The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-07-29

Interesting Correspondence Relating
An the OuesfiOn of Tribal Tax.

Some time ago the ARDMoREITr.
published synopsis of the memo
rial drafted by the Business Mems
League to be forwarded to the Sec
retery Of the interior as protest
against the reported application
by the tribal authorities and the
Indian agent for troops to enforce
the collection of the per cent.
tax on merchants.
The reply of the secretary to
this memorial has been received by
Mr.. Sig Simon. and is as follows:
| DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Washington, July Is, 1900.
Mr.. Sig Simon, ct al, Ardmore,
Indian Territory.
Gentlemen:-The department is
in receipt Of your communication
without date, stating that you
have information that the United
States Indian inspector for the In
dian Territory has made demand
for United States troops to assist
in expelling ycu from the Chicka-
asaw nation for failure to pay
money demanded by the Chickasaw
tribal authorities and that he has
represented to the department that
you have banded together to resist
unlawfullv the collection of said
taxes.
You represent that you are not
members of the Chickasaw nation
of Indians, and that in your judg-
ment the townsite provision" Of
the Atoka agreement and the four
teenth section of the Curtis bill"
give you legal right to reside in
Ardmore and other incorporated
towns of the Chickasaw nation.
and that you have consulted at
torneys and been advised by them
that you are not under any legal
obligation to pay the tribal taxes
imposed by the tribal authorities
of said nation. You further state
that whenever it is authoritatively
decided" that you own the Chicka-
saw nation any money you will
cheerfully pay the same.
In reply, you are advised that
the question relative to the obi.
CATION of non-citizens to pay tribal
taxes in incorporated towns in the
Choctaw and Chickasaw nations
was submitted to the assistant at
torney general for this department
for his legal opinion thereon, and
on the 18th inst, said officer
rendered an opinion, which was
approved by the department on
the same day. In which he con-
cludes: The provisions of sai6
section fourteen do not, in my
opinion, operate to relieve inhabi
tants of cities or towns in these
nations from the payment of the
permit tax or fee prescribed by the
laws of the ration IN which city OF
town may be located.
1t having been decided by tht
department that non-citizens re
siding in towns are liable TO pay
the tribal taxes imposed by the tri
bal authorities, there ought not t.
be any hesitancy upon your part tt
promptly make the payment re
quired and thereby obviate any
. necessity for summary action upol
The part of the officers of the gov
ernment. Respectfully,
THos. RYAN,
Acting Secretary.
Mr.. Sig Simon, in behalf of tn
business men associated with hin
, in testing the legality of the l pc
. cent. tax, has prepared and for
, warded to the secretary of the in
terror the following pointed repl
to the above letter:
Ardmore, l. T., July %, 1900
" Hon. Thos. Ryan. Acting Secre
y tary of Interior, Washington
d D. G.
l. Dear Sir:-Your esteemed favo
d of the 18th inst, to hand and cor
l. tents noted. United States citi
ZpnS have q pafuvol ropunDoro