The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-08-13
MEMBERS FROM
THE GREAT WEST
Senate Committee to, InveSti-
gate Indian Territory Af-
fairs a Strong One.
RIGID INQUIRY IS PLANNED
SOME SENSATIONAL DISCLOS-
UREs EXPECTED.
RIGID INQUIRY IS PLANNED
Especial to The Herald.)

Denver, Aug. 12.-The investigation OF
the affairs of the five civilized tribes
which is to commence on Nov. u by the
select committee of the Indian commit
tee of the United States senate may have
direct bearing upon the business of GER
tain corporations whose property is To-
Gated in Colorado, Wyoming and other
western states and which have hereto
fore had practically a complete monopoly
of the coal market in Oklahoma and In
dian territories.
There will be a hot time in Indian
territory when the five investigators who
compose the membership of this special
senatorial committee commences opera
tions, The work of the committee VIII
be thorough and its recommendations 10
congress for remedial congressional leg
islation will be practical and not theoret-
ical
Nearly All Western Men.
The investigation is to be made largely
by western men of well-known integrity,
I familiar with western affairs conditions
In new countries and long public expert
ence. The committee is composed of
Senator G. d. Clark of Wyoming. chair
man; Chester l. Long of Kansas, Frank
r. Brandegee OF Connecticut, Henry NJ.
Teller Of Colorado and w. A. Clark Of
Montana. The committee has just con-
cluded an executive meeting held in this
city and at which a tentative understand
.
investigation and the matters and things
10 be investigated.
The Importance of the investigation
this committee is instructed to conduct
cannot be gainsaid. 1t is national in
many of its aspects. The members of
the five civilized tribes are wards of the
nation and the government of the United
States is morally bound to see that they
are rendered secure in their rights. TO
protect them from imposition on the
part of the agents and officers of the
nation who have been handling their af-
fairs for the past ten years IL is of
first and primary Importance to the peo-
pie of Indian territory, who are today
existing under the most obnoxious form
of federal domination known to any cit
liens or subjects of the American nation.
This condition has been superinduced and
brought about by recommendations of
federal officials TO congress which recon-
mendatiOns have been enacted into law.
Needs Probing.
1t is evident from information furnished
the committee that there is no branch of
the government that needs probing as
bad as does the affairs of the five civil
lied tribes, and the men selected for this
work. and appointed as members of the
committee insure d rigid, thorough in
VestigatiOn. OF the membership of the
committee four are lawyers and at least
three of them are we'll yersed in Indian
affairs. Senator Clark, the chairman of
the committee. is chairman of the judi
ciary committee of the senate. selected
for that position because of his eminent
legal attainment He has q thorough
knowledge Of Indian matters: he is a
practical man. familiar with conditions
I'm new countries, gained by his early res
idence in the west, and learned in the
school of actual experience. Twenty-Five
years of public service during which no
human being has had the temerity to as
sert that he has even been indiscreet or
TO even intimate that he has been guilty
of a dishonorabe act. Fitting il is that
such a man should have been selected for
the Craftsmanship of this committee which
is charged with the duty of not only in
vestigating affairs in Indian territory !
but recommending to congress the enact |
ment of legislation for the protection of |
the members of the Indian tribes-wards |
of the government
Senator Long. the second ranking MEM |
Der of the committee has an intimate |
knowledge OF affairs in the territory by /