Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1905-02-19
Former Secretary Of interior
Answers Hitchcoek's Criticism.
WAS CAREFULLY CONSIDERED
Georgian Says Records viii Show
That Interests Of the Indians Were
Properly safeouarded in the Harshly
Criticised Lease.
NEv Associated Press J

authorlZed statement. given out to-
day. former Secretary Of the Interior
lioke Smith. replying TO a statement
ISSUED by Secretary Hitchcock regard
ing he action Of Mir Smith in APPROX
ing an oil and gas lease made with
The Usage Indians in 1896. severely ar
rai&ns Secretary Hitchcock as max
i3G "a bascless charge
MI. Smith arrived in Washington
today 70 examine the records. Before
leaving Georgia he ,clegraphcd 10 a
TREND in this city 10 make q search
o! The records ana tho result OF thai
search vas placed before him today
Upon his arrival MIR Smith sail 10
night he had not found ii necessary 10
80 10 the Indian Office or interior de-
nartment in person. His Statement;
follows:
Hoke's Statement.
The statement furnished the press
by Secretary Hitchcock. III Which he
crl'Icises the administration OF The in
terror department for approving of an
cll ana gas lease made y: tho Usage
Indians in 1896, is misleading and dc
ceptive.
When the lease was approved no
oil had been found in Texas ana not
great deal in Kansas. There was
scant hope to encourage the expense
OF boring wells in the Usage country
Even il oil could be discovered the
problem of transportation vas ,hon
serious.
- lease was applied for by +. b.
Foster to prospect ana bore for oil
and gas. The property belonged TO
the tribe. The Usage national council
passed an act directing the lease. The
lease was carefully guarded With pro
visions and forfeitures unless the work
or prospecting ana mining was prose
culad with diligence.
The lease required payment Of
ample royalties to the Indians in case
OH or gas was found The lease was
recommended by Colonel F'reemen. OF
the United States, acting Indian agent
for the Usage tribe
The records Of the Indian Office
show how carefully the was there con
considered 1t finally Went to The
secretary's Office with the recommend
alton OF the Indian commissioner that
it be approved The letter recon-
mendlng approval is initiated BY Mr.,
Larrabee. the present assistant 10 the
commissioner OF Indian affairs, there
by carrying his approval The records
show the approval in the Office OF the
secretary OF the interior was made
by Assistant Secretary Reynolds, as
acting secretary, who has been re.
Gently elected 10 Congress from Penn
Sylvania.
First Criticism Of Lease.
during the month Of .Iuly 1896,
llc lease was brought To my attention
hE I letter from ex-senator Blair,
crllirisins the lease. This letter was
sent 10 Colonel Freeman through the
Indian office for Il report Colonel
freeman reported against Interfering
with the lease.
With this record in his Office, Sec
rotary Hitchcock declared the lease
was approved by the then secretary OF
The interior. Mr.. Hoke Smith. and he
uses this further language: Tho
original lease is an unheara of monop.
Oily and nothing short OF Il public
scandal
The mind Of the secretary must
nave overstraned when he discovered
a monopoly in oil on the Usage rescry.
alton in 1886 before a we'll had been
bored. pipe laid. or a railroad built
within many miles. TO his opinion or
this subject am Indifferent
But when Secretary Hitchcock
stated that the, original lease was
nothing short OF a public scandal. he
uttered charge for which he was en-
urely without excuse. He placed him
self in the class Of common slanderors
re bore false witness against a pre-
uecessor in Office. knowing at the time
there was no truth in his baseless
charge