The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-09-16
TO Tutor POOR 10.
Government Will Send a Man
TO Show Him How TO Vote.
WILL HOLD MOCK ELECTION
In Order TO Get the Indian
Into the Habit.

Ell Reno. Q. T. Sept 15-In ali like
lihood there will soon come among the
Oklahoma Indians a man who VIII in
| struct them in the art OF voting. by lee
turing to the Red man and then con-
| Quoting mock elections with the hope of
training him TO the system.
For the truth is the Indian does not
| vote. On one occasion the Indians OF
Oklahoma have voted for Dennis Flynn.
whom they greatly admire but as a
general thing they do not distinguish
election day from Easter They have a
horror of the voting booth and confuse
it with some box or prison they do not
like.
And yet the Indian population OF the
| state which will be made out OF Okla
homa and Indian Territory will hold the
balance of power. When it does vote
| how will 1t vote? In The five. civilized
tribes the environment of the Indian has
! been Democratic but with a perfectly
working government the Republicans be-
lieve the vote will become Republican
| if it comes to the polls at ALL In the
national at large, at the approaching
! presidential election a considerable body
! Of new voters, made up of Indians whose
| tribal relations have been broken up and
| who have become full citizens of the
| United States, would help somewhat to
| increase the uncertainty Of the result.
| If they would vote. According TO
! the census Of ten years ago there
We're more than 5000 taxed and
taxable Indians having the right of
| suffrage as citizens of different states.
| Ninety-eight per cent of these were Iiv
ing upon the reservations. and were
| practically indistinguishable from the
white citizens of their community.
1t Will be found, when the present
census is completed, that the number of
taxable Indians has increased by reason
of the breaking up Of more reservations
and the enforced independence of certain
tribes that have been wards Of the gov
eminent for years And If the policy that
is being pushed now is carried forward
consistently, nearly every Indian in the
country will be enfranchised before an
other presidential election takes place.
OF the 250,O00 Indians in the United states
the most considerable and important
body are the 10000 belonging to the FIVE
civilized tribes in the Indian territory.
and still living under tribal govern
ment. These tribal organizations are
breaking up, the Creeks and the Cboc-
taws having already signed an agree
ment to allot their territory and become
citizens Of the United States. The
Cherokees have set limit. which has
nearly expired, to their tribal existence.
and the Chickasaws and Seminoles are
being treated with by the Dawes Com
mission. who have been working there as
agents Of the Federal Government for
six years. These Indians will be found
TO be familiar with the duties Of citizen
ship when IT comes and familiar with the
machinery Of elections.
But those Indians from the small res
ervations scattered from Maine to Call
ifornia, and making UP a total of more
than $4,000, will come to the ballot. after
reimbursement, ignorant both Of its
method and purpose.
A plan for instructing these recently
enfranchised citizens has been put for
ward by white man who was, adopted
into one Of the tribes of the Sioux IN
dams. The Sioux located on the reserva-
tons in South Dakota are now citizens
Of the state and entitled 10 vote. Can't.
z. H. Allison of Chicago, proposes 10
call meetings of the new voters. talk
to them about the meaning Of the fran
chse. and conduct mock elections in or
der TO make them familiar with the ma
chinery Of balloting. He does not pro
pose, however. TO confne his teaching 70
the Sioux. but to go among all Of the
other tribes living on reservations west
Of the Mississippi, whether made up Of
those eligible 20 vote or not All he
says, will get the franchise sooner than
they are likely 10 learn how to use II.
In their old tribal relations the Indians
understood thoroughly the principle OF
government. but il was Of a primitive /
sort. When they were subjected 70 the
rule OF agents and soldiers. and forced 10 I
live idly on small reservations. they lost +
what civic sense they had: and It is 70 /
wake this up tia; Capt. Allison wishes 70 I
begin his instructing
IN 1897 there were 5.30f untaxed Indians /
in the state or New York II was the /
declared policy n Gov Roosevelt TO /
hasten the breaking Up Of all the state /
reservations. the allotment OF the lands /
10 the tribesmen and the conferrlnz n /
the duties and rights % state citizen
ship upon them. There Is little doubt
that practically al VIII be voters before
the presidential election o. 1904 In New
Mexico. whore there is now state law
DISTINGUISHING Indians. there are over
00o Puehlos. who VIII have considerable
influence in elections when the territory
becomes a state And when the Indian /
territory, whether combined with OKLA
homa or created separately. becomes
state. the Indian vote w1l pcedcminate.
300 Cherokees remain II North Carolina
avai1nE nchisenert: South DAKOTA
holds 99900 Montana = o93 North Ta-
kota 600 Washington i8Se. Arizona
$3.50. California 1890 Oklahoma $40
Michigan and Minnesota 7sDo each. Sew
Mexico. besides the Pueblo tribe BOB
aad Nevada 5.0o9. In sinai numbers they
SIZE scattered over a dozen either sfates
Their Side and fairly even distrihu,ien
through the states makes ths question Il
their political status ar important ore /
and II dcBbtful states worth settling By 1
ne legislatures
In Montana. Nevada and Sew Mexico. !
Indians are d~barrsd bv izE from Gel /
seusnips u has been theuEht n these
states. thar the Indians. = Eiven RE
-iEht 20 vote z1uld Re rust 70 er- !
.Fcise e properly. Also TIE proportion n !
hese thlniy populated regions - r. 9
ian g The zhsre pcp1iatSsn wouIa gre :
on much chance fer ths5r sf@esg fer- :
-lT,tisa- n Maine AEehlEsn Sorth ass &
;olth Dako,s. oksaharna wsshsartea / &
ia wsscoasiu. ere stais Law rer.ulrer :
rat a. Trdlsn y taxed heso~s ssf=x ; +
.Iiavea 10 vo:e: ard n SorTa Ia ,
lus Nschsgsn. s~~sass e - rn-.wsTsss 1
szt frbsi rsfstss1a - xsVen 90 T. 5
90 oEssr states II sxrrExs V-1sss1sn * z