Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-03-04
ADOPTED
Resolutions by the Ard
more Bar
CALLING THE ATTENTION or
UNITED STATES SENATOR'S
10 GRIEVANCES
MAKE A PROTEST
AGAINST EXTENDING JURIsDIcTIoS
OF FEDERAL COURTS
SO as TO Cause Citizens to Attend
Trials ut Long Distances
From Their Homes.
MAKE A PROTEST
AGAINST EXTENDING JURISDICTION
OF FEDERAL COURTS

Ar1mofe, i. l., MalCn d. Ht AHl
rltory Bar association sent out the fol
lowing interesting address to senators
Teller. Morgan, Plat and others In OPP
position to the Little bill' which
tends to deprive tho United States
court in tho Indian Territory Of anal
Jurisdiction OF all crimes committed
within her borders, which jursdlc-
tion was conferred upon the Territory
court by act OF congress passed Ia
1875 ana which becomes operative the
first of next September!
Ardmorc. /. H., March ., 1896.
senator's Henry N, Teller John Il.
Morgan and Oryille Nj flatt wash
!ugtun. y. G.
Gpntlpmau-WHh feelings Of grateful
remembrance FOR the Invaluable sorry
ices which You have heretofore render
ed In the Senate of tile United states,
Ia the non-Cltlzyu residents OF the IN
dian Territory, as We'll as to the best
interests OF t-ln Indians, and to tine
causes OF progress. ciEill2a ton, justice,
humanity and the true principles Of
American freedom, and believing that
your courage, integrity and patriotism
VIII cause you TO resist amy attempt
to perpetuate an un-Am,rlcan and I'm
just system OF enforcing the law upon
any portion of the people OF our COM
mon country, II matters not how help
less the people may Doe az whose hands
the Injustice ~ aimed, or how powerful
the authors OF the wrong, we respect
fully invite your attention to Il consid-
Grafton OF the following statement OF
facts and principles, and earnestly In
woke continuance OF the courageous
and statesmdn-llk interest which
you have heretofore taken in our af-
fairs.
AS Is well known to you. the non
citizen residents Of thia Territory are
not intruders; they came here by eX-
press invitation and their right to be
here is not questioned by the United
States government or by any well
informed person. II would be n use
less consumption of time to euumerute
the acts of congress, as well as the
conduct of the Indians, which recug-
nice their right These things are well
known to you. The people are here:
they have right to be here They
must have law enforced among them
for the protection Of life, liberty and
the pursuit Of happiness The ques-
| Tons are Have those people right
| to be hcard2 Have they a right to
| complain Of wrong and injustice and
| of a violation OF the fundamental pl'in-
| clples Of American freedom by the gov
eminent In lts dealings with them: or
| are they but so much clay in the pot
| tcr's hands, to be traded on mt the
| whim and caprice OF politicians and In
| order thlt influential constituents Of
! some senators or representatives. may
/ prosper and futten and grow rich BY
| reason OF the wrongs and Injustice
i which may be practiced upon the peo-
] pie OF this Territory. We feel that we
| prc citizens OF the United States, that
! the people OF our common country are
! our friends and brethren: that while
| some who arc Interested In perpetunt-
I iuu "a A u,,I
/ unjustihablc system Of enforcing the
law among us, may, for purposes of
! selG-intercst turn deaf ear to our
complaint, and others. knowing our
! hclplcssness and fearing to Rntagonize
/ those Whose Interest Il IL that these
things shall remain as they are, will
| be deferred from following the natural
| promptinEs of their hearts and COM
] ing TO our relief and to the relief of
| right, justice, freedom and common
humanity. yet we also feel that your
treatment Of our people in the past.
us well MS your entire course In public
and private lie. authorizes us to appeal
with confidence to you, and through
! you to the congress OF the United
states. and through congress 10 the
entire people or the Union. for justice
We are Informed and believe that
nm organized effort IL now being made
TO repeal that portion Qf the act of
! March l, 1895, which was 10 20 into
effect ON September /, 1886 which
gives to the United States courts In the
Indian Territory exclusive Jurisdiction
OF all offences committed here,
Our contention Is that the law civ
ing the courts of this Territory fun
ana complete Jurisdiction of all often
SOS committed here, was but an act of
long delayed Justice; that It's passage
was demanded by existing conditions
and that It could not be defeated with
81 -
pies of freedom and the dictates Of
common Justice and humanity. The
| Declaration OF Independence says that
| the Colonies threw of the British yoke
because among other things England
sent among US "swarms of officers to
hnrass our people and eat out their
: Huhstancef' because We We're Subject
TO Jurisdiction foreign to our consti-
tutlon;' because our people were sub
Ject to be transported beyond the seas
10 be tried for pretended oftensos."
Z The spirit OF every one of these dec
/ lnrations applies to our condition to-
| day. II this spirit still lives, II Ii has
moral. vital power beyond It's name.
We Invoke that spirit ana that power;
we repeat these declarations that our
fathers and your fathers made In l7I6:
and for which they pledged their lives
iheir fortunes and their sacred honor
IT these things were right then, they
are right now. Men may change, but
principles are as eternal as the God
from whom they emnnRte. Our con-
tention Is that they are the birth-right
OF every American citizen, and that
patriots and statesmen can not. and
dare not, refuse them to us because
we may be weak and helpless. or be-
cause those who would Violate these
principles may be strong and innu-
entail.
Congress is estopped from denying
the correctness OF our contention, II
these things are not so, why was the
act OF 1895 passed.? IL II was an act
OF Justice. then what change has taken
The law giving our courts exclusive
jurisdiction has not been shown to
bc defective, unjust or injurious. The
people have made no complaint II
there has been complaint, II has been