The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-05-18
INDIAN TERRITORY LEGISLATION,
A LEThAROIC SPIRIT PERVADES
THE CAPITAL.
Cherokee Treaty will be SheIved. Bill
FsvorInR Delaware indians. Moon
StIII Pressing HI. Bill. Objections
to the Chickasaw Freedmen Bill
special to the Ardmoreite.

Special to the Ardmoreite.
Washington, D. e., May 14.-Little
has been accomplished in the way of
Legislation affecting the Indian Terri |
tory during the past week. In fact
lethargy seems to pervade every por-
ton of the Capital and little interest
is evidenced by the members in fur
therance of the various measures
pending before the committee. Even
the Indian appropriation bill which |
has been in conference for six weeks
has not been reported back to the two |
houses, the conferees still being In
wrangle over some of the provisions.
~.
Representative Parker of View Jer-
sew, chairman of the subcommittee
of the judiciary committee which has
charge of the Gaines bill, creating
additional commissioners offices in
the Territory and increasing their
jurisdiction in certain cases, expects
to submit favorable report to the
committee at an early date. He will
recommend the modification of the
bill in many respects, and will pro-
badly submit a substitute for the or
iginal measure. 1t is, however, so
late in the season that there is no
probability that any action will be
taken upon this bill before congress
adjourns for the summer.
The Cherokee treaty is still under
consideration by the joint commit
tees of the house and senate, but lit
tie progress is being made, and it is
apparent that it will not be favorably
acted upon at this session The am
mendments added to the bill by Con-
gressma1 Curtis are so unsatisfactory
as a whole that it will be necessary
to strip the treaty of these provisions
before it can pass the house and Sc
nate. These provisions, which Rep
resentative Curtis inserted were not
contained in the original agreement,
and are therefore meeting with
strong opposition from members of
the Cherokee nation.
~
The senate committee on Indian af-
fairs has favorably reported the bill
authorizing the Delaware Indians to
bring suit in the court of claims
against the Federal government for
moneys which the tribe claims to be
due it, fer failure on the part of the
Federal government to fulfill its
treaty obligations. The bill also au-
thorizes the Mississippi Choctaws to
bring suit in the court of claims
against the Choctaw nation to estab
lish their rights to the tribal funds
and lands.
|
Representative Moon of Tennessee
who introduced the bill in the house
providing for territorial organiza-
ton in the Indian Territory and Civ
ing it the name Of Jefferson, in hon
or of the man whose efforts the
= Louisiana purchase has secured to
| the United States, is pressing it IN
, the committee on territories in the
house. A sub committee will be ap-
pointed at the next meeting which
! will take charge of the question and
probably give hearings upon it. Col
L. B. Bell, one of The Choctaw dele
/ gates, now in Washington is one ot
2 those who are extremely anxious for
, the establishment of the territorial
; form of government in the Indiar
Territory. In a public interview
upon the conditions existing, Mr.
Bell said:
aside from the federal courts
under which the peace is managed
to be kept, everything is chaotic il
/ the Indian Territory" says Col
p Bell. There are in the Territory
10000 Indians, and probably 300, ,OOt
citizens of the United States practi
cally without a social or politica
system. The whites can occupy
] land there only under contract will
an Indian, and an Indian may con
tract with consent of the secretary
: of the Interior. 1t is a crime to saw
! timber and build houses without the
, consent of the secretary. 1t is e
crime to sell your neighbor fuel tC
1 keep his children from freezing
l Permanency in land tenures, com
2 mercial enterprises, and genera
p stability in all the walks of life arC
needed. This measure will meet the
approval of majority of the Chero
kee people,
e ~
Strong objection has been raised
to the bill authorizing the ChickasaV
: freedmen, in the Chickasaw natio1
o to bring suit in the court of claims
against the Chickasaw and Choctav
nations and the United States. Th,
4 bill authorizing the Cherokee in
t truders to bring suit against tht
/ Cherokee nation, is also meetins
with much opposition. The bill
passed the house some time ago anC
was referred to the committee on In
dian affairs of the senate for consid
: Grafton and report. so much Cd
e position has appeared, however, tha