The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-07-01
CURTIS BILL a LAW.
Sie"ed by the President and Now on
Fue In the State Departmental
Fight on the Deficiency BIN.

OA' II o'OO y. III.
The agony is over. The Curtis
bill is signed and it is a law and is
now on file in the department of
state.
] The conferees ON the deficiency
bill are still in session. The
trouble in the Northern district
may force committee to take the
names of the towns out of the bill.
The battle of Santiago is raging.
j. F. Nc.
On receipt of this dispatch the
ARDMoREITE asked Delegate S. T
Bledsoe for an expression on the
bill and he replies as follows:
i What do think of the Curtis bill,
and what effect will it have on the
progress and developments of the
country?
OohAAE OAO O1Il DIS d WuO16a
it is a reasonably fair measure, as
fair as could have ever been obtain
ed by the white people resid-
ing in the Indian Territory. The re-
suit of the operation of the bill will
ne the solution and settlement of all
of the questions that have been vex-
ing the people of the Indian Terri
tory for the past eight or ten years.
fhe bill re-submits for ratification
he Atoka treaty in a modified form,
and if adopted, it suspends the op-
Grafton of those portions of the Cur
lis bill that are in conflict with the
provisions of the treaty.
If the Indians adopt the Atoka
treaty as modified, title to town
property will be acquired under
the treaty, to-wit: The owner of
, permanent, substantial and valuable
improvements, other than fences,
> purchase one business and one resi-
dence lot at fifty per cent of apprais-
f ed and balance of improved prop
2 erty at sixty-two and onehalf per
cent. II the Indians do not ratify
the treaty, the towns are sur
veyed and laid out, and the owner
a of improvements, other than fences,
tillage and temporary houses, is en-
titled to remain in possession of such
lots, upon paying to the treasurer of
hA TTnifn6 fAn6nr fn no
J., tribe fifty per cent of the appraised
value and when the tribe makes title
: to all lots it becomes the owner OF
n the money rendered. If owner OF
improvements does not want to buy
f his lot is sold at public auction to
e highest bidder, but the purchaser
. before he can recover possession
. however, he must bring an action to
V condemn the improvements, pay the
owner their assessed value of the
i premises and credited with all i'm
e provements made thereon, and il
- his improvements exceeded in value
the rental value of the premises
j. for the time he had occupied
e it he should be adjudged to hole
IL possession of the premises until the
use thereof would satisfy him for the
:. balance due him for the improve
,e ments 1t is true that the provision
1T in the Curtis bill provides that al
g leases shall terminate January l
1900: but this does not mean that thu
~ Indian will be entitled to possession
ly if the lease has not expired unde
the terms of the contract unless th'
white man has had possession of th'
op land long enough to pay him for hi
improvements.
"a This bill means that the Indial
t. Territory will rapidly cease to be al
C. Indian country. II the indian
adopt the treaty. they can alienat
one-fourth of their land in one year
80 one-fourth in two years and one
no fourth in three years; and it is SAT
:. to say that within five years afte
l. the treaty i adopted three-fourths c
Ia the farming land in the Indian Tel
dc ritory and practically all the town
ct sites will be in the hands OF tn
A. white man and will be on the marke
for sale and transfer. If they q
not ratify the treaty under the pro
II visions of the bill when the Indian
g assigned his allotment and put
of possession thereof he may lease III
der the Curtis bill any or all of b
. allotment for as long a time >as b
sees fit.
With titles to the town propert
ane stability of the country holding
the Indian Territory will prosper {