The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-02-02
SteWart'S Bill
IS UNSATISFACTORY TO
INDIAN TERRITORY
Would Give All Work of the
Dawes Commission
TO One Man.
Special to Daily Leader.

Musiso9ee, {. T. Fel I-f Senator
stcwarts bill as recently ancpde
rasses in congress the indian agency
at Muskogee viii be abolished and
Indian territory will become a tight
inue monarchy with one man IN
charge Of ali the work now pc forms 1
by he Dawes commission and Indian
agency. He will possess most Of tho
powers Of an absolute ruler. with the
additional authority to control the sale
Of millions OF acres Of laid.
This man. who viii be termed sup
erinteadcnt Of Indian territory affairs,
win receive a salary Of $4,000 a year
end will be accountable only 10 the
secretary OF the interior. He will sup
ervise the work now managed by Eve
high sa'aried men, each of whom is
supposed to have enough to keep hln
busy The superintendent would have
under his immediate control nea-ly
400 clerks. and thele would not be "a
luildiae in Muskoeee large enough TO
house the government Offices, The
new superintendent or czar as some
would be inclined to caE h.m, would
he kept busy from early morning to
late at night merely signing his name
to he thousands of letters and othe-
documents that now pass through the
Dawes commissica and Indian agency
every day. ami he would have ,ittlo
or no tine for oihcr business. As e
IS. tho three head officials of Ire sJy-
oinment offices here ale pushed fcr
time in which to sign their names. amt
often have 10 spend thei- EVENINGS at
This task
Section 2 of thc bill shich defines
iu a general way the duties oil The sap-
eriatendent, reats
The said superintendent shall hayo
Nrisdicion of all matters anC shall
perform al, the duties vested IN, CON
ferred upon and to be performed NY
the commission TO the five civilize 4
tribes and the Indian agent at the un-
loa agency bv ana unJe- existing laws.
In addition to these powers. tho
superintendent is authorized by the
Lin to institute proceedings in the
United States ccrtts 20 correct leases
where the remuneration or validity is
in doubt or to right any wrong which
he believes TO have been done to the
Indian. The courts are compelled 20
give This business precedence cve- all
other civil cases aad the judgment of
the court shall be fna The court is.
therefore compelled TO try cases fled
hy the Indian superintendent. no mat
Ter if they crowd on. othor matters
entirely. and the defendant IS dep-iv-
ed OF the right TO appeal. The bur
den Of proof "a lease matters is thus
shifted upcn the allottee ins cad of
Ipon the lessee. as at present No
provision is made in the bill for an
appropriation to pay the expense of
these suits, so l. Is naturally supposed
The cost would fall upon the elloticos.
The abIolutc power which would be
delegated to tile superintendent Of In
tfan tor.itory affairs by the passage
cf the Stewart bill is clearly shown
IN the following section Of the bill:
And tho said superintendent shall
have the power to remove any person
appointed under the provisions Of this
net. He shall a'so have power to re-
move any executor or administrato- OF
The estate of any deceased Indian or
freedman ard also to remove any
guardian Of a mlaor or other Indian or
freedman incompetent to manage mis-
OWN affairs and 10 revoke any power Of
attorney g.antcd by such executor.
administrator or guardian. He shall
also investigate any and all proceed
ings Under which the estate of any de-
ceased lndion or freedman hns been
cold. disposed of or incumbe-ed in any
way whatsoever and report the resll
of hiss investigation to the attorney
general % ithe unite1 States, who Is
hcrehy authorized TO ake such pto-
eeliaqs ass ne may deem necessary
in that lehalf In an mattcrs un en-
me jurisdiction Of the superintendent
lis decision shail De hral That nc
federal. territorial. ~ sra.c court shall