The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-02-22
CITIZENSHIP CLAIMANTS.

| cease to exist
| II is known that the president is
fully alive to the situation, Secretary
Hitchcock having submitted to him
and Attorney General Moody an ex-
haustive report, which for the present
is not given publicly.
In this connection Senator La Fol
lette OF Wisconsin has promised to
see that so far as in his power, jus
tice-simple justice, no more, no less
shall be given TO certain persons
claiming rights as Indians, but who
we're denied citizenship by the so
called Choctaw-C -Chlckasaw citizenship
court, composed Of Adams OF North
Carolina. Weaver of Ohio, and Foote
OF Mississippi This court was en-
powered by act of congress to rehear
and determine the right 20 citizenship
Of such persons whose claims had
heretofore been passed upon by the
United States courts. These claim
ants were commonly called court
existence for period OF about 1S
months and held court almost con-
tinuously at Tishomingo during that
time The commission decided ad-
versely as to the claims Of some four
or FIVE thousand applicants and II is
to these people la Toilette has pledg.
ed that justice shall be done
The act Of congress creating this
citizenship court empowered II TO lx
the fees OF the attorneys who repre-.
sented the Choctaw and Chickasaw
nations before them. or course the
attorneys made strenuous efforts to
keep down the list OF persons 10 be
admitted TO citizenship.
i Just prior to it's dissolution the
court fixed the fee OF the attorneys
representing the Choctaw and Chick
asaw nations at the modest figure of
s75O,O0O, said to be the third largest
fee ever paid in the United States.
The attorneys for the nation were
Messrs Mansfield, McMurray g. Cor.
nish. OF South McAlester, I. r.
A test case as to the constitutional.
? ty of the law creating the commission
is now before the circuit court OF ap
peals and will be appealed to the SUI
: preme court. In the meanwhile the
Curtis bill now pending in the senate
contains q clause providing for the
I closing OF the tribal rolls.
One of the most difficult problems
encountered in closing up the affairs
of the Ave tribes was the hearing and
e determining the claims of applicants
for citizenship. While there were ma
NY bona fide claims, there were others
e based on the fimslest excuse, One
claimed to be an Indian because his
grandmother had coarse black hair
? Others because they had traditions
in the family that some remote an
j cestor had n strain OF Indian blood in
}. his veins, A single claimants de
scendants would be in the course oil
T time run up into the hundreds. Take
4 for instance. the celebrated Glen
Q Tucker case. These people now mum
Z boring some 700 to 500 persons claim
/ ed descent from a common ancestor
Abagail Rogers. This claim was
= heard by the Choctaw council many
years ago, appealed 10 the Indian
agent, heard by the United States
courts and finally determined by the
Choctaw Chickasaw citizenship court
adversely to the claimants.
During these many years these
claimants occupied Indian lands. paid
no rents aud enjoyed all the advan
tages OF Indian citizeship. except they
did not participate in the distribution
OF monies Lor wero they entitled to
= ] vote or hold Office. The Choctaws
= made frantic efforts to get rid OF them
but the Indian agent was powerless
to oct. as Yey claimed TO be Indians
and he could not remove them from
the territory The courts had no juris
dicticn TO hear the case. and stay in
tho nation did tho Glen.Tuckers. Sia.
, ny OF these claimants have now mar
ried Indians, and thus by another
route obtained their object and am.
bition, viz. to be Indians
To reopen these cases will cause an
, intermlnable delay in the allotment Of
lands, and materially add TO the WORK
Of the Dawes commission. Senator
. Foraker has stirred mp a bigger
thing than he anticipated, and even
; though he may be anxious and willing
( TO lend HIS assistance 10 these peo.
pie, 1t is extremely doubtful that he
r can accomplish any good Congress
, and the peoHe have long since tired
, Of Tho applicant FOR Indian Citizen.