The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-12-14
THE NELSON BILL.

True TO their instincts OF misrep-
resentation, the Republican organs
which during the late campaign Will
fed and lied about the Indian Terri.
tory. and made a canvass upon the the.
ory that the people would be deluded
as easily as convinced in any other
manner. are just now busy falsifying
the Nelson bill.
Particularly they attack the pro.
vision Of the Nelson bill relating to
the school lands and assert even
when the very wording of the bill
proves them falsihers, that IL means
the destruction of everything else in
Oklahoma, and that Oklahoma will be
compelled to support the Indian Ter.
ritory schools.
The breadth of such statesmanship
could be measured with the hair on
the tail of a horse.
If the territories are united in one
state there will be no Indian Terrific
ry Il will be the state of Oklahoma,
and one section will get no more ben.
etits than another. There are no sec
tions In state. It's people are one
its interests one and It's aims are one
The absolute puerlity of the argument
advanced by those desperate two-stat.
ers is past intelligent understanding
They are not able to comprehend
that II there is no school land taken
out of the Indian Territory for leasing
purposes, there will be Just that
amount more OF land occupied by act.
ual settlers and upon which taxes will
be paid for the support of the govern
ment, and that under this just law of
compensation the portion now embrac.
ed in Indian Territory will pay a much
larger amount of state taxes than will
the present area of Oklahoma.
But to the main question. Section
seven of the Nelson bill is as follows:
Sec. 7. That upon the admission OF
the state into the Union sections mum.
bered sixteen and thirty-six in every
township in Oklahoma territory. and
other lands, equivalent TO sections six.
teen and thirty-six, in every township
in Indian Territory. shall be granted
from the public domain in Oklahoma
territory. in lieu of sections sixteen
and thirty-six in every township of In.
dian Territory except sections sixteen
and thirty-six in either territory, or
parts thereof. that have been reserved.
sold, or otherwise disposed of by or
under the authority of any act OF con
gress: Provided, That said indemnity
lands in lieu of sections sixteen and
thirty-six OF the townships In the In.
dian Territory, shall be selected in
such manner as the legislature may
provide, with the approval of the sec.
retary of the interior, and shall be
granted for the support OF the com
mon schools of said proposed state OF
Oklahoma: Provided further, Thai
sections sixteen and thirty-six embrac
ed In permanent reservations for ma
tional purposes shall not at any tim,
be subject to the grant, nor to tn,
indemnity provisions OF this act; moi
shall any lands embraced in Indiar
Territory, military or other reserva
tions OF any character be subject I,
the grants or to the indemnity pro
visions Of this act until the reserva
tions shall have been extinguished an,
such lands be restored to and become
a part of the public domain.
II will be seen by this section tha
3,777, 1888 acres Of government land, 80
indemnity lands in Oklahoma are I,
be selected in lieu OF sections sixteei
and thirty-six in the Indian Territor,
These indemnity lands are not In an,
way lands which are already set apar
for Oklahoma They are to be takei
entirely from the present public land
OF the territory, and will in no wa
affect the lanus or the school fun
that is already the heritage OF IN
Oklahoma people.
According to the report just issue
by the secretary OF the interior, ther
are in Oklahoma at the present tim
S,777SS3 acres of government land. {
: which over 100000 are located
Beaver county.
The amount of land which would b
/ equivalent TO sections sixteen an
= thirty-six in the indian Territory wi
be about 100000 acres.
One-half therefore. of the govern
ment land located in Beaver count
alone would compensate for all IN
sections sixteen and thlrty-six in tn
I Indian Territory
. It must be remembered that thI