Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-27
LIQUOR TO INDIANS
Question of Prohibition in
New State of Oklahoma.
PRESIDENTS ATTITUDE
WORK OF "BooTLEooERsu IN DE-
BAUCHINa THE INDIANS.
Great Pressure to Restore the Army
Canteen-Senator Shoots Declar-
ation-W. G. T. q. Petition.
PRESIDENTS ATT1TUD1

| While President Roosevelt took no ac-
ton on the request of the leading brewers
| Of the United States that il the wise men
| Of the country deemed it necessary to pro-
| hIbit the sale of intoxicants to the In
| dams in the new state Of Oklahoma, the
| prohibition be not extended to beer and
| other drinks containing less than Az per
cent Of alcohol. he did give partial recog-
milton in his annual message to the ar
| guments Of the brewers that prohibition
would be ineffective. AS result of the
| petition presented to the President by the
brewers. advancing some most interest
ing arguments, the White House has re-
ceived many letters suggesting different
courses of action on the question of pro-
hibition in the proposed new state.
The petition of the brewers was submitted
to the President early In November and in
his annual message to Congress three
weeks afterward he referred to the illicit
sale Of liquor among the Ind. ANS and stated.
Il would urgently press upon the attention
OF Congress the question whether some
amendment OF the internal revenue laws
might not be OF aid In prosecuting those
malefactors known In the Indian country
as boot-leggers, who are engaged at once
IN defra uding the United States treasury
of taxes ana, what is more important, in
debauching the Indians by carrying liquors
ilNcitly into territory still completely un.er
federal jurisdiction
The "Bootleggers.
The nefarious work of the ''bootleggers"
In the Indian Territory has long been a men,
ace to the Indians and 1t was this fact that
| produced one of the best arguments Of the
| brewers. They asserted that the Indians
were now getting the meanest and vilest
cro nf tctxx hill
mitted to purchase the light drinks like beer
they would not debase themselves by Illicit
connection with the bootleggers, who carry
of boots
The House committee on territories Is now
at work hearing arguments on whether a
prohibition provision shall be incorporated
in the bill admitting Oklahoma to statehood
The sentiment among the people Of the ter
ritories Is much divided Capt Frank
Frantz, Tams Bfxby, who has been assc-
IN the Indian Territory has long been a men
ciated with Indian work In the west for
| many years; Delegate Mcguire Of Okla
hOma, the national committeeman of Okla
homa and the Indian Territory. and most Of
the politicians are set against the bill touch
| ing upon the prohibition question in any
FORM advocating the reference Of the mat
ter to the people who, they declare Under
stand the needs of the Indians living among
them as well as the general government.
The prohibitionists. on the other hand, are
making a fight for the incorporation Of pro-
hibltfon now, not being contented to leave
| the people of the new state to settle il
themselves.
1t is said by those familiar with the work
IN Congress that the sentiment there 10 OPP
| posed to requiring prohibition in the new
! state, the contention being that 1t would
| be unconstitutional and would not be re-
| garded by the new state. but there Is some
sentiment In favor Of the insertion OF
clause forbidding the sale of intoxicants
| to Indians of the new state, this being
| based upon the fact that the treaties with
| the Indians for many years have recognized
| the Importance of preventing the sale of
| whisky among them. There has been some
| talk of presenting a provision prohibiting
| the sale to the Indians of drinks or bever-
| ages of any kind containing above certain
| percentage of alcohol this being in line
with the contention of the brewers that the
Indian would be better citizen If he were
| allowed the light drinks and forbidden the
strong ones.
The Canteen Fight.
There has been no opportunity to sound
| the President as to what he would do about
| a statehood bill containing provisions he
did not believe In. and so far his ideas as
| to prohibition provision In the statehood
| bill are not known. The President has also
withheld expression Of his views as to
| the restoration of the canteen In the army.
| A good many of his callers have voiced
| their opinions. Senator Reed Smoot of
Utah a short time ago declared his inten-
| ton to vote for the restoration of the can
| teen in the army. II am a temperance
| man myself" he said. ''but when practically
every officer in the United States army de-
clares that the soldier is morally degener-
ating by reason of the abolition of post
canteens, / am compelled to accept what
| they say in preference to the theories of
those who have had no actual experience
with the soldier
Representative Hull of Iowa, chairman of
the House committee military affairs,
does not believe that Congress will, at this
session, restore the sale of beer in the
army canteen, as urged by army officers
He thinks Congress will be slow In facing
| the aggregate petitions Of the prohibition
lists and w. c. T. U. of the country. The
brewers are said not to be taking any part
in the fight for the canteen, believing that
1t Is a contest between the officers of the
army and the w. c. T. u, and that the
army will eventually win. The brewers do,
however, make the accusation in papers
friendly to them that there is an unholy I'M
Intentional alliance between the w. C. T.
q. and the whisky distillers and wholesale
people OF the country against restoring the
canteen. The brewers say that the sale Of
beer In the canteen causes an Immense
diminuttOn in the sale of whisky In saloons
situated on the outskirts of army posts and
that the whisky interests know this There
fore the whisky interests oppose the res
toration of the canteen. quietly lending
their help to the work of the w. c. T. u.
1t is declared there will be some great
fighting on prohibition and the canteen be-
fore Congress closes its present session.