The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-11-23
SWEEPING DECISION.
Petition for Sua' dianship TO BE- Filed
by the Clerk Ct Court

Muskoaee. T. r.. Noy 72 Judge G..
~ Raymond nf the United states
court of the Western district has de-
cided thar the act Of The last United
States congress- restoring the probate
laws Of Arkansas. adopted for the In
dian territory "a 1890 repeats the pre-
visiou OF the Greok agreement that
none but citizens can act as guardians
of lhe property inierests OF Creek
MINORS and makes it possible for any
person who can qualify TO the salts.
faction Of he court to become guard
Sans The Judge has instructed r. +
Harrison, olerk II tho court. hereafter
30 file petitions Of th1se seeking
guar lanships regardless Of the ques-
tb!s whether they are Greeks or not
This IS a sweeping decision and af.l
fects fully halt VI the land Ia the
Creek nation Fully this amount Gf
che land IS owned by minors and is
subject to The control OF the courts
shrough guardianships The new
policy OF The colrt is considered one
OF The most important in recent years
because il will make &c safe TO lease
The land of ludiaa minors from ree0-
larly appointed guardians and viii
prove a great .'npetus toward brine
Ing seiuars into the naticn.
Section Z, appendix 2, Of the Creek
agreement OF 1902. which has got
erned The courts in appointing guar
dians from that tine to The present
says. rAlloimeats for any minor
may be- selectel b. his father. mother
or guardian in The order named and
shall moi hc sold duting his minority
All guardians or curators appointed
for minors shall be citizens
The Indian appropriation bill ac-
cordiug to tho decision or Judge Raw
mond. brings guardianship matters
back 10 the Arkansas statute Of May |
2, 1890 aud thds sets aside the sec
tion OF he Creek agreement Just I
quoted The Arkansas law. which I
nov Is the guide Of The courts in the
Greek natian in guardianship matters
viii appoint any Competent person
guardian Who may be designated by /
the parents on other authorized per-
son who Is over p wears old ana able
10 give bond e,lual 60 doldie the value .
of the estate in his hands or In laniI
double the amount which the land .
win hnng in rentals 1hese bonds
must be approved hy the Judge and no
one viii be given an opportunity to
speeriate at the expense OF his wards
OT To def.aud then AS In the past
the 'dge will require a strict ac-
counting fon the guardian at regu
8ar intervals and it he fails TO give
fhis he viii he put I'm iail II he
WASTES The property OF the minor his
bCadsmen win be neld for the amount
as is the custom IN the states
when The Creeks inserted the
clause in the agreement providing
shat none but Creek citizen could .
act as guardian for Creek child. |
fhey enacted a law which has been a
curse to he tribe and has caused .
much loss in property and money TO
minor citizens In mos; cases it has
been impossiole to dnd citizens who I
could give the necessary bond and as
a resnl. f,nly twothirds Of the lands 4
of minors has been handled either by
parents who were Incompetent, or al
Bowed 70 go unmanaged Tins state
of anairs has resulted In much cen
fusion aud farmers have almc-t stop
ped leasing the land OF Indian minors
knowing that In many Gates The per
son acting for the ward has no au-
thcrity 10 make lease contract
Judge Raymond has ruled that the
parent ol a Creek Indian child Is nor
the legal guardian Of his chllds prop