The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-02-13

Territory is enacted, will be on the
lines of the Curtis bill. This may or
NAV not be true. That measure is
still awaiting the reassembling OF the
house Indian affair committee.
Consideration of it will be resumed
at the next meeting of the committee
which will be next Thursday, the 10th
instant.
In the Senate some two or three
measures have been introduced, en-
bodying separate features of the Cur
tbs bill. Last week Senator Jones in
troduced a bill authorizing the Dawes
commission to revise the rolls of all
the nations. This week he has intro
duced bills referring many of the
main contentious between the In
dams. and between the Indians and
the government, to the court of claims
for final adjudication; and granting
the rejected citizenship claimants
additional rights. He has also in
troduced another measure granting
towns the power to condemn Indian
1huQm anu RA4NdIC PAOROAhJ AOA P4OA@
improvements.
Extended reference to these meas
ures is given in another part of this
communication.
Much has been said since the inrto-
duction of the Curtis bill, about the
attitude of the Senate, and to what
extent that body will probably go in
cooperating with the house along the
lines of the pending bill.
It will be remembered that the
Curtis bill is essentially a house
measure. 1t does not purport to re-
feet the sentiment of the Senate, or
to indicate, with any degree of GER
tainty, what that body will finally be
willing to do.
The Senate is an original body and
proceed alongSorigipa al lines, in ar
rivlng at any legislative result, and
any forecast of its final action is, in
the very nature of things, highly
problematical. In the house the
membership is large and unwieldy,
and it is necessary to rely almost
wholly upon the recommendations OF
committees. This is not true of the
Senate. In that body the idea of free
and unlimited debate and amendment
and individual sovereignty obtains,
to the utter confusion of all would-be
legislative prophets.
1t might be interesting to apply
these general observations to the
pending Curtis bill: Quite early in
the session a subcommittee was ap-
pointed consisting of members from
the house and senate Indian affairs
committees. This committee met
regularly and considered the Indian
problem in all its phases, and the re-
suits of their sittings was the Curtis
bill. At all the meetings of this com
lnittee the house members took the
lead. The Senators we're present but
did not actively participate. At the
conclusion they said to the house
members, in substance. "You report
bill to your committee. Report il
to the house and pass it, and when il
comes over to us, we will take the
matter up and act"
Just what that meant then an(
means now, is the problem. AS in
dicated above the introduction in the
Senate this week of separate meas
ures embodying the main features o
the Curtis bill, may mean that thu
Senate has it's own ideas of th'
proper procedure, and that it viii
proceed in its own way without re
gard to the Curtis bill.
That the Senate is willing to act oil
general allotment and townsite line
is generally understood. But jus
how and to what extent has not ap
peared. 1t is known that Senate
Pettigrew is in favor of the most radi
cal legislation, while Senator Platt /
conservative in the extreme. Sena
tor Jones goes to neither extreme
but 10 willing to take such action a
the needs of that country demand
To summarize the whole situation
The house has moved one step, an
the senate is still in its tracks. Tn
house has involved the Curtis bill
The senate may wait to see whs
will be done with it, or strike out
independent lines.
Senate bill No. S544 just introduce
by Senator Jones has caused muc
comment this week. 1t contemplate
settlements by the court of claims
many complications and contention
among the various tribes, and b
tween them and the government.
The provisions are, in substanc
as follows:
Tae DelRwares in the Cherokt
nation May, within sixty days aft