Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-09

tory. Not only are the citizens Of Okla
homa proper anxious to be added to the
states Of the Union, but the 'non-citizens"
among the five civilized tribes recognize
that statehood embracing all the Indian
lands with Oklahoma is their only hope
for securing equal rights with their red
skin neighbors.
The people Of the territory are earnestly
working for statehood and great interest
is centered in Washington, because of the
fact that four distinct bills were on the
calendar Of the last Congress providing for
statehood. Some Of them favor separate
statehood for Oklahoma and for Indian ter
ritory. Others favor one state taking in
all.
Thousands of Non-Citixens.
Among the five civilized tribes are thou
sands of ''non-citizens," as they are CALL
ed-white men, unrelated in any way with
the Indians-who can see no chance for
progress for themselves under present con-
ditions. The citizens Of the civilized tribes
are opposed to statehood as they under
stand the subject. and object to the allot-
ment of their lands as 1t has been carried
on among other Indian tribes. The state
hood agitators in Oklahoma realizing
this desire that the lands of the citizens
OF the five tribes be divided into severalty,
without allotment, that is, that the whole
| the members Of the tribes. They desire
that the homesteads be made inalienable and
that each person shall be allowed to sell
as much Of the remainder Of his land as he
chooses.
There are, however, in the tribes a large
number of white men who have secured
| tribal relations and rights by intermar-
| riage and a large number Of mixed bloods
who oppose any change from the present
system. AS the matter stands with them
now every man is entitled to as much land
as he can fence in and in this way the
white citizens and those Of mixed blood
have been enabled by their superior bust
ness sagacity to fence the ignorant full
bloods of the valuable bottom lands and up
onto the high and worthless uplands, which
are hardly fit for grazing purposes. These
| tribesmen have a system OF self-govern-
ment which, while 1t Is advantageous to
some of them. is menace and disgrace
| to the nation at large. 1t hardly COMFORTS
with American ideas of government to have
| within the nations borders autonomies
which practically owe no allegiance to the
common cause. This Is the tate Of af-
| fairs in the five tribes. That their govern
ment is a dismal failure the constantly re-
curing reports of mismanagement of these
nations and a consequent Injustice to those
whom it is the duty of the United States
| to protect will testify. As a matter Of fact
the whole affair Is a comic opera situation
| from calling the citizens of the FIVE tribes
Indians" to their method Of self govern
ment.
hut Few Full BlOods.
For example, the Chickasaw nation. the
most important Of them all, has, accord
ing to the census of 1890, a population Of
3,464 Indians" OF these less than 800 are
full bloods the rest being mixed bloods
or whites with tribal relations Many of
the mixed bloods are SO white that 1t is
hard to credit the idea that they possess
drop of Indian blood. The white popu-
lation in the Chiskasaw country in 1880
was 1914.
Among the Cherokees there are &c, 900 In
dams, of whom less than $1,000 are full
bioods. The same ratio obtains among
other tribes.
nevertheless. that there are more blanket
Indians in Oklahoma than in Indian ter
rltory, and that more genuine Indians are
seen on the streets of Oklahoma City and
Guthrie than in any two towns in any of
the so-Called Indian territory.
| The situation is made worse by the fact
that among all of these tribes are thou
sands of citizens Of the United States.
called 'non-citizens," who have no voice In
the government; who are heavily taxed for
the privilege of living; who have no school
privileges for their children. Yet they are
the men who are doing the practical work
or building up and developing the resources
of the territory. In the cities of Ardmore
and Purcell. south of Oklahoma proper are
business men who have erected yalua BILE
buildings on lands to which they cannot
have any title, and on which a fiimsy lease
executed to an Indian landlord runs from
year to year.
1t is, therefore, the mon citizen" element
In the Indian territory which has accom-
plished all that has been done in the coun-
try, and these men are not allowed to pur-
chase homes or educate their children
while intermarried whites those with a
microscopic dilution of Indian blood hold
from 10000 to 10000 acres of land and are
| landlords with hundreds Of tenants
| The Mixed Judiciary
The judiciary of the Indian territory
is badly patched up affair. There are five
| conflicting sources of justice. The Indians
themselves have local jurisdictions, con-
nected with which are barbarous whippings
and executions by shooting. The Indian
agents are empowered to enforce certain
federal statutes and have an Indian police
to carry out their orders. Two distinct
United States courts, one at Paris. Tex,
and one at Fort Smith. Ark, have the
power of life and death over the people of
Indian territory, the home federal court Of
these people being little more than a big
justice of the peace's shop.
The Indian territory Is country ex-
ceeiingly rich in natural resources, pro-
ducing everything that is grown In the
middle southern states, with which it will
be properly Classed. 1t has large fields of
coal, aSphaltum and other minerals, and
timber in large quantities, and it produces
abundantly cattle. cotton, corn, fruit and
small grains. 1t is capable of main tanning
as large a population as an equal area Of
any state in the Union.
In Oklahoma and Indian territory are
1,370 miles of railroad which now pay not
one cent of tax. The valuation Of railroad
property, reckoned at $3.50 per mile for
purposes of taxation, is S10273 500. and a I
per cent tax would yield sil09iO. More rail-
roads are building and will be built.
In spite of the want of civil government
in SOite of the unsatisfactory and insecure
conditions. the amount of taxable property
held by the 300, GOA mericans in the two ter
ritories is enormous. The total amount of
the taxable property is estimated at about
$40 213, 900, which. taxed at the rate of per
cent would produce revenue for govern
mental purposes of 50, $40, 900. At present the
money appropriated by the United States
for territorial government is Sl7. 9OO out of
which is paid the governors salary the
salaries of three judges and secretary the
expenses of the Secretary's office and a con-
tipCent fund.
Educational Interests Demand Self
Government.
The educational interests of both terri
tories would seem to demand self-govern-
ment. In the present situation of affairs
| in Oklahoma the avenues through which in
dividuals and communities are educated are
INSTRUCTED at every step. 1t is impossible
! under the territorial rule to esta blish a pop
ular system of common school education.
There are no grants Of land that can be
properly used for that purpose These VIII