The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-05-27
CONVERT 70 THE MOON BILL
LEDBETTER SAYS HE WILL SUP.
PORT THE MEASURE.
Believes II Furnishes the Only Pros
pect for Relief for the People
Competent Man In Congress
Would Please All.

w. A. Ledbetter. who Tor the past
three weeks has been in Washington
ATTENDING TO legal affairs, arrived
home yesterday morning. When ap-
preached yesterday by the Ardmore-
ito. and asked how he found matters
Of interest to the Territory at Wash
lngton he said:
"The court citizenship controversy
has not yet been settled. The sup
Elemental treaty which the Joint com
mitteo OF the senate and house had
under consideration contained pro
visions which practically destroyed
the judgments heretofore rendered
admitting persons to citizenship in
the Chickasaw and Choctaw nations
lThc committee agreed % amend the
treaty 80 as to allow Judgments &c be
set aside only In cases where the
Judgment was based upon perjury or.
lprocured by fraud ON the part OF the
! applicant or his attorney; but this
/ lagrccmont seems 20 have been yio-
lated in the report of the committee.
land the citizenship court created In
1.-The treaty is given much more juris-
|diction and power to annul judgments
THAN the friends of the court citizens
think IT. ought TO have This citizen
ship court is 20 be composed of three
Independent judges, whose jurisdic-
uon is confined TO citizenship cases.
and whose term of office viii expire
December 81, 1903. The matter is as
yet iu an unsatisfactory condition.
and it is impossible 90 tell what viii
De the result. but / believe by per
sIstent efforts the treaty may be
amended SO as TO work no injustice
upon the court citizens, or defeated
altogether"
with regard TO territorial matters
generally Mr. Ledbetter said:
when left home a little over
three weeks ago, 1 was opposed TO
what is generally known as the Moon
lbnl. for the reason that / believed it
was long step in the direction OF
permanent separation of the Indian
Territory from Oklahoma, and that
Oklahoma, in all probability. would
be admitted into the Union as al
state during this congress, and if the
Moon bin became a law we would be
held in bondage for an indefinite time
The act enabling Oklahoma TO form
a constitutional convention provides
that the state of Oklahoma shall con
sent, in It's constitution, by ordinance
! lirrevOcable that the Indian Territory
may become a part of the state when
ever congress shall decide that II
shall be. II the bin passes the senate
in this condition (and believe itI
Wild, 10 is claimed congress would
probably feel committed TO the propo
sition that there should be but one
state The Moon bin, on the other
hand, contains no essentially bad
provisions, and In It's present form.
Is the deliberate expression of what
the house territorial committee be-
licved to be the best that can be done
/ for the Indian Territory under present
conditions
Before agreeing 10 report the
Moon bin. AN other bills pertaining
to- the Territory were given due con
sidcrauon The committee had many
/ meetings and considered the Stevens
bin the new Curtis bin and the Quar-
|rols Scott on Soper bin. aud agreed
10. and finally did, report unanimously
the Moon bin. which contains the.
best provisions Of all the measures
which have been proposed for relief
OF the Indian Territory ! talked TO
nearly every member OF the commit.
tee and some Of them frequently.
and / have Invariably been met with
the statement that the Moon bin rem
resented the views OF the house terri.
loilai committee on the subject of
legislation for the Territory and be.
ieye the house is irreyocably commit.
ted to the passage Of the Moon bin.
III provides for a territorial legis.
lature, governor, secretary of state.
superintendent OF public instruction.
and a delegate in congress. and an
promlates $4,000 as nucleus for a
school fund. II will furnish the people
of the Territory an organized local
government divorce them to large
extent from the interior department.
and give them representation In con.
sress. With such an organization.
and competent man in congress. re.
lief from the present unsatisfactory
MI Hon.