The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1899-07-16
CLAIMS OF INCOMPETENTs.


A special from Denison on the
above title has this to say:
On Saturday next counsel repres-
enting the incompetents of the
Chickasaw nation and their heirs,
and the Chickasaw nation Will have
prepared their briefs in the case of the
incompetents and their heirs VS.. the
Chickasaw nation, in which cause
seek to restrain the federal govern
ment from paying out the arrears of
interest on what is claimed is the in
competent fund as a pro rata pay
ment to the Chickasaw people.
These briefs will be presented to
United States Indian Inspector J.
George Wright at Muskogee and will
be sent with his recommendation to
the interior department, Washing
ton, and the act of the Chickasaw
legislature appropriating the arrears
of interest on this fund, amounting
to S272 900, will be either approved
or disapproved by President McKin-
ley If the act is approved then the
S272, 900 will be paid out to the peo-
pie of the Chickasaw nation, taking
all citizens, as the act provides
This will give to each Chickasaw
man, woman and child about $50 per
capita If the act is not approved
by President Mckinley then the
money remains in the hands of the
United States government till such a
time as it Is to be paid out to such
claimant as is entitled to the sum by
law.
The term incompetent" as ap-
piled to the Chickasaw people or
that class of people denominated
under this head is not generally un-
derstood and needs some explana-
ton, as this incompetent" fund
and claim is the subject matter for
the most of the discussion in the
Chickasaw nation at present. While
the Chickasaws we're living in Miss
isssippi, in rich and fertile country,
the president of the United States
was negotiating for their removal to
some portion of the west, the white
people having encroached on their
reservation and holdings, and the
avaricious white mans hand was
grasping for the last holdings of the
Chickasaws east of the Mississippi.
A treaty was finally formulated
whereby all the Chick asaws desiring
to move should move to the country
in the west and those who desired
to stay in Mississippi should take
allotments on their reservation there
Many of the Chickasaws remained in
Mississippi and took their allotments
there, while the great bulk came
west and located on the ground that
is now the ChIckasaw lands, the
community property of the Chicka-
saw nation. In making this treaty
for the final removal of the Chicka-
saws there was large portion of the
people of the nation who were full
bloods and did not even know any
thing of the English language, much
less how to read it and write
it, and were entirely ignorant of all
DAVIS of trade and business t1ansac-
tions, therefore helpless to attend to
their business affairs in removing
their lands in Mississippi or taking
their allotments there. For this
class of people arrangements were
made by the Chickasaw government
and the United States government in
their treaty agreement. The full
bloods and those unacquainted with
the rules of trade wers designated
as incompetents, and the Chickasaw
nation and the United States govern
ment, acting jointly, were their
guardians for their protection. The
case of the incompetents is covered
by article of the treaty of 1884 be-
tween the Chickasaws and the Uni
ted States government.
After referring to article of the
treaty, providing for the protection
of the incompetents of the Chicka-
saw nation while in Mississippi, ar
ticle reads as follows: This fund
shall descend to the husband (or wife }
or husband and children, or wife
and children and in the event of the
death of the father, husband and
wife and one of the children, it shall
descend to the other, but this rule
shall not endure longer than five
years nor in any event longer than
the removal of the Chickasaws west
of the Mississippi river
The Chiekasaws removed from
Mississippi in 1887 to the Chickasav
nation, and it is the contention o.
the Chickasaw people that under the
rule of limitation of five years ant
IL. Z