The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1903-08-27
Rnv. G. I. eLAcks NosLE woRk.
His Untiring Effort to Secure A Tree
School system for Indian Territory.


a. t,aia, Torritorv has rooms in
Ardmoro in charge Of Rev. @. T.
pt.ol corrosnopding aecretarv The
o,,or oomher, ~ tho hoard cg .f.
co... aro "a Dawes nrasident and
" u Moan South NcAlester record.
Inc saSretarv New BLACK Ia .5e ac.
,,vo oacer ~ the +, GARD and he is TO.
aav doing moro gscd for IN, Indian
rorr,,orv than an, one woul suspect
who "a M, aco,aIn,ed with the plan
q, bis work onts,de of his regular
vork that of oreapizing Sunday
schools and churches and making ap.
nropria,,ons he is putt,ng forth the
has, effort Of his life to secure sys-
tam OF public schools In the rural dis.
tr,cta OF the Indian Territory lie
believes that the Territory ssould re.
ceive 1900 600 ner year or S5 por CAPT.
IN for 100000 school children. Oh.
sarving ,hal the Republicans are in
the ascendepcy in both houseI Of the
natioyal congress. and knowing that
ALI Southern congressman would natu
rally be in sympathy with his move,
Mr. BLACK writes the greater part OF
his letters 10 the Republican members
of the house and senate Ha has
scores of favorable replies; many sen.
ators have pledged their support 20
n bil giving the Indian Territory free
schools. others suggest that a change
will be made in the statues OF the
Indian Territory. but none dlsapprove
of the idea OF making an appropria.
tIon for public schools.
Following is a letter characteristic
OF those he is sending out:
Dear Sir. The conditions existing
M nresent in the Indian Territory are
without a precedent. The Five Civil.
ized Tribes have owned and CON
trolIed This region for about two
thirds of n century and have built up
rovernmepts of their own. IL has
heen their pollcy TO allow white peo-
nile and non.Indians to rent their lands
and engage in business among them
upon payment OF a license fee. This
poliey has been permitted by the fed.
eral government and under It the
non.Indian population has increased
30 rapIdly that in 1900 Il was SO per
cent of the whole. Since 1900. the
fact that arrangements were made By
which the Indian tribal governments
are TO he extinguished in 1906. has
stimulated immigration SO that the
increase OF non.Indians has been far
more rapid than in the previous years
and a moderate estimate would put
the population in this Territory now
nj one.half million. OF which less than
15 per cent are Indians. For the non
Indians there has been no government
whatever until about four years ago.
when n was made nossible for towns
10 incorporate and establish munici.
pal governments: for the overwhelm.
ing majority OF the poulation there
have sim absolutely no method nv
which they can really carry on the
busipess Of Organized self.goyernment
They can do nothing TO secure apv
system of publie schools for them.
selves. The Indian tribes have their
own systems OF schools which are now
op.rsted under supervisors appoipteg
by the interior departmsnt Tho an
perlntendent OF these schools has
carefully investigated conditions ara
hpdS that the Indian schools the
schools IN ipeorporated towns and the
mission and private schools Of all
kinds. oui. proride school accommo.
datsonr for lerr han 10000 oai,4ren
The sciool population ig al lie low.
est estimate 1eo 600. tbus 100 oUc
children of school age are altorsth, p