The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-08-19

the cause OF all our trouble, and
is the reason StandIey, McCur
tain eft al. are such strong SUP
pOrters of the a. reement. They
wCu:d forever damn the ChOc-
taw and Chickasaw people if
they could get their ST., $40, 100
attorney fees on their lease;i
district contracts. Standley
knows perfectly well that we
have evidence in writing that
he obtained his leased district
contract by fraud, and he is
afraid that if his 25 per cent at
torney fees are to be paid by
us we might declare his con
tract null and void, which we
have a legal righs to do, and
which we will do if the agree
ment is defeated. and well he
knows this. That is why he
and his partners in this dis
graceful transaction are work
ing so diligently for the ratifi-
cation of the Atoka agreement
because 1t protects them.
We object to the ratification
of the agreement. for when it is
ratified it becomes a part OF us
and the law of the land, be-
cause we say by our votes that
it suits us, and we will there
fore be debarred from making
any amendments to it, and will
be compelled to live according
to lis terms. from which there
will be no appeal. /
We favor the Curtis bill be-
cause 1t is foreign legislation
and can be amended by a ma
jority Of the Choctaw aud
Chickasaw people, and because e
we know that the United States
is willing to settle up the affairs
of our country according to the
wish of the majority and IN a
just and legal manner.
We favor the Curtis bill for
1t provides, on page 4, Sec. 13,
for the equal allotment of our
lands and guarantees us the
undisturbed possession of our
propOrtionate share, and becaue
we know that after we get our
allotment of land we can peti-
ton congress to give us a pat
ent with a clear title to our
lands, and we know that con
gress will readily consent to
give US such a title.
We favor the Curtis bill be-
cause it only gives to the corpo-
ratlOns and spectators $40 acres
to each lease, while the .:gree-
ment gives them 96U acres.
We save 320 acres on each lease
under the Curtis bill. This
item alone. # we reject the
agreement, saves us over / ,000,-
600 acres.
This provision is enough to
make US vote down the agree
ment.
We are in favor of the Curtis
Oil, because, in section II, it
provides that all land allotted
under its provisions are not
transferable nor taxable, and
can not be taken on mortgage
or for debts of any kind, until
full title is acquired. Now does
not the words until full title
is acquired" show that con
gress expects to give a clear
title when it is demanded by
the Choctaw and Chickasaw
people7
We favor the Curtis bill, be
cause Sec. I9. page s, provides:
That no payment of any mon
ey on any account whatever
shall hereafter be made by the
United States to any of the
tribal governments or to any Of
t1cer thereof for disbursement.
but payment of all sums to
members of said tribes shall be
made under direction of the
secretary of the interior by an
officer appointed by him and
per capita payment shall be
made direct to each individual
ln lawful money of the United
States, and the same shall not
be liable to the payment of
any previous contracted obliga-
ton"
This IS the section that Mr..
Standley and partners in their
leased district deal are afraid
OF. And because this section IS
III the Curtis bill is the reason
he and his partners are work
ing so diligently to have the
Atoka agreement ratified and