The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-07-17

AAF -feta-1 - - "a W. aHaFrs Nal
ton says Much appreciation has
been aroused 10 this part Of the world
over the recent announcement By W
p. johnson. United States Attorney
that be viii proceed % prosecute any
citizen Of the Chickasaw nation. who
after July T. 1902 Is found TO Be-
holding more than 320 acres as an
individual possession Mr. JohnsOu's
dict1m 20 that eject wa based on q
clase Of the Indian appropriation bill
passed b. the recent congress. which
clause became a law By virtue Of con
gressional enactment. That IL is a
law nc one disputes. and that 10 be-
comes the duty Of Mr. johnson 20
enforce q az law. no one denies How
Is Mr.. Johnson 20 know whether any
inoividual holds more land than the
specified 800 acTes7 How can any
one know this except by a survey and
measurement of the tract in ques-
iion? nj this favored land no atten-
ton has ever been paid TO 20 section
lines. and farms are fenced and cul-
tlvated according 70 fancy Of conven-
.ence. Farms are in all conceivable
shapes except rectangular. covering
section lines and quarter section lines
IN utter and complete disregard Of
such artificial mftrE and bounds. is
Mr.. oJhnson to measure and calculate
the arer Of these many-sided and trian-
lgular farms? u the holder Of the land
allowed 10 keep the 32O acres Of land
/ in bis farm and which may cut two
or three sections up into bewildering
pigeon wings, or will he be required
10 throw out his field with the com
mons and conform TO the section
lines, leaving most Of his growing
crop ont on the range for some other
man % fence and claim? A tract OF
land one mile long and one-half Of
a mile wide makes 800 acres. and II
laid on now along section lines would
rip every farm in the country wide
open from stem to stern. II Mr. John
son complies with the brilliant con
ception Of Congress, and puts this law
into immediate effect, as be threat.
ems, he viii need the services Of sew
lral thousand SURVIVORS 20 compute the
AREA OF polygon farms or cut the fields
TO rectangular 800 acres. How else
can he, or any one else know when a
man Is holding more than the allowed
1920 acres? Bill Jones may say that
Peter Wolf IS holding in a field more
than the 800 acres and ask that Peter
be dispossessed in favor Of Bill, and
that Peter be further prosecuted as
the law directs. Peter IS forthwith
: 10 be jerkad before the court and
, promptly denies the charge BiH
. never measured the field held by Pc
ter, and could not measure Sc n he
tried TO- and his evidence IS fully
met by the denial OF Peter Now
what? Is Mr. ohnson TO measure that
Geld himself in the presence OF com
pctent witnesses We presume so. as
there is no law 20 compel any one
else 10 measure H. and Mr. johnson
Is solemnly required by congress "a
prosecute" every man holding more
than 800 acres, and Mr. Johnson must
establish that fact before he can
"prosecute" And this law was TO 60
into effect on July !, 1902, and Mr.
Johnson, having no choice in the mat
! ter, issued an edict that II would be
so. If carried into effect II would be
allotment pure anG complete, and
the further services Of the Dawes
commission becomes superhuous But
Mr.. Johson is not urnisher with q
single surveyor nos a dollar to employ
one. And he is not informed whether
the 800 acres Is TO be taken as this
farm lies, or is to conform to section
lines. All he Is required to do Is tC
prosecute" and TO prosecute" with
out knowledge OF the facts or any
way to obtain the knowledge. Why
this silly break on the part of con
gress is nearly as bad as the PROPOSE
i tion OF VIM Byrd. candidate for Gov
ernor who is going TO give the peopl,
a SOL acres per head out of a domain
that can only supply 800 acres al
{ around. Facts don't seem to cut any
figure either with congress or Mr.
j. Byrd. Congress passes an act of in
sanity for Johnson 60 enforce, ant
a Byrd follows suit with an arithmetic
?, which stoutly denies that two and
:. two make four. and insists that the!
b make 55l
You are invited 10 come to the
store formerly owned by Mrs. BeckeI