. Cyclopedia of American government . ntly overlooked and re-mained vacant. After years of agitation thistract was thrown open to settlement April 22,1889. A rush of some 100,000 homeseekerssettled these lands in a day. The tract wasdesignated Oklahoma, distinguishing it fromthe Indian Territory. No provision for government had been madeby Congress in this new territory, and thus the60,000 permanent settlers found themselves bearing on the future government of the terri-tory, as the excellent Nebraska system of localadministration at once went into effect. Atthe beginning, the territory, embra
. Cyclopedia of American government . ntly overlooked and re-mained vacant. After years of agitation thistract was thrown open to settlement April 22,1889. A rush of some 100,000 homeseekerssettled these lands in a day. The tract wasdesignated Oklahoma, distinguishing it fromthe Indian Territory. No provision for government had been madeby Congress in this new territory, and thus the60,000 permanent settlers found themselves bearing on the future government of the terri-tory, as the excellent Nebraska system of localadministration at once went into effect. Atthe beginning, the territory, embracing a tractof less than 3,000 square miles, located in thewest-central part of the original Indian Ter-ritory, was rapidly expanded by subsequentopenings until in the year 1901, its limitstouched the Kansas and Texas lines and itsarea was multiplied ten times. The Enabling Act.—This act, signed by Pres-ident Roosevelt June 14, 1906, provided forthe joining of Oklahoma Territory and IndianTerritory and their admission as one BOUNDARIES OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA, SHOWING TERRITORIAL CHANGES without a vestige of government or a basis onwhich to proceed in forming one. The Okla-homa cities met this crisis; within a weekmass meetings of citizens were assembled, res-olutions outlining a form of city governmentwere adopted, temporary officials were selected,viva voce, and a day set for electing permanentofficials. In less than two weeks these electionshad been held, and city governments were infull operation. Though these governments hadno legal basis, being founded solely on the con-sent of the citizens, they operated efficiently;the mayors orders were obeyed, the ordinancespassed by the city councils were complied with,and the jurisdiction assumed by the policecourts was accepted, in both civil and criminalcases. No further governmental organizationoccurred until, after more than a year, a dila-tory Congress took action. Congress then out-lined (May 2, 1890) a frame of gov
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