The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-11-07
DAWES WORK FOR YEAR
SUMMARY OF LABOR DONE BY
-Hc COMMISSION.
Chairman Blxby Says the Final Work
Of the Commission is Now In Con-
dition to Be Concluded at
an Early Date.

Washington, Dec. 6.-The report OF
the Dawes commission was made pub
lie today at the interior department.
The nest important feature OF II is a
summary OF the work done by the
commission in dlssolving the tribal re-
lations OF the Ave civilized tribes.
Supplementary to the report Is a state
ment from Tams Baxby. acting chair
man OF the commission, in which he
expresses the belief that the final work
OF the commission is now in condition
TO be concluded within a very few
years. Nearly all of the obstacles
have been removed by legislation or
by treaties with the Indians. He be-
lieves that the supplemental treaties
adopted by the last congress will en-
able the commission to effect the in
stallation OF new political and social
conditions and Of the land tenures com
mon to the states and territories, in
place of the tribal relations now exist
ing
With reference to the enrolment OF
the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes,
the commission recites the many COM
plloations concerning the claims to
membership in the tribes. No records
has been kept by the tr.Nas and It is
evident that many OF the names now
on the preliminary rolls have been
placed there by fraud, for the purpose
Of having thom share in the benefits
that will come from the division OF
the land and moneys of the tribes
Much OF the work of the commission
has been directed 20 a correction of
these frauds and to paving the way Tor
a final, legal and just enrolment The
Choctaws, Chickasaws. Choctaw freed.
men. Chickasaw freedmen and the
Mississippi Choctaws are all seeking
enrolment privileges in the tribes.
and their interests are closely inter
woven. The commission is making an
effort to have all contesting claims
fully investigated
The "court citizen" cases are also
promptly settled in the courts by the
terms of the treaty enacted by the
last congress. There are 2,3l0 OF
these court citizen" cases, and there
can be no final allotment OF the lands
of the tribe until these cases have
been passed upon by the courts. The
prospect Of the allotment of lands has
caused a remarkable growth In the
membership of the tribes, all claim.
ants who have the slightest connec,
tion with the tribes having applied
for enrolment az ,ts members. The
applicants for enrolment in the
Chickasaw and Choctaw tribes are
summarized as follows: Choctaws
21,0SS; Chlckasaws, 1875; Choctaw
freedmen, 4,423; Chlckasaw freedmen
5,911. In making the record of the
applications for enrolment the com,
mission has prepared separate forms
and affidavits for each class OF claim.
ants, so that when the time fof pass.
Ing upon the applications arrives the
work may be speedily disposed of. In
addition TO the applications for citi
zenship already enumerated there are
1921 applications of Mississippi
Choctaws before the commission
These cases are most difncult of ad
justment and will have to be passed
upon by the courts as the questions
involved are largely legal in charac
ter.
The progress made In The enroll
ment of the Cherokees is set out al
length in the report, The greatest
difficulty has been experienced by tn,
commission in dealing with the Chero
kee full-bloods, who have until quit,
recently refused TO make application
for enrolment or to recognize tho
work or authority of the commits
sion. Wherever the commission fixet
date ior enrolment OF the members
OF the tribe, in any locality, the full
bloods would arrange for a series Of
games and dances, and applicants fol-
enrolment would be very difficult tc
md In spite of these obstacles the
commission enrolled about $500 OF
the full'blood members OF the tribe
and 1t is believed now that when the
recent treaty has been ratified there
VIII be no further delay in settling NJ
the affairs Of the Cherokees. In all
there are 1920 applications for en-
rollment in the Cherokee Nation a,
cherokees' shawnees and Delawares
with intermarried white citizens.
In the Creek Nation the work for the
commission for the year was oonsnef