The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1894-01-10

district as the one in which Paris is
situated, with men of spleudid ability
who wsuId Eke tosuceced him.
can but think also that Mr.. Gaines
Is mistaken in doubling the frivolous
and facetious remarks which he as
cribes to Congressman Culberson in
response to his colleague, Mr.. Bailey's
noble protest in our behalf, wherein
Mr.. Culberson is made to say that he
once told Mr.. Ledbetter o. Ardmore
in reply to the same proposition that
"when the people of Texas went to
the territory and got into devilment
they should be taken back to their
old vicinage to be tried and punished.
Assuredly man of his reputation
for broad and comprehensive states
manship never made such a reply as
that to the appeal Of 100000 white
citizens of the United States in this
territory aud 10000 Indians, which
latter in ncludc intermArricd white citi-
Zens and every amalgamated phase of
the two races, for these judicial tenta-
cIes at Paris and Fort Smith reach
and embrace all alike in their renorse-
less coil.
Not only are the defendants drag
ged to those distant tribunals, often
hundreds of miles away, but clouds
Of witnesses are transported thither
for both the prosecution and toe de-
fense, forced from their homes and
daily pursuits. The only logical rea-
son that has ever been assigned for
this is that the juries of the Indian
t. rritory would be dominated by the
T. uinal classes or in symp: thy wit
them and thus defeat the ends of JUS
tice. This has a simple answer. 1t is
not true. | uuhesitatingly assert
agaiE and appeal to Judge Shackle-
ford, and to every official in this terri
tory for the truth of my assertion,
that no more law abiding and intelli-
gent juries are impaneled in any state
of this union, nor who would moro
fearlessly administer the law. They
would have the highest incentive and
interest to prompt them, which it is
impossible for jury in remote and
foreign Jurisdiction to feel.
The great mass of tho rapidly in
creasing white population ofthis ter
rirory are upright, industrious and
progressive, AS to what is called the
Indian population it embraces those
of great wealth, intelligence aud a
love of law and order. The white
population of this territory alone is as
large as the entire population of New
Mexico and twice the population Of
Arizona. Aud when Mr.. Gaines as
sarts that they have no rights only
such as the Indian sees proper to con-
fer he speaks without knowledge of
the subject He should know that
the entire system of the laws of the
state of Arkansas are extended over
this territory as far as may be appli-
cable and that the constitution of the
United States and the laws thereof
prevail within these confines to which
all are amenable and by which oil are
projected. What we need is the
courts 10 administer them and cloth
ed with complete jurisdiction. Ii is
clearly expressed by Attorney Gener-
al O!ney in his recent official report
as follows:
"EStaDIlSn local courts Invested with
Jurisdiction adequate to the prOtec-
ton of ofpersons and property so situa-
ted as to be convenient to the people
and communities to be served, and so
organized. with juries drawn from
the neighnorhood and in all other par
ticulars to give to citizens of the Uni
ted States in the Indian territory sub
stantiallv the same facilities in the
matter of the administration of jus
tice as exist throughout the country
at large"
That is all we ask. There Gre now
in round numbers some $500 civil and
criminal c. ses on the federal court
dockets of this territory and only one
Judge to try them. 1t is gross injus-
tice for congress to longer withhold
relief. We must have an increase of
jndges and with them complete iuris-
diction.-F G. BARRY in Dallas News