The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1906-08-21
LAND OF THE LID.
INDIAN TERRITORY Is ALWAYS
HELD DOWN By IT.
1t Is a Country Where Lovers Of
Alcoholic Drinks Resort to
Vanish, Red Ink,
Etc.

~~~~H~-F-~~ ~~-~~~@
Vanish, Red Ink,
Etc.
This is the real land of the lid" the
land wnere II is on every day in the
week, 365 days in the year, says Tul-
as Il. T.) report in the Chicago Inter
Ocean.
Ever live In a country where the
punishment for being under the inEu-
snce OF the products OF stills. vine
yards, breweres and cider mills is
dollar and costs and the punishment
for having liquor in your possession is
from 30 days to six months in a fed
eral prison?
This is the condition in Indian Ter
ritory.
Uncle Sam puts his stamp on the
products of distilleries. breweries and
kindred institutions. but he puts his
stamp OF disapproval ON the sale Of
these goods in Indian country.
He has no objection to granting
license TO sell liquors in Kansas, where
the state laws are against II, and the
blind tiger" does a big business.
There are no blind tigers" in the
Indian country, but the federal govern
ment. in its suppression Of liquor traf-
fc. has to deal with a far more dan
gerous parsonage in the ''boot-legger."
who peddles the worst kind Of whisky
to the negroes and Indians at big
profits
When the government began to make
treaties with the Indians 1t found that
the greatest foe to the county, End to
the natives was the natural addiction
of the red man to whisky. So in the
treaties Il was written. witnessed and
sealed with the great seal of Uncle
Sam that so long as he exercised a
guardianship over poor Lo. he would
prohibit the sale of liquor of any kind
or character in what is known as the
Five Civilized Nations. For more than
quarter of a century he has been DO
ing it. and to-day it probably costs the
government dollar a minute to live
up to that agreement.
To satisfy a thirst for a thing that
cannot be had bad men who are ad-
dicted TO the use Of alcohol will go to
any extreme. Many have lost their
lives in trying to quench their thirst
Some have been shot down by United
States marshals, while others have re-
sorted to patent medicines. lemon ex-
tract. red ink. extract Of ginger. or any
compound that had for its base alco-
hol Hardly a week passes without
some poor man. and occasionally a
woman, leaving the world by one Of
these routes
In certein sectioua of the territory
permits are given to dealers to sell
a drink that is known under various
titles. being a low grade beer This
has made the dealers rich. Patent
medicines are good sellers. esDecially
If they are part whisky. Varnish.
where corn alcohol is used. is a favor
lite drink. especially among the paint
ers. the drink being prepared by the
precipitation of the body. which leaves
the alcohol standing alone.
lemon extract. where II is composed
largely Of corn alcohol. is another IA
vorite.
Often some citizen will make a trip
TO the states. He returns home with
his grip heavily laden. II he gets past
the force of United States marshals,
who usually meet the trains. there
ARE things doing"
II the marshal suspects him he usu-
ally suffers arrest. HIS liquid refresh
ments are emptied into the gutter and
he is held under bond to appear before
the United States commissioner. who
binds the isoner over 70 the grand
jury. Conviction usually means half a
year in Jail. And the jails are con.
stantly filled.
Not long ago a man was arrested for
introducing" He carried his stock
in the iron axle Of a wagon He had
fooled the officers for months. but was
finally captured. He is now serving a
term in prison.
Perhaps the most prosperous place
In the world is the Indian Territory
There are fewer bad debts here thar
In most countries. and certainly less
lawlessness when It is taken into con
sideration that until a year or so agc
It was the borderland and the home OF
all escaping criminals from the states
THE lid" when it is as nearly abso
Lutte as here, is breeder Of prosperous