The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1899-09-10
GOV. JOHNSTON'S MESSAGE.
CONDITIONS CONFRONTING THE
PRESENT ADMINISTRATION.
The Chickasaw Nation 10 Practically Out
OF Debt--Money Spent In Litigation.
Urges the Protection of the Ma
tIon's Lands w ouId Repeal Etc.

Following is the message of Gov
ernor d. H. Johnston to the Chick
asaw legislature at their recent as
sembling at Tishomingo:
Tishomingo, 1. T., Sept. 5.-To the
members of the senate and
house of representatives of the
Chickasaw nation, in legislature as
sembled: Gentlemen-After twelve
of a=duous labor as your chief
executive l now confront you for the
purpose of delivering to you for your
and consideration this
my first annual message. One year
ago as you well know, by the suffrage
of the Chickasaw people l took upon
the responsibilities as their
public servant, and from the hour of
my installation, the peoples pros
perity and happiness have steadfastly
renamed the uppermost thought that
controls my actions.
You gentlemen know the "hercu-
lean" task which then lay before
me. The changed conditions arising
under the Curtis act, and the Atoka
agreement, providing for the laying
out of townsites, the allotting of
lands in severalty, and the making
of the rolls by the Dawes commits
sion, together with all the attending
vexatious contests CT bogus claims
to citizenship, and the new problem
to be solved in dealing with the Unit
ed State authorities. This and more;
the proper disbursement of arrears
of interest, the maintenance of our
courts, the revision of our code of
laws, made necessary to meet the
presidents approval thereto; the ma
tion's finance, the payment of the
public debt, and the preservation of
public faith; all these have taxed the
administration to the utmost capa
city to meet them in the interest of
public veal, but through it all this
administration has striven faithfully
and persisteDtly to do its full duty.
How far short of it we have fallen
they must Judge, but with your as
sistance, gentlemen, under divine
guidance, we shall continue the path
of duty and we hope at the close to
receive the approval of all patriotic
citizens.
AS you are aware when l went into
office the most serious propc sitIon
which then confronted me was the
national indebtedness exceeding
5000, 900, with warrants from % per
cent to so per cent below par, and a
general distrust of our ability to pay,
producing general alarm among our
creditors. Now our nation is prac-
tically out of debt; warrants at par,
revenues when compared with the
past much increased, with a more
equitable system with money in our
treasury.
You are familiar with the protest
filed against the per capita payment
by certain individual claimants or
alleged "incompetents," which have
delayed it's approval. am convinced
that the only practical, just or equit-
able disbursement of the arrears OF
interest" which can be made is by
an equal distribution of this fund
among the whole Chickasaw people,
which would amount 10 about $50
per capita to every man, woman and
child, and the poor among our citi-
zens are much in need of it, and al
though delayed by this protest, l am
still hopeful that the bill may yet be
appr owed, since the department has
been fully advised as a result of the
investigation held recently before
United States Indian Inspector j.
George Wright.
Appealed citizenship cases = An
other question of momentous inter-
est to the whole nation with which
the former legislature had to deal,
was to provide for appealing to the
supreme court of the United States
the cases decided in favor of some
six or eight hundred applicants for
citizenshlplby the United States court
for the southern district.
An act was approved by the presi-
dent appropriating $50. 900 to be plac-
ed to the credit of the governor with
which to pay attorneys fees, court
costs, printing briefs in these cases
and for contesting freedom claims
and all other litigation in the inter-
est of the nation; and for your in
formation 1 desire to state, before
this money was available, / was COM
naIlad to borrow large sums of money