The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-05-06
SOPER SAYS INDIANS
4NEED The NONEY''

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Warrington. ID. G.. May s. The
joint committee of the house and SEN
ate have practically completed the
consideration Of the Choctaw and the
Chickasaw aud Greek supplemental
agreements The Choctaw and Chick.
asaw agreement was subject to a num-
Der Of important changes. while the
Creek agreement has been 50 emascu-
lated that scarcely a single provision
contained in the original document as
sent to congress now remains.
The consideration Of the treaties has
consumed much time and resulted in
protracted discussions engaged in by
Mr. McMurray. Of South McAlester.
Tams Bixby. acting chairman Of the
Dawes Commission and representatives
of the white people Of the threee ma
tions
United States Attorney P. L. Soper.
of the northern district OF the Indian
Territory has led the fight against the
Indian tribes and the Dawes Com
mission in the consideration Of GER
tain provisions OF the two treaties
Mr.. Soper has many friends here and
therefore was able to secure ample
time IN presenting the objections OF
the people Of the territory to the pro-
posed agreements. He led the fight in
opposition to section 54 Of the Choc-
taw and Chickasaw agreement, which
provided for the sale at public auc
tion Of improved and unimproved
property in all the towns in the Chick
asaw and Choctaw nations. This pro-
vision OF the bill was so manifestly un-
just to property owners in the towns
and so completely revolutionized exist
ing laws that the United States at
torney for the northern district was
able to defeat the representatives OF
the Dawes Commission and of the
Indian tribes at every stage during the
consideration OF the provision. Mr..
soper called attention to the fact that
this was the first time since he com
mencement of the policy OF negotiat-
lag agreements gith the Five Civilized
Tribes for the opening OF the reser-
walton and the allotment of their lands
inseveralty that an attempt had bee
made to sell at public auction prop
erty owned by white people in the
towns, and upon which they had plac-
ed valuable improvements. The policy
OF the government, ne contended, had
always been to appraise the town prop
erty at reasonable value and to give
tne owners thereof a preference right
in the purchase of the city Property.
He called attention TO existing law
which provides for the appraisement
OF the townsite property by a legally
constituted board OF appraisers and
the payment therefore by the owners
g.. prnpa,.{r of r,a half ~
the appraised value. and for unimprov-
ed property the full face value assess
ed by the board of appraisers. The
point was SO clear and so forceably
brought to the attention OF the COM
mittee that when a vote In commit
tee was AIKEN there was not a dissent
ing voice to the amendment Of Mr..
Soper. The section inserted in lieu
of section "a Of the agreement is as
follows:
set aside by the secretary of the in
terror on the recommendation OF the
Commission to the Five Civilized
Tribes under the provisions Of the
act Of congress approved May 81, 1900.
t3i Stats. 221), with the additional
se.esge added thereto and all town
sites which may hereafter be so set
aside, as Well as ali tOwnsites set
aside under the provisions lof this
agreement having population of less
than two hundred, shall be surveyed,
laid out, PLACED, appraised and is
posed Of in a like manner as other
townsites In the Choctaw and Chick
asaw nations are surveyed, laid out
plated. appraised. and disposed Of
under the Atoka agreement. as mod
ned by the said act Of May 81. 1900"
Creek agreement the United States
attorney for the northern district al
so scored a signal victory An effort
was made to insert a provision for the
capitalization OF the Creek trust funds.
Mr. Soper opposed this upon the
ground that the members of the tribe
are now taking their lands in seyeralty
and that they need the money now
held by the United States government
IN trust for them in improving their
property He urged therefore. that
this provision should be changed so
as to provide 4or the cashing "a their
trast fund. This would give the Inem
bers OF the tribe ready money after
they have secured their permanent al
lotments to improve Their lans. After