The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-05-31
THE INDIAN BILL.

reported from the conference COM
mittee has passed the house and is
now before the senate, if in fact it
has not already passed that body.
It's principal feature as pertains to
conditions in the Indian Territory
is that it provides additional duties
and increases the powers of the
Dawes commission. Then the bill
came up for discussion in the
senate, the expected objection on
the part of Senator Walthall of
Mississippi was interpOsed but
without the successful effect that
characterized his similar effort
when the Platt amendment was
knocked out few weeks since. In
the discussion of the objection
Senator Teller championed the
adoption of the report. Among
other things he said:
I am going to contend that this
is in order, and if the senate thinks
it is not in order, and that there is
not a necessity for this legislation
which would justify the senate in
departing from its customary rule,
the way to meet it is TO vote down
this report. Then the committee
will know what they have to do
We attempted in the early days of
the session, but that is some time
since, to put up this bill provis
ion which the chair held to be out
of order. The senate did not vote
on it, but it was declared to be ont
of order under the rules. This is
very differeut proposition, how
ever, from the one which was
declared to be out of order, for
that was proposition which con-
tained all of this provision and
very much more. 1t contained a
provision for the allotment and
distribution of lands of the In
dians, and in that respect at least
it was repeal of existing law.
This provides simply that com
mission which we have appointed,
and to which we have given certain
powers, may have additional
powers, and that is all theirs is OF
it. 1t Is simply an extension of
the authority already given to
them, recognized in the statute
now. | will admit that it is an ex-I
tension. and that it is detailed
statement of what they should do
or what they might do without that
detailed statement, if they saw fit"
ReturninQatO the merits of the
question: observed: Il want
to go to the Question a moment,
whether there is any necessity for
legislation at all here, and whether,
after all, there is any such outrage
as the senator from Mississippi and
the senator from New Hampshire |
seem to think there has been upon
the senate. 1t is not expected that |
Il matter of this kind would escape
the attention of the senate. We
knew very well that when this re-
port came before the senate it
would be thoroughly discussed. !
We knew that, with the great |
lobby which was hanging around |
this senate, with nearly all of the /
attorneys of the community en-
ployed. there would be some OBJ
lection made to the report, and /
therefore we kept it as near as we
could within the rule that we
thought had been sometimes re
as acceptable and unOb- +
jectiOnable.
Mr.. President, | do not intend
to waste much time upon this ex-
cept to say that we have in the In
dian Territory a question which
has got to be settled in the interest
Of good government, which has
got to be settled in the interest of
The Indian; to be settled in the
of the great mass of the
Indians, and the mass of white {