The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-02-14
FROM WASHINGTON.
An Exhaustive Letter From Hon. ". A.
ofProposed Territory Legislation.


here, l have not written sooner for
publication.
On my return TO Washing.9n, I
found that the Dawes commia ,ion
had changed front, to a certain ex-
tent, and instead Of recommending
a Territorial government, for the In
dian Territory and the destruction
Of the Indian government, they had
recommended a bill destroying the
Y jurisdiction Of the Indian courss, and
comforting On the United States, ju-
risdiction over all cases, civil. crimi-
nal, and probate, between citizens Of
the indian tribes or in which the In
dians are the sole parties; and also
I 9-ovid ng for lIe designation OF town
sites and for the organization OF mu-
nicipai governments, but containing
no provision by which non-citizens
could acquire titles to lands on which
they had made Improvements. They
I also recommended that improve
ments on lots be declared personal
I property and subject to taxation for
the support Of the municipal govern
Inent.
Being directly interested in the
townsite legislation was not pleased
with the arrangement the Dawes
commission had suggested. I DO not
believe it practicable % organize mu-
nicipal governments and tax only
Y personal property for their support.
The amount Of taxes could be limited,
aud doubtless VII be limited, but a
municipal government existing only
a1ove the surface Of the earth Is un-
::rard OF, aud in my opinion, cannot
81 suit to the public good.
The Dawes commission 10 not dis
lis, the fact that their purpose is
Ito cut OF the revenue Of the Indian
.yizens who are wen pleased with
/ present conditions and who have
. p t-retofore obstructed end defeated
i.-s efforts to bring about a different
g.. ndition there.
In conversation with two members
% the commission today, called
their attention to the fact that IL
such a bill should be passed and
cuforced, il would disrupt the con-
dit'ons prevailing in the Territory
ai.i cause untold injury and ruin
among our people, and their reply
was that any legislation put in oPer-
alton there, by which the condition
would be changed, would necessarily
cause commotion, disorder, injury
and ruin for a time.
The fact they have abandoned the
idea OF organizing a territorial gov
ernment and of making provision
FOR the non-citizens to acquire title
- town lots, is due somewhat TO the
interferences of the President, and
somewhat to the fact that some per
sons in high positions have made
prominent their opinion that ccn-
gress is without power TO change the
tenure by which the Indians hold IL
tie to their land or to provide any
means by which non-citizens can ac-
quire titles TO town lots without the
consent of the Indians.
Just how rluch Of the recomenda-
tions made by the 'awes commits
sion TO the subcommittee will be
adopted by them, il is impossible, al
present, to say. an quite sure
they ought not to adopt the Provis-
ion furnishing the leasing Of land by
I the Indians, or the paying OF rent by
\ tie non-citizens- Such punishment
fer acts that involve no moral tur-
pitude, ought not to be inflicted on
anybody.
The letter written by Mr.. A. {.
Cruee to Judge Stuart in which he
SAYS: 1--WE do think, however, that
a maximum price of say, one thous-
and dollars per acre for business
lots, and two hundred dollars an
acre for resident lots would be all
that the Indians could in equity ask.
This would be a heavy price for Us
to pay, still We could afford to pay
this without involving ourselves in
ruin, and it would at the same time
place an enormous amount Of money
in the Indian treasury" coming as
il does at this time, viii furnish the
Indians a dangerous weapon with
which to strike US. This letter was
unfortunate, for IL our people are
willing to pay any such price for
town lots, have greatly misrepre-
sented them since ! have been here.
The members Of the Dawes com
} mission, individually, agree with us
I that the value contributed to town
lots by the capital and enterprise Of
the non-citizens ought be treated as
! part Of the improvements and the
. nor-citizens ought to be permitted