The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-04-11

uu1As
In answer to your specific ques-
ton you are advised that the first
question must be answered in the
affirmative.
The answer to the second question |
must also be in the affirmative. Said |
section 81 declares that said commits
sion "shall investigate the right of
all other persons whose names are
found on any other rolls, and omit |
only such as may have been placed
thereon by fraud or without author
i.y of law, enrolling only such as
may have lawful right thereto and
descendents born since such rolls
were made, with such intermarried
white persons as may be entitled to
citizenship under Cherokee laws"
The amendment declares that "said
commission shall not receive the ap-
plication of any person for enroll
ment as a member of any tribe in the
Indian Territory who has not been a
recognized citizen thereof, and duly
and lawfully enrolled or admitted as
such" apparently emitting from the
consideration of the commission
any application by descendants
born since such rolls were made,
with such intermarried white persons
as may be entitled to citizenship
under Cherokee laws"
The third question must be an
sweIed in the affirmative, as far as it
relates to the refusal by said commits
sion of any applications made to it
by persons claiming the right to be
enrolled as citizens of said tribes.
Your fourth question must be an
swered in the negative, for the reas-
on that the amendment expressly ex-
cludes the Mississippi Choctawssfrom
its provisions.
In answer to your fifth question
you are advised that it would depend
upon the action of said commission
what effect it would have upon the
rights of individual Cherokees, the
enrolment of which has not yet COM
menced, under the provisions of said
section 81 of the Curtis act.
The answer to your sixth question
must be that it will depend upon the
action of the commission whether
any Indians would be divested of
their property, for the reason that
the refusal of the the applications
cannot be reviewed by the secretary
Your seventh question appears to
be incomplete. If you intend to in
quire whether 1.-THE refusal of the
Dawes commission to entertain ap.
plications of persons for enrolment
who have been recognized as mem
bers of the tribe in the Indian Terri
ritory and duly and lawfully enroll
ed should be subject to the review
; of the secretary, the answer would
be in the Affirmative.
Your attention is also invited to
the recommendations of the depart
ment relative to said proposed legis
lation, in which the conclusion of the
commissioner of Indian affairs was
concurred in; namely, that congress
; should be requested to strike out
said provision from said bill.
This alteration calls attention fore.
IDLY to the method adopted by the
Dawes commission of keeping the
records of all cases which have been
disposed of by the commission. A
card index has been kept of every
anDlioonf oyopoiua6 Tho pmpoaa ~
those who have been found duly en-.
titled to enrolment have been placed
upon red cards; those applicants
whose rights have not been clearly
established to the satisfaction of the
commission have been listed on white
cards, while the names of all appli-
cantS rejected have been placed on
blue cards. Those cases which have
been appealed to the federal courts
in the Territory, and where orders
have been issued to the commission
: to place the petitioners upon the
rolls still remain on the white. OF
doubtful cards.
, 1t is estimated that the number
thus issued IN the Territory aggre-
gate about, 1900. The number oi
cases pending before the courts now
number about 5000. Should the par
agraph inserted in the Indian appro-
priation bill, giving the Dawes com.
mission final Jurisdiction, become a
law, these court orders would be
} nullified and the doubtful applicants
thus deprived of any source of re-
, dress.
Thus the Importance of the ques-
ton to the people of the Territory
becomes at once apparent.
: Mothersl Beware of those secret
robbers of your 0aby's quiet health
Thnao aln0nloop oh