The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-08-29
HITCHCOCK FROTHS
AT THE MOUTH
Exposure Of His crafts
Cause Him to Loudly
Fume

Washington, Aug. 29.-secretary
Hitchcock Will prepare two statements
for newspaper pu5licl ion. OEe Ct
them will deal with the Indian Ter
ritory situation. The other will bis
cuss Oklahoma affairs. With the pub
licatioon Of these statements, the sec.
retary will close the formal news
paper discussions. -.
The Oklahoma statement will be
most interesting document The sec
retary Will go into the details of the
expenditure of the public funds In
that territory and will show the use
to which the money already expeDd-
ed was put. In discussing the sit
uatlon today Secretary Hitchcock said
he wanted to make It clear that the
department had no quarrel with the
people of Oklahoma. The money
would be expended as fast as it
could be placed advantageously, but
the department would never consent
to a dissipation Of the fund by con-
tractors or combinations who sought
to charge excessive prices for every
thing they did and impose ON the gov
ernment and the people by poor work
and still poorer material. The show
ing which the department will make
will place the commission appointed
by Governor jenkins while the lat
ter was the executive in the territory,
in an embarrassing attitude. The
statement in regard to the Indian
territory is already prepared and is
awaiting a reply from Mr. Garrett the
president of the Indian Rights associa-
ton. A commissioner who is in no
way connected with the department
and who can not be reached by any
OF the political influences interested
in covering up the crookedness which
apparently exists will be appointed tc
visit the Indian territory.
Congress May Take Hand.
There is talk today of a congres
sional inquiry into Indian territory at
fairs. A coterie of congressman who
regard themselves as the natura
guardians OF the Indian territory are
dissatisfied with the progress which
has been made and object to the meth
cd which has been followed OF dispos
ing Of Indians lands recently adopted
The contention is made that 50 mucl
red tape is involved in the sale Of In
dian lands thct the sales can never b'
contaminated To illustrate Ther'
are 3 million acres Of land in the Creel
nation. Three fourths of this can b
sold. The largest separate tract o
land which can be disposed OF is ~
acres. In many instances the sale
will be for much smaller tracts. Thi
would make "a million acres OF Ian,
to be sold in tracts Of 12O acres or less
II the tracts should average 10
acres each it would require 22,50O sci
arate transactions. For each sale, az
cording to the new rules. the Indiai
must appear before en- agent and az
nounce his land for sale with descriI
ton OF it. An appraisement must b
made aud sealed bids submitted. If
bid is made equal to the appraisemen
before it can be consummated it mus
be approved by the interior depar
ment authorities. In round number
there is four times as much land /
the Choctaw- chickasaw country as !
the Creek and nearly twice as much I
the Cherokee nation as in the Creek
One company's Graft.
eRnters in the territory and adioiI
ing states are clamoring for a chanc
at the land They have appealed
congressman and want the sales rusl
ed The land grabbers are incitin
these bona fide farmers to action, wit
the inevitable result OF great actlvit
on the part Of the Texas and Arkal
sas delegations.
The Indian territory contingent
already beginning to arrive and a
anonymous statement Is made by Of
OF them In the afternoon papers thi
the Canadian Valley company Of Mu
kogee, OF which Tams Bixby chai
man Of the Dawes commission,
president; p. G. Reuter-. clerk Of Il
land office. is director, and an cola
clerk Of the commission Is an employ
has It's offices in the same building
the Dawes commission. The stat
ment continues:
"As result OF this convenient q
rangement the untutored savage wall
innocently into the Office Of the col