The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1905-01-25
STUART Bill
is DANGEROUS
Would Ruin the People Of In
dian Territory and Retard
Progress Ten Years.

s. T. Bledsoe, a leading attorney OF
the Southern district, has given his
opinion of the Stewart bill introduced
in the United States senate a few days
ago, and it contains what ought to be
4 the sentiment of the entire Indian
Territory. No more dangerous piece
of legislation has been offered in a
decade touching Indian Territory
affairs Mr.. Bledsoe says:
Perhaps no legislation affecting
the interests Of any section Of the
country, fraught with somuch danger,
as what is known as the Stewart
amendment to the statehood bill, has
been proposed in Congress in recent
years. The bin provides for the ap-
pointment of superintendent OF
Indian Affairs in Indian Territory,
who II given all the iursdlctiono OF the
Commission to the Five Civilized
Tribes, and his judgement is made
final. This involves the hearing and
determination Of citizenship cases,
the decisions Of hundred II not thous-
ands Of land contests Ia addition to
this, the superintendent Of Indian
Affairs is given exclusive jurisdiction
in the administering upon and hand
ling estates OF minor and incompetent
Indian freedmen and OF deceased
Indians. All laws relating TO the
administration OF estates OF deceased
persons, whether Indians or not and
and Of the guardianship of minors,
wheather Indians or not, the repealed
by the provisions Of this amendment.
1T is futher provided inI.So exercise
OF this extraordinary jurisdiction, that
the superintendent shall not be inter-
ierred Will by any Stateor Territorial
court IN any manner whatever, nor
.shall any person acting under him be
< .1terferred with by any writ, progress
order or proceeding Of any character
issued out Of any court. The author
ity conferred upon The superintendent
Of Indian AiaiIs IA Indian Territory
under the provision ~ this bill is
greater than that exercised by any
monarch IN the world.
" "Under the provisions Of the amend /
ment, IL Is also made the duty Of the
superintendent OF Indian Affairs to
diligently inquire into and discover
reasons why he sould bring lawsuits on
behalf OF people who have no desire TO
bring them themselves For fifteen
years the Indian Territory has had
system Of Federal courts, and barring
the fact that frequently the business
has accumulated more rapidly than il
could be disposed OF il Is believed that
justice has been as speedily and as
fairly administered In Indian Terri
tory as anywhere else IN the United
States. IL seems, therefore. hardly
possible that congress should abandon
the administration Of the law through
the courts and return 10 the prlmeval
Indian Agency system.
THE opportunities for graft and
corruption presented by the enormous
Of employees that il would re-
quire TO carry out the provisions OF
this amendment, and the fact that
the superintendent himself could hear
but a small per cent Of the cases, and
that many important cases would be
heard and decided by minor employees,
would render IL practically impossible
10 get clean administration OF az
fairs.
In my opinion the provisions Of
his bill would be ruinous to the best
interests Of Indian Territory and un- {
retard its development.
Undoubtedly If the people Of Indian
Territory are entitled to statehood it
5 not necessary 10 govern according
o the rules adopted by unlimited