The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-05-19
LoNs woLF rNJuNcrIoN suI1
Expected to be the Greatest Legal
Battle in Hlstoy Of Country.
Special TO the Ardmoreite.

Special TO the Ardmoreite.
Washington. d. c.. May IS The
greatest legal battle that has ever oc.
CURED in the history of the country
over a case involving the disposition
of Indian lands will be fought in the
supreme court OF the United states
next October, when the now famous
Lone Wolf injunction suit to restrain
Secretary Hitchcock from opening
the lands Of the Kiowa, Comanche
and Apache Indians, in Oklahoma, to
settlement is argued. The question
involved is one that affects every res.
ervation Indian tribe in the United
States, and they have, accordingly,
| joined with the Kiowas and Conan.
ches in defeating the new policy of
the government, If such can be ac-
oomplished through the instrument.
ality OF the courts.
Recently Judge William NJ. Spring
er counsel for the Kiowas and Com
anches. has received communications
from leading lawyers and philanthro-
pists throughout the country, ten
dering him their assistance in the
fight he is making for his Indian eli
ents. The Indian Rights association
headed by Herbert Spencer of Bos
ton. has offered TO procure additional
counsel fer the Indians in the event
Judge Springer deems assistance nee.
essary or advisable. Walter S. Lo-
gan. for a number of years president
Of the New York Bar association. and
attorney for the Delawares, has re-
ouested permission TO file a brief in
the case. on the main question in dis
Ipute The Cherokee Indians in In
dian Territory, having just been re-
fused a restraining order against the
secretary of the interior. to prevent
him from leasing mineral lands in
that nation, have likewise rushed TO
the assistance of Lone Wolf and his
associates
1t seems TO be generally conceded
that the Lone Wolf case will estab.
lish a precedent for the future gui
dance of the courts in passing upon
all similar cases The question in
volved in the Lone Wolf and other
Indian cases relates solely to the ju
risdiction of congress in legislating
for the Indians The contention ot
the government in all of the numer
instituted in the last two years has
' been that congress and the execu
tive were free to deal with the In
dian wards of the government as they
p deemed proper. In other words, theiI
position is that the question of IN,
e renting and leasing of the IndiaI
p. lands, their allotment in severalt,
and, in fact, the entire handling o
the Indian estate, is a political ques
tion, and beyond the reach of judicia
interference
, Thus far, the new policy of th'
. government, which had its inception
about two years ago, has beel
uniformly sustained by the fedora
courts. The proposition has beeI
|, boldly laid down that, no matte
= whether the Indian tribes possesse,
- the mere right of occupancy of thei
lands, being placed thereon by execu
tive order, or otherwise, or whethe
they hold a patent from the govern
ment, issued them in accordance witt
an act Of congress, that they still re
main the wards of the governme ~
r therefore the political branch OF -
/, government could deal with them il
o the distribution of their property a
b it might deem best for their own in
I terests This proposition was lai
y down in a recent decision Of the cour
70 of appeals, in the Lone Wolf case.
n Ambition like a torrent. carries ey
q grx-thiuC hafpra 70 -,ro,ar,-. - -