The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1903-03-05
THAT TRIBAL TAX.

IrN MleEae-t AlAAta F9A1tAA1 20 w
ciarinr that the ChoctaE tribal tax |
nay BE- collected but that the Greek /
tax can not- Not only has his asser- I
tion been made through its columns
but the correspondents q the metro
poiitan papers have sent abroad such
misrepresentations as the foilowing.
which appeared in Sundays Kansas
City Journal.
The announcement from WashiDg-
ton that the tribal tax will be collected
IN the Caoctaw and ChickasaE nations
has caused the wholesalers 20 look
for new locations The Tar ia one anc
a half per cent on ali goods introduced.
which 70 wholesalers means that
amount every time their stock is
turned. or six or seven per cent This
they can not pay and they threaten 70
move 70 other cities IN the state. The
tribal tar can not be collected in the
Greek nation. and the chamber Of com
merce is taking steps 10 get them to
locate In Muskogee."
As the News pointed some time asc
the Law nov prohibits the closing o.
store for failure 20 pay tribal axes
and also prevents the eiectmen, or
citizen in lawful possession u any
lot or parcel of ground In a regularly
plated townsite. The latter prohibit
ton IL made in a specific statute. en-
acted by congress in May. 1902 The
former prohibition Is By ee.is.on
from the court Of appeals for the In
dian Territory, rendered last October.
II Is binding on the Indian agent and
Everybody else unless IT be reversed
by the Eighth circuit court Of appeals
This decision was in case brought
from the Creek nation. The Greek
treaty still provides for the tribal tax
and says that a merchant shal not
seli goods without tribal permit.
The only difference between tee two
treaties is that the Greek treaty says
that they shall not sell while the
Choctaw treaty says they shall rot eY-
pose for sale.
The attorneys for the Chocf4w na-
tion have dropped the contention that
there Is a material difference In the
wording Of the treaties. They now
contend that the decision by the corr'
Of appeals was not a good law. that
they have submitted II 10 the assis an.
lattorney general assigned TO the inte.
rior department and that he has pre-.
pared an opinion attacking this 1eeis.
ion. But this was a decision of a
case In the Creek nation and Il bad
law would affect that nation.
The News contends. with all lawyers
who have expressed an opinion on the
matter, that under the law as II now
stands. stores can not be closed FL
failure to pay the tribal taN, ether
In the Greek or Choctaw nation. TIL
will stand until It is reversed by the
Eighth circuit. something no one will
presume will happen.
For the benefit of the Times. We
r would state that the court OF appeal-
, did not decide that the tax could moi
! be collected. The court did not pas,
, on that point but merely on the sum
mary closing OF the stores. II re
marked in passing that II the triba
TAX be debt there is only one way
, to collect 1t, by the ordinary channe
r for the collection OF deots.
. The attention Of the Times has beer
p called to tins matte several times
now, and we trust a sense Of decency
! and fairness viii cause II to desisr
A from It's rank Misrepresentation. Il
, II desires 10 cayil as TO the differences
, between the Creek and the ChoctaV
treaties. let II do so, but for decency',
q sake q should not send it's opinion
broadcast as a conceded fact, for no
. 5ody except the Times thinks ther,
Is any difference now. the only peopl,
having held 10 that contention, the at
j torneys for the Choctaw nation hav
I ing abandoned It as soon as they in
3 yestigated the Greek treaty.-Soutl