St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1888-08-04
THE OKLAHOMA BILL.
The Friends Of the Measure Speak in It's
Favor In the House.

Inc Fr1enGS OF the measure SPEAK HI HIS
Favor In the House.
WASHINGTON, July %. - Congressman
Burnes, of Missouri, who as q member Of
the Appropriations Committee had charge
of the Deficiency bill, having kindly con-
sented to give way to the consideration Of
the Oklahoma bill, that measure was given
right of way yesterday and the debate
consumed the entire time up to the hour Of
adjournment.
General Hooker, of Mississippi, who had
always been sentimentalist on the Indian
question, was the only opponent to speak.
He took the position that the bill was in
violation of treaty stipulations and argued
that Congress had no power to create q
Territorial Government over any part Of
the Indian Territory, dissenting from the
decisions of Attorney General Garland
and Judge Brewer in regard to the legal
status of the Cherokee outlet. The greater
portion of his speech was directed against
the established policy Of the Government
as declared in the Indian Severalty act,
which had little application, however, to
the pending bill.
General Hooker was followed by Mr..
Stockdale, Of Mississippi, on behalf of the
bill in most effective and eloquent speech.
He had examined the bill carefully and
found it to be just to the Indians and
equitable in all its provisions. 1t was in
no respect open to the objections urged so
strongly by his colleague, General Hooker.
The rights of the Indians were fully re-
spected, while vast and fertile country,
now the refuge of criminals and bar
barians, was proposed to be opened to a
Christian civilization. The supporters of
the bill were the true friends of the
Indians.
1t was impossible and impolitic, the
speaker urged, to attempt to arrest the
march of empire. For one he would not
contribute to preserve the Indian Terri
tory included in the bill to barbarism and
crime, while it was the duty and in the
power of Congress to give it good govern
ment, and by the establishment of the
church and the school house confer upon it
all the blessings Of civilized society. His
colleague, he said, might be contented to
plead for the continuance of barbarism,
but with pride in the history and progress
of the Anglo-Saxon race on this continent
he preferred the reign of law and order,
the development of wealth and the estab-
lishment of happy homes, which would be
secured by the passage of the Oklahoma
bill.
Mr.. White of New York, Mr.. Peel of
Arkansas, Mr.. Cannon of Illinois and Mr..
Perkins of Kansas spoke earnestly for the
bill, while Mr.. Cobb, of Alabama, argued
against it. As chairman of the Committee
on Indian Affairs Mr.. Peel earnestly urged
the imperative necessity for the establish
ment of Territorial government and the
of E1Sb fo mt
country, he said, was the refuge of crimi-
mails and villains from all parts of the
United States and therefore the welfare of
the Indians would best be subserved by
the establishment of the proposed govern
ment. Mr.. Cannon said that he had here
tofore expressed his views in favor of the
policy involved in the measure. He had
visited the country and witnessed the de-
plorable condition of affairs that existed
there. In his judgment there would be lit
tie opposition to the proposed legislation
were it not for the cattle syndicates now
in illegal possession of the country. He
charged that these syndicates bribed the
Indians to obtain their illegal leases, and
they were always present in the lobby OF
Congress to try and defeat this character
of wholesome legislation. st
Judge PERKINS urged the passage OF tne
| bill in pertinent and eloquent argument
He said that the country it proposed to or
ganize was practically unoccupied. With
out this protection of local law and in this
| illegal control Of the cattle companies Ok
lahoma had become menace to the peace
and security of the surrounding States.
The poor people of the county, the pio-
neers Of civilization, needed this land fox
homesteads, and they ought to have it.
Judge Perkins appeal for the passage OF
the bill was most convincing and effective