The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1899-03-15
WASHINGTON LETTER.
CORPORATION BILL DID NOT
PASS CONGRESS.
Department of Juotice Will Likely Rule
Against the Cattlemen - Notes and
Personal From the National Govern
mcnt Scat.
Special to the Ardmoreite.

Washington, March 11.-The
cattlemen of Texas. Kansas and
contiguous states have been here
i'll force during the last week ap-
pealing to the Secretary of the In
teriOr not to enforce the provis-
ions of the Curtis law which pre-
clude the leasing of grazing lands
to outside parties after the first
day of April next. until the lands
in the Greek and Cherokee nations
can be allotted. As this will re-
quire at least six months, it virtu-
ally means that all the cattle in
the Greek or Cherokee nations
must be driven out by the first Of
April, unless a different intcrpre-
tation is placed on the Curtis law
from that of the Secretary of the
Interior. The question has been
submitted 10 the Attorney General
for his decision, but there is little
hope that he will hold different
from the Secretary of the Interior
If the decision of Secretary Hitch
cock is sustained it will mean that
every head of cattle in the Greek
and Cherokee nations must be
driven out by the first day of April;
that the Indians will receive no
remuneration for their grazing
lands until all allotments can be
made, thus causing a serious loss
to the cattlemen, the Cherokee and
| Greek nations and the Kansas City
and St Lous commission mer-
chants. The loss to all parties
concerned will amount to several
/ hundred thousand dollars. Sec
retary Hitchcock is anxious tC do
whatever he can to subserve all the
parties interested. but the provis-
ions of the Curtis law relating to
the leasing Of lands is mandatory
and leaves no discretion with him.
\ large delegation of Kansas
City aud St Louis commission
merchants arrived in the city the
latter part of last week and made
strenuous appeals to the Secretary
of the Interior not to enforce the
Curtis law in relation to the leas-
ing of grazing lands, laying par
ticular stress upon the hardShipS
which would necessarily result
therefrom. They called attention
to the losses which the cattlemen
commission merchants and Indians
would sustain. Secretary Hitch
cock informed them that at the
present time he cannot announce
his decision in regard to the cattle
already IN the Greek and Cherokee
nations, but that his former de-
cisiOn prohibiting additional cattle
from being driven into the nations
must be sustained
The whole question has been re-
ferred. as stated above, to the At
torney General, and upon his de-
. cision rests the fate Of all the par
. ties interested.
In this connection it is interest
ing 10 note that under the United
States statutes and the laws of the
Creek and Cherokee nations the
leasing of Indian lands to indi
viduals for grazing purposes i:
prohibited and made an offensC
, punishable by fine and imprison
ment. For years eattlemen o
Kansas and Texas and adjacen
states have been evading the Law
by executing a bill of sale of thci
cattle to some member of the Creel
and Cherokee nations with the un
derstandlng that they would pa,
for the pasture used and that whel
the cattle were ready for marke
they were to be transferred to tn
owner. This made the evading 0
the national and tribal statute
comparatively easy and it has bee
resorted to for years past, and thi
: fact will undoubtedly operat