The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-09-27

10 imprisonment.
The effect Of this ruling has driv-
en- our best farmers from the In
dian territory; deprives the Indian
Of revenues which have accrued to
him in the past, greatly retards the
development Of the agricultural re-
sources of the country besides work
ing great INJURY upon the business
and commercial interests Of the In
dian territory
Natural Resources Of the Territory.
The coal fields of the Indian ter
ritory are unlimited in extent. and
the coal in quality, unsurpassed, but
by reason of the arbitrary action of
the government of the United States,
are as yet, practically undeveloped
In the Creek nation. under the late
treaty, the oil coal and mineral
rights follow the land and belong to
the allottee, who occupies and pos
sesses the land, yet this allottee is
denied the right to lease his mineral
or even develop the mines himself
Vast deposits Of oil abound in the
Indian territory. as has already been
demonstrated. but the government Of
the United States forbiIs anyone I'M
der penalty Of expulsion from the In
dian territory, and fine of $1,000 to
bore for oil even denying this right
to the individual Indian. who has oc-
cupied and possessed the particular
land for more than half century.
Indications of valuable deposits OF
zinc, lead and copper abound and in
several instances valuable mines
have been discovered, yet every re-
quest for permission to work the
same has been refused by the gov
ernment of the United States.
"The Indian territory is trayersed
by many rivers and running streams;
water IS plentiful and pure; many
trunk line railways traverse the ter
ritory; mills and manufactures are
numerous; extensive pmeries and
other valuable timber are found, yet
we are not allowed to reduce the
same to lumber, even for building.
We are practically denied the privi-
lege to increase the production of raw
material.
"The natural resources Of the terri
tory, if developed will support as
dense population as any state in
the union. but these resources can
not and will not be developed under
existing conditions. and from pres
ent indications IL will be many years
before these evils are remedied, un-
less the congress Of the United states
comes to our relief.
The Need Of the sohoolhouse.
"As long ago as the year 1887, leg
islating for the northwestern terri
tory, congress- recognized the chief
corner stone of free and permanent
government by proclaiming; Relig
ion, morality and knowledge being
necessary to good government and
the happiness of mankind, schools
and the means OF education shall
forever be encouraged.
"A statement in concrete form;
knowledge is power and Wisdom
is better than rubies
And later great statesman said:
We must educate or we must perish,
and congress has responded most lib
orally from those early days TO the
present. with the means Of educating
the youth Of all the states and terri
tories, with the exception of the In
dian territory, the last and the best.
Except in few Incorporated
towns OF this territory, included in an
area larger than that Of many Of the
old states, there is not a single public
schoolhouse to be seen.
1T has been well said that the
child has as good a right 10 be pro
tected from ignorance as from abuse,
neglect and hunger Children born
in the Indian territory, since congress
undertook 10 change the un-American
conditions here. through the agency
OF the Dawes commission, are now OF
school age. II these children are 70
grow up in ignorance a large portion
of them will enter the jails the govern
ment builds. but not the paths Of du
ty which characterize good citizen
ship.
Congress has the power and the
way is open 20 rescue the youth OF
this territory from their intolerablC
environment and congress alone
must bear the reproach of their fur
ther neglect The children OF schoo
age in the Indian territory would max;
a larger army than either side ralliet