The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-03-06

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predecessors, and win be charged
with the rental value ofithe land for
the time it was occupied by their
predecessors as well as by them.
Every non-citizeu in the Indian Ter
ritory, who is the owner of improve
ments upon agricultural lands,
should make up an. accurate state
ment of all improvements placed by
him or his predecessors upon the
land, the condition of the land at
the time it was originally leased, the
amount of labor necessary to reduce
it to state of cultivation, and ali
facts necessary to show fully the
amount of money and labor invested
by him or his predecessors in such
improvements.
[ believe this is the first bill that
has ever had any likelihood of b'
coming law, that has afforded any
protection whatever to the non-citi-
zen farmer in the Indian Territory.
1t was with much difficulty that this
provision was procured to be insert
ed in the bill, but / now believe that
ly and become part of the law of
the land when the Curtis bill passes.
| have felt special interest in this
matter for the reason that at differ
ent times there has been tendency
on the part of some people to charge
that the towns have not taken a
proper interest in procuring legisla-
ton protecting the farming interest.
l wish to say that every townsite
delegate rendered all the assistance
in his power in securing this legisla-
ton, and that the townsite people
have fought for the rights of the
farming interests as strongly as they
have for those of the towns. We
have felt that the country is largely
dependent upon the towns, and the
towns almost wholly dependent upon
the country, and that a feeling of
frier dship and confidence should ex-
ist between them at the present time
when all that each has is involved
in the pending legislation. 1 know
ment of the people of Ardmore that
l should use every effort while in
Washington to see that the farmers
of the Chickasaw nation were as
fully protected as possible in what
ever legislation should be enacted.
The chances are that this bill will
become a law within sixty days from
the present time, unless some un-
foreseen incident should occur to
prevent it's passage. The Indian
committees of both the senate and
the house have determined that the
Curtis bill shall pass during this ses-
sion of congress, and it looks now
as if only a miracle could prevent its
passage.
The bill, in itself, contains many
Objectionable features, and some of
us are bound to suffer considerable
losses on account of it's passage; but
it is a long step towards the final So
luton of the condition of affairs ex-
listing in the Indian Territory. 1t is
true that by the bill only the posses
sion of the land is allotted to the in
dividual Indian allottee, but in my
opinion this bill, If passed at this
session of congress, will in a short
time, enforce the allotment of titles
Under the present condition of af-
fairs the Curtis bill will afford an op-
portunity for much controversy, and
the utmost good faith should be ex-
ercised by all parties in their deal
ings with each other under these
conditions. Every man, be he white
man or Indian, should keep his con-
tract to the letter, and do what is
fair and honorable, Notwithstanding
this bill may relieve him of some OF
the liabilities and obligations that he
has heretofore assumed. In this
way, working all together, 1 believe
that results very favorable to the de-
velopment of the country and to the
interest OF all the people, will be
realized from this, the opening
event in the solution of the Indian
Territory problem.
shall return to Washington as
soon as the Curtis bill reaches the
senate, to renew my efforts in be-
half of legislation and the procuring
of some amendments to be made to
the bill, which will, hope, if we are
able to obtain them, relieve some OF
the hardships that will be caused by
some of the present provisions
therein. S. 7. BLEDsoE.
Children and adults tortured by
burns, scalds, injuries, eczema or
skin diseases may secure instant re-
lief by using DeWitt's Witch Hazei
1 Ill V% l. h. l.