The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-01-20
COLLECTING TAX
FOR GOVERNMENT
Citizens of ChickaSha Must
Pay Liberal Tax
BUT LITTLE OBJECTION
Amounts to One Per Cent on
All Institutions.

Chickasha, /. T., Jan. 19-United States
Marshal Ben F. Colbert of Ardmore, ac-
companied by force of four deputy col
iectors, has been in the city the past few
| days collecting the per cent tribal tax
| on stocks of goods and business institu-
lions of Chickasha Marshal Colbert and
men are stopping at the Royal hotel.
The 1 per cent tax is tax against all
business institutions in the Chickasaw
nation, and the money SO collected goes
to the support of the tribe This tax has
been collected from the people living and
doing business in the Chickasaw nation
that nature being enacted by the tribal
legislature far back as 1886. This tax
covers all enterprises of a business ma
ture in the Chickasaw nation, whether
citizens or non-citizens. At the time of
the first nactment a permit tax of S2o
per head was also imposed upon all nom
citizens living and doing business in the
nation. This law proved SO unpopular
that in 1880 the tribal government chang
ed the tax to s.. In 1895 it was again
reduced to 81 and in 1900 the attorney
general of the United States submitted
a brief in support of the law and the
federal officers were instructed TO assist
Inc Indians in collecting ii. OF late this
permit tax has not been collected. al
though the Chickasaw legislature has
never repealed the law imposing its pay
ment. The law proved very unpopular,
and although in every case collection
could be enforced, there was considera-
BILE reluctance on the part of the nom
citizens to pay it. Recently the collec-
ton of the permit tax has been aban-
doned, though if the federal officers Were
so disposed they could enforce it to the
letter
The / per cent occupation tax however,
must be paid. and those who hold out
and refuse to pay it are only causing
themselves inconvenience and perhaps
extra expense in the end This tax has
not only been sustained in q special brief
on the subject submitted by the attor-
ney general of the United States but
the federal courts in the Chickasaw ma
ton have nearly all rendered decisions /
sustaining its validity.
1t has been argued by those who have
objected OF it that the townsite of Chick
asha has been purchased by the federal
government and that the taxpayers and :
property owners here have been given
absolute title deeds to their lands They
hold that Chickasha is no longer a part
of the Chickasaw nation, and that they
are, therefore, no longer liable for the
TAX MT Colbert. in conversation with
reporter for the Express this morning
stated That they are in error in this
That though it is true the
townsite OF Chickasha is federal prop
erty, IT is still a part of the Chickasaw
nation and situated therein. and that the
same treaty under which all the Chicka-
saw laws were enforced still remains in
full force and effect. THE agreement be
tween the Chckasaw government and
the United States. covering the matter
of townsites. expressly provides that
this transfer shall in no wise conflict
with the laws of the Chickasav IeeisIa
ture, and that they shall remain in force
the same as if the townsite were still 4
part of the nation. This is the instruc-
is no getting around it, We have the
law on our side. and while the collection
of the tax is as distasteful to us as If is
10 those we collect from. We have moth
ing to do but to obey instructions and
carry out the orders of the interior de-
partment. The tax will have to be
paid.
We have met with very few here who
nave absolutely refused to paw the tax.
some Of them ask for a little more time ;
EXPLAINING that they desire to consult
their attorney first and ascertain whether ;
'r not they have to pay it. We have
been treated with every courtesy here
md have no fault to find If half tbe
people we collect from were as business
Ike and progressive as those in C,hicka-
'ha our work would be more pleasant
ma we wouldn't have near so much
-rouble. We viii probably finish up here
oday noon and will follow the Rock
Stand railroad down to the southern
boundary OF the nation. We make our
eport to W. I. Ward, treasurer OF the
-hickasaw nation, every three months
urning over TO him the amount collect
I'd"
Mr. Colbert is a pleasant. agreeable
gentleman and has the reputation of be-
ne a brave and fearless officer. He -
we'll known throughout the nation. and
lis authority is universally respected.
he Is man who is persistent and faith
ui in the discharge OF his official duty
md does not allow anything to stand in
ne way Of it: yet withal he is A keen
tudept of human nature. and because
u this happy trait is able to meet Deo-
BE more than half way and to accom-
'llsh more than many other men would.
lis experience in Chickasha has been OF
l pleasant nature. and he leaves with a
ceiling of friendliness to all he has met
n his official capacity.