The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-02-19
MIR. SMITH INDIGNANT
SEVERE ARRAIGN-
 MENT OF HITCHCOCK.
Says That omcia1 Makes "Bnseiess CharEes as to Certain Conduct of His Connected With the
 Osage Indians.


 Washington, Feb. 1S.--In an author ized statement given out tonight, for mer Secretary of the Interior Hoke Smith, replying to a statement issued by Secretary Hitchcock regarding the action of MT. Smith in approving an oil and gas lease made with the Osage India in 1S9s, severely arraigns Sec retAry Hitchcock as making "a base less charge"
 MT. Smith arrived in Washington to- day to examine the records. Before leaving Georgia he telegraphed friend in this city to make a search of the records and the result of that search was piled before him today upon his arrival. MT. Smith said tonight he had not found it necessary to go to the In- dian Office or Interior Department.
 The statement furnished the press l by Secretary Hitchcock in which he criticiseS the administration of the In- terior Department for approving an oil and gas lease made by the Osage h. dians in 1s96 ts misleading and decep- tive.
 when the lease was approved no oil had been found in Texas and not a great deal in Kansas. There was scant hope to encourage the expense of bor- ing wells in the Osage country. Even if oil could be discovered the problem of transportation was then most se- rious.
 "A lease was applied for by E. R.. Foster, a. prospector, and borer for oil and gas. The property belonged to the tribe. The Osage National Council passed an act directing the lease. The | lease was carefully guarded with pro- visions and forfeitures unless the work of prospecting and mining was prose- cuted with diligence.
 "The lease required payment of ann pie royalties to the Indians in case oil | or gas was found. The lease was re- commended by Colonel Freeman of the United States Army, acting Indian Agent for the Osage tribe ''The records of the Indian Office show how carefully the lease was there Iconsidered. It finally went to the Sec retary's office with recommendation of the Indian Commissioner that 1t be ap- proved. The letter recommending its approval Is initialed by Mir. Larabee, the present Assistant Commissioner of Indian Affairs, thereby carrying his lapproval The records show the ap- proval iu the office of the Secretary of the Interior made by Assistant Secre- tary Reynolds as acting secretary, who Ihas been recently elected to Congress from Pennsylvania
 | During the month Of July, lSSbs the | lease was brought to my attention by q letter from ex-Senator Blair, con testing the lease. This letter was sent to Colonel Freeman through the Indian Office for a reply.
 With this record in his office Secre- | Itary Hitchcock declared the lease was approved by the Secretary of the Inte- rlor. MT. Hoke smith, and he uses this further language:
 1 The original lease is an unheard of monopoly and nothing short of a lscandal
 'The mind of the Secretary must have been overstrGined when he discovered monopoly in oil in the osage reserva- ton in lS96 before a well had been bored, a pipe laid or a railroad built within many miles. To his opinion on this subject I am indifferent. But when Secretary Hitchcock stated that the original lease was nothing short of a scsndal he uttered a charge for which he was entirely without ex- Iouse. He placed himself in the class of common slanderers. He bore false witness against pt ptedecessor in office, Knowing at the time that there was no truth in his baseless charge"