The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-07-08

The Substance Of the Memorial to-
tine Interior Department.

tine interior Department.
In conversation yesterday with
Mr.. H. Aronson, chairman Of the
committee recently appointed by
the Business Mems League for the
purpose of drafting a memorial to
the interior department. the re-
porter learned that the committee
had completed its work. Mr..
Aronson said in regard to the
work of the committee:
The committee was in confer
ence Friday with the attorneys
employed by the Business Mems
League and a strong protest and
memorial to the interior depart
ment was drafted.
In the GIobe-Democrat Of July
4, under the caption, Will Enforce
the Law was a long article giving
the Indians side of the tax con-
troversey. In that article it is
clearly evident that Inspector
Wright has misquoted the facts in
urging upon the department the
necessity of sending troops here to
enforce the payment of the l per
cent, tax, for it is stated that the
merchants had banded together to
resist payment and that the Indians
cannot obtain justice. ]"
Continuing Mr.. Aronson said:
THE business men consider the
fact a strange one that j. George
Wright. who is supposed to act
without favoritism as an inter
mediary between the whites and
Indians and Independently as q
representative of the United States
government, should become the at
torney for the Indian government
before the interior department
He made no effort to learn the in
tention and purpose of the Busi-
ness Mems League previous to hi:
ex parte showing before the de
partment.
I'VE deny emphatically," sale
Mr.. Aronson, that we have re
fused to pay this tax, but sinpl,
insist upon our constitutional RICH
Of appeal to the higher courts Il
test the validity of the law under
which we are asked to pay taxes
It seems that the Indian author
tiles are afraid to abide by the de
cision of the higher courts on thi
question. for as soon as the!
learned Of our intention to appea
the case to test the constitution
I ality of the law they got scarce
and sent Wright to Washington t,
ask for troops to force us to pa.
at once.
We are not intruders in an,
4 sense of the term.'' declared Mr.
Aronson, warmly, for we hav
+ paid our permit tax of ST. pc
capita and are entitled to remain
in the Territory for one year unde
the present law of the tribe. A
to the Indian being unable to oh
tain justice in the courts of tn
Southern district, this is bare as
sertion with nothing to support il
because Judge Townsend refuse,
} to eDjoin the collection of thes
taxes, and no effort has ever beeI
made at any time in his court b.
the tribal authorities to enforc
the $1,000 penalty against intrud
ers."
Referring again to the l per cent
tax, Mr.. Aronson said: We pa,
an occupation tax to the city an,
we get full protection to our prop
erty in return. The money
used for the good of the publ
and we eyer have the right 70 de
: mand information as to how it i
used. What protection do we re
ceive from the Indian governmen
in return for the money we ar
asked to pay! None whatever
We do not even know where tn
money goes.
: Our memorial is a strong on
and. we think the secretary Of tn
interior will and should decide t,
investigate the conduct of the In
dian government rather than listel
to the demand Of j. George Wrigh
for troops to oyerrun the Chicka
asaw nation and trample on on
legal rights. IL the higher court
hOl1 kLok kIo y