The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1901-12-22
TO TIE SPECIAL SESSION OF TIE
CHlcKAsAWs.
Great Need for Amendment to the
School Law Which Affects All
National Schools-Reeommen
Appropriation In Advance.

Il
sage from Governor Johnston.
Recent events have arisen show
ing that there are matters of vital
! Importance to the Chickasaw Nation
necessary to be considered by the
Legislature, and to that end | have
called you in special session.
Constantly remembering the duty
that we owe to our nation and peo.
pie, ! have to enjoin you. as their
representative. that your acts and
deliberations be characterized by
wisdom and patriotic devotion to
their interests, and that your labors
be concluded with all dispatch con
sistent with a proper discharge of
the work before you.
There is pressing need for the
amendment of our school laws, as
they affect our national neighborhood
schools. and to that subject our at.
tention is directed.
| Under the school agreement re-
Gently entered into with the United
States government the interests of
the Chickasaws i'm the coal and as
phaltum royalty fund arising under
the Atoka agreement is made avail
able for educational purposes and the
amount now i'm the hands of the Unit
ed States government will be paid
out at an early date upon the out
standing school warrants, and all fur
ther funds arising from coal and as
phaltum will in like manner be paid
out of school warrants as far as the
same will apply.
Under existing law, appropriations
are made in advance for the support
of the academies, or contract schools.
and the warrants are issued upon the
certificates of the superintendent of
public instruction. while warrants for
the support and maintenance of our
national neighborhood schools can
not be issued until appropriations are
made by the legislature following
the school year in which the indebt-
edness is incurred. Thus, those to
whom the money is due from the
nation, in connection with neighbor-
hood schools are not only discrimi-
mated against by having to wait a
year more for their warrants, but
: by reason of the uncertainty attend
ing their issuance and the appropri-
ations of the Legislature. occasioned
by clerical errors, in teachers re-
ports and elsewhere the valu of the
certificates is deprecated to such an
extent as to be of little present val.
ne to the holders, who are largely de,
pendent upon disposing of them To
merchants and others for their sup
port.
This condition has long existed and
It has long been apparent that 1t
should be relieved by legislation. but
it has recently been accentuated
when 1t appears that warrants foi
the support of academies, or con
: tract schols, may be issued and PAID
for by the United States government
out of our coal and asphaltum funds
p without delay; and in the meantime
the certificates which are the rea
evidence of the nations Indebtedness
; are floating about at a ruinous de
: probation, and that while there are
funds applicable for their payment
= in the hands of the United States gov
ernment.
In order that this condition may b,
corrected, | recommend that appro
: priations for the support and main
teinance Of our national neighborhooC
i schools be made in advance, and tha
the existing laws be amended so al
to provide that the national auditor
r shall issue warrants quarterly upoI
4 the report of the teachers, or by some
other method which will safeguard rh'
interest of the nation.
By the act of congress approved
a March 3,1901. the permanent annui
/. ty of $4,000 guaranteed the Chicka
saws by the treaty of July Is, 1894
\ was capitalized. and in lieu thereo
!. the sum of 100000 was placed to thu
credit of the Chickasaws upon th'
- books Of the United States treasury.
=, The use of this money for nationa
I purposes would be of vast benefit Il
our people; and in my last annua
!. message recommended that the same
4 be made available for national pur
r poses. but by reason Of a misappre
o hension as to its character and appll
r cability for that purpose no actor
e was taken.