The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1903-03-16

Few peopla ID the Indian Terri
tory have any idea how their coun-
tfy is actually governed. Beyond
the fact thai the Indians have been
guaranteed their tribal organiza-
ti1ns until Jane2S, 1906; that the
Dawes Commission claim absolute
authority over al land titles and
leases except Ia the Incorporated
towns; that the Indian Inspector
has authority from somewhere.
10 collect taxes on cattle and
nrevenne" anybody that makes
trouble for him, that the Indian
Agent draws his salary aud has 2
lot of police az bis c0mmanF that
the judges Of the Uniled States
Court makes all OF The official ap
pointments except those which The
President and bis cabinet control
and that it would take au act Of
Congress to open a public road Or
pay a country school teachera a do
lar Of public money. Nobody
Knows much about it aud the
school children know that
much.
In actual practice however, the
people of the Government with
few exceptions have known no
more about the Indian Territory
than about the Devils Lake and
Snake River reservations and they
know no more about these reser-
vatious than we do. The Presi-
dent in person has no occasion tore
member that such a country exists
except when be appoints judges
for our courts or fills a vacancy on
the Dawes commission, the At
torney General only as it is called
to bis personal attention when he
makes his report and sees the
enormous and rapidly increasing
total Of its expenses and the Sec
retary Of the Interior is only inter
ested personally 10 preventing the
Dawes commission from swamping
his department. Ia the Interior
Department the details OF admin
istrAtIon here are Interested toI
an sIudian Territory Division"
presided over by Judge Smith and
in the Department Of Justice 81
"Bureau OF Territori. aud Insulsr
Possessions under The direction
OfJudge a. w. Russell hears and
determines all applications of gen
eral interest that arise here InI
the Congress no member Who is not
connected with one Of the ln.
dian communities ever thinks or
talk about affairs IN the Indian
Territory unless induced thereto
through personal courtesy or friend
ly personal interest. The House
Committee is composed OF eighteen |
members with Mr.. Sherman Of
New York as chairman. 1t has a
sub committee ON "Indian Terri
tory Affairs composed of the
Chairman and Mr. Curtis Of Kansas
aud Little of Arkansas who are
next TO the chairman in seniority and |
therefore entitled to act with him
in all conferences with the senate |
on bills from their commlite. Asiae
from this Mr. Stephens of Texas is
the only member Of the committee
whose name is ever heard in the
Indian Territory. Senator Stewart |
of Nevada, is chairman of the Sen
ate committee on Indian Affairs |
and Senator Jones Of Arkansas,
was the senior Democratic member.
Senator Platt Of Connecticut is next
in seniority after the chairman, and |
and Quarles and Quay are active
members of the committee on tue
majority side. Other Democrats,
in the ordar Of the senonty were
Mess'rs Rawlins Of Nevada
aud Mr.. Harris Of Kansas
and Dubois OF Idaho who
are also retired aud Senator
Clark Of Montana, who as the rank
ing minority member will hereafter
represent the minority IN all confer