The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-02-26
A WHITEWASH
is FEARED
THE COAL LANDS INVESTIGATION
WORRIES INDIAN TERRITORY.
crafters Are SO Numerous and Pow
erful and the stake SO Big That
Justice Must Fight Hard
to Prevail.

A special 10 the Kansas Clty SIar
says the alleged determination Of the
federal governmnt to make thorough
investigation of the charges of corrupt
practices in the Choctaw and Chick
asaw nations relative to the citizen
ship court claimants, and the attempt
OF syndicates wrongfully to obtain con
troll Of the coal and asphalt lands, etc,
might greatly encourage citizens In
the belief that finally justice would
be done in Indian Territory, were 1t
not for the fact that the suspicion has
grown that a ''whitewash" usually in
tervenes when there is danger to men
Of influence. They do not doubt that
men who ask for these Investigations
and Indian Territory has had inves-
tigations without number-are moved
by honest motives, and that II the in.
vestlgations were pushed to n conclu.
sion, without fear or favor, men who
are now free would be in the peniten-
tiary But there are so many pitfalls
between the inception Of these inves.
tigatlons and their determination that
the wolf and the fox slip past the
weak places and escape.
Indian Territory would be delight
ed If at the beginning all professional
lobbyists representing the various in
terests in Washington were locked
up and isolated while the proposed
investigation was under way. Among
these lobbyists are men of national
influence who have gained through the
opportunities Of offceholding an in
innate knowledge of what string to
pull to relieve the pressure when this
or that interest is being pressed
against the Rrindstone. Years Of sue.
cessful corruption in Indian Territory,
with n Washington attachment, has
convinced a majority of the people OF
the Indian Territory that no scheme
can fail II there is money enough be.
hind II to retain these professional
lobbyists. If Smith, for instance, is
ON the verge OF disaster because of an
investigation, the telegraph wires are
made hot with instructions TO the paid
lobbyist in Washington This was es
pecially true during the Investigations
in the Chickasaw nation last summer,
and the prediction was made that all
prosecutions would be dropped before
the accused persons were hauled be.
fore the bar for sentence.
Such criticisms are unjust to con.
scientious officials In Washington, but
they are commonly made in Indian
Territory and are born of years OF dis.
appointment among men who have
been fighting organized graft If IL
were possible TO maintain n resident
branch OF the department of justice
in Indian Territory for one or two
years in such manner as would make
the transmission OF evidence, etc, TO
Washington unnecessary then II Nigh,
be possible. In the opinion OF many
citizens, to convict the boodlers who
infest the country.
The depreciation h facts and evi.
dence in the long transit between In.
dian Territory and Washington and
their remarkable dessication when
stored for long periods IN official pig.
con holes has cast mucn doubt upon
the efficacy OF this long distance treat.
ment Of Indian Territory Ills
Me who fear the results OF thor
ough investigation in indian Terrific.
ry are usually men OF wealth and can
AFFORD to spend large sums OF money
In sending emlssaries 70 Washington
and in employing advocates at the ma
tional capital whose tongues are
smooth with the honey OF persuasion
and who are masters In the art of
blockadlng.
The complainants often are men
without means to engage in these
prolonged fights. They soon relax. II
moved only by the desire for good
public service, realizing that they arc
engaged in hopeless undertaking.
Again. their cause is injured many
times by the irresponsible agitator
who believes that he stands for Off.
cial honesty but who is alured most
by the possibility OF receiving notori-
ety. The testimony OF such men Is
more dangerous to the cause of bet.
ter government than It is to the ras.
calls under fire, When It is once prov.
sn In the departments that the state
ments OF such men arc Unworthy OF
cred e1ce n's associates, though men
OF siuc9iilv ard honesty are injured