Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-23
Why Hitchcock is Unpopular.

There are many such men in Indian
Territory, and in his efforts to protect the
Indians against them Secretary Hitchcock
has become very unpopular with many of
the white inhabitants They would prefer
to have all the rules and regulations abol-
ished and all restrictions removed which
interfere with the prompt and satisfactory
transactions of business. Every Secretary
of the Interior has been unpopular in this
section fer the same reason, and any other
official who did his duty and endeavored
to protect the rights of the Indians would
be equally SO. 1t happens that, in the dis
trfbution of the lands and the reorganza-
ton of the government, Mr.. Hitchcock has
been compelled to interfere more frequently
than his predecessors. and as consequence
is even more unpopular than usual. Public
meetings have been held at several places
and resolutions have been passed demand
ing his removal; committees have gone to
st. Louis to warn the merchants of that
city that unless Secretary Hitchcock changes
his policy the merchants of Indian Terri
tory will take their trade to Kansas CITY
and Texas, and many respectable and hon
orable gentlemen are showing resentmen:
against conscientious ana able public Of
fetal who has done his duty, and has done
1t well.
The recent demonstrations in regard to
the collection of the tribal tax show how
ton and ability to make themselves ridicu-
Ious and the attempts to discredit the Sec
rotary of the Interior for other reasons are
equally contemplate and childish
To disfnterested jury they demonstrate
that certain people of prominence in In
dian Territory are not fit for self-govern-
ment, and furnish arguments against state
hood which are unanswerable. Selishness
Is disclosed in the same manner the world
over, however. Out in the Philippines the
American residents of Manila sometimes
rage with indignation because the govern
ment enforces a similar policy for the pro-
lection of the natives there 1c
contracts to the lowest bidders without re-
gard to color, race or previous condition.
They insist that every contract should DE
given to Americans, and that the govern
ment should favor American citizens in
every way, without regard to the conse-
quences the price. The same spirit pre-
walls here. Certain classes of the popula-
ton are always against the government;
no matter who is Secretary of the Interior
they would never be satisfied as long as he
prevented them from SHINING the In
dams, which is the business of too large a
portion of the community.
The wisdom and prudence of Secretary
Hitchcock's precautions are demonstrated
every day. But for them and for his cour-
age and firmness in their enforcement the
Indians would have been robbed right and
left both by schemers Of their own tribes
and by white traders. Every CRATER and
swindler in the territory is down on Hitch
cock, but the best people sustain him.
To illustrate one of many transactions in
which Secretary Hitchcock has protected
the Indians I will mention his interference
with the sale of the Creek lands. Under the
law Of Congress certain Creek citizens are
permitted to sell their allotments subject
to the approval OF the Secretary of the In
terror. About $50 sales, aggregating more
than 100000 were completed when Mr..
Hitchcock. believing the prices were too
low. disapproved the entire list of transac-
lions and directed that the lands In ques-
ton be offered at auction with sealed bids.
The result is shown in the following table: