The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-07-03
Gun Whit WASHINGTON lfTTIk.
GOV. 1fiONsTON TAXES pEMANE
FOX FEDERAL TROOPS.
The Department Must Either Enfores
the Laws In the Chickassw Nstioa
with miIitsry Assistsscfior
Abando1 Them.
Special to the Ardmoreite.

interest centerS. IN the prospective
opinion of the assistant attorney
general of the interior department
rs to the authority of the govern
nent to send troops into the Chick
asaw nation for the purpose of en-
forcing the collection of tribal
taxes op merchants doing business
in that country.
Secretary Hitchcock is inclined
to look upon the proposition WITH
disfavor. though Special Agent
George d. Wright insists that fed
eral troops alone can restore order
and establish the supremacy of the
law in relation to the collection OF
taxes, as the judicial authorities
are helpless to meet the require
ments of the situation.
:. The request of Gov. Johnston,
of the Chickasaw nation was form
allv presented to the secretary OF
the interior last Friday afternoon
by Special Agent Wright and Com
missioner OF Indian Affairs Jones.
For more than an hour these three
officials discussed the situation in
all its details, Mr.. Wright sup
porting the request of Gov. John
sten in a strong argument which
met. the approval of the commits
sioner of Indian affairs, but did
not seem to be falling upon as fer
tile soil with the secretary who in
quired particularly for details. In
explaining the necessity of such
action Mr.. Wright said that under
the provisions of the ChickasaU
treaty. approved by congress IN
1898 the Chickssaw tribal form Of
government was to be perpetuatec
for the period of eight years after
which time it is to become extinct
and the people of the nation are tc
become citizens of the United
States. Under the provisions o1
that treaty the Chickasaw councl
was given authority to enact legls-
lation for the government of the
people and the raising of revenues
The council, among other things
enacted law imposing tax or
all people not members OF the
tribe doing business in the nation
This fell particularly heavy upor
the merchants who have resisted
payment, and many Of whom arr
now openly defying the law. The
tribal statute provides that in the
event of failure to pay the tax, the
offender shall be elected from the
nation, and a second conviction is
made a misdemeanor. Recently
the merchants nave banded to-
gether and formed society with
Sig Simon as president, for the
purpose of resisting the enforce
ment of the law. Offenders have
recently been arrested and deported
under guard, but have returned
Immediately. When re-arrested
juries composed entirely of white
people have been empaneled who
have promptly acquitted the ac'
cused, thus rendering the law vir.
tually nullity. In the meantime
the Indians are growing restlve
and insist that it is the duty of the
government to see that their laws,
enacted under authority from the
federal congress, are respected aud
enforced.
After reviewing the situation
Secretary Hitchcock was disinclin
ed to call on the secretary of war
for troops. His objections were,
first, that he preferred to exhaust
every possible resource in the
courts before taking this extreme
step, which would surely result in
increasing the feeling between the
traders and the Indians to a very
pronounced extent, and, second,
because he was not sure be was
clothed with the authority.
Special Agent Wright insisted
that every other possible means
had been exhausted and that this
was the only remedy left which
could prove ef1icacions. He said
the officials in the territory were
now encountering the greatest diff
ficulties in the enforcement of the
laws, and that unless the depart
ment adopted prompt measures in
this and others cases arising the
difficulties would be increased
many fold Tn sbort he :.:41