 judge, elected for four years; county judges 

 are elected for terms of two years. There are 

 justices of the peace in each county and two in 

 each city of over 2,500 inhabitants. 



Each county is organized into a corporate 

 body under three county commissioners. Cities 



of 2,000 or more inhabitants may frame their 

 own governments and may exercise the initia- 

 tive and referendum. The manufacture and 

 sale of liquors is forbidden until 1928, when the 

 question will come before the voters, unless 

 forestalled by national prohibition. Child-labor 

 laws, mothers' pensions and workmen's com- 

 pensation acts have been passed. 



History of the Indian Country. Oklahoma 

 was probably first explored by the Spanish in 

 the sixteenth century. The territory was in- 

 cluded in the Louisiana Purchase, and was set 

 apart by the United States in 1834 as an un- 

 organized territory for the use of the "Five 

 Civilized Tribes," the Cherokees, Creeks, Semi- 

 noles, Choctaws and Chickasaws. These tribes 

 established governments on civilized models, 

 having legislative councils, governors, courts 

 and schools. In 1866 the Creek Indians ceded 

 part of their domain in Indian Territory to 

 the United States for thirty cents per acre and 

 the Seminoles sold their entire holdings at half 

 that price per acre. 



White men were forbidden by law to settle 

 within the Indian domains, and great tracts 

 of this region for a long time remained un- 

 occupied. In 1880 it was necessary to use 

 troops to dislodge settlers who had crept into 

 the territory. On April 22, 1889, the vacant 

 lands were declared open for settlement. The 

 expectant pioneers had to be kept back by 

 troops until the hour of the opening of the 

 lands, and then a mad race for the best farms 

 and town sites followed. There was a great 

 movement of settlers from Texas, Arizona, 

 Missouri and Kansas, and additional lands 

 were opened. Towns and cities were "boomed," 

 and the foundations of the large industries of 

 the state were soon established. 



As an Organized Territory and State. From 

 the western half of the unorganized Indian 

 lands, the Territory of Oklahoma was created 

 March 2, 1890, and agitation for statehood 

 soon followed. In 1891 its admission as a state 

 was defeated in the Federal Senate. Finally, 

 in 1906, provision was made for the admission 

 of Oklahoma and Indian Territory as one state, 



