The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-03-03
CYCLONE STRIKES MERIDIAN, MJ;e5.;
 MORE THAN A HUNDRED PERSONS KILLED;
 DAMAGE TO PROPERLY WILL BE ENORMOUS

affairs of the five civilized tribes of Indians was then laiQ before the Sem ate. Mir. LaFollette's amendment pro- hibiting the sale of coal lands in In- dian Territory to railroad companies being the pending question.
 Mir. LaFolIette continued his speech in support of the proposition. He said senators had said to him that his amendment went too far, but meeting that condition ne said that legislation to be effective must be positive; to attempt to do less than is proposed by his amendment was to give husks in- stead of the kernel to the people who were crying for relief.
 He laid special stress upon the ne- cessity of prohibiting railroad stock holders from acquiring the lands and in support of his contention referred to the fact that through their officers the railroads of Pennsylvania own 9s per cent. of the anthracite coal in that State. He declared that they had driv- en the independent operators an in- dependent owners out of business, thus rendering all the people who were an- thracite consumers dependent upon eight or nine corporations for their fuel. It had been said if the railroad companies want the coal lands they will get them regardless of what Con gross may do. He could not agree to that doctrine.
 T want" he said, ''to put on record the protest of one individual against the doctrine that railroad companies can secure the mastery of any natural products of the country so as to inter fere with their being fair and even handed transporters of the products of the country. I want it put on record that this Government of the United States is stronger than any of its crea- lures, stronger than tic railroads in the aggregate and all the centralized power of the corporations represented by unlawful corporations and trusts. I would write in the statutes that the railroad companies must be common carriers and nothing else. and write it so as to make it effective"
 He presented a letter from T. P. Gore of Lawton, I. T.. complaining of railroad discriminations and suggest ing the appointment vf a railroad com mission for the territory.
 Mir. Clapp said in reply to Mir. La Toilette that the Indian committee had hesitated to accept the aInendmen be- cause It dealt with the regulation of the raiiroads which is provided fin another bill before the Senate. MT. Stone expressed the opinion that there should not only be no present sale of the coal lands but that further leases also should be prohibited.
 Mr. Teller doubted the right of Con- gress to say that railroad stockholders shall not become the owners of coal lands.
 Messrs. Mallory. Patterson and New lands also found legal difficulties in &C., cepting the prohibition put upon the holders of stock In rauroad companies. although professing sympathy with the purpose of the resolution.
 Mr. Newlands charged that the great p6rpnraaiona nraetiealx oontrni all the coal lands in Pennsy1vanIa and West Virginia and they were rapidly ex- tending their operation in Colorado, Utah. Mexico and other states and ter ritorieS.
 MT. Knox asked whether under the amendment stock in a coal mine in In- dian Territory operated by a man living in an outside State would revert to the United States. and in reply Mfr. La Toilette said he thought that would be a legitimate conclusion, but he added the conviction that in so great an eIn- ergency the rights of individuals should yield to the general welfare.
 After the debate had proceeded for about four hours. MT. Mccumber said that 1t had become apparent to him that the Senate did not at this time de- sire to provide for the sale of the coal lands. He therefore moved that the committee amendment be laid on the table. The motion pravailed-SS to [.
 The effect of the vote was to lay on the table not only the committee amendment, but the La Toilette amend ment and all other amendments suR- House provision standing. Mfr Clark, (wyo.) moved to amend the House pro- vision so as to make 1t read as fol- lows:
 ''That all coal and asphalt lands. whether leased or unleased, shall be reserved from sale under this act until the existing leases for coal and as- phalt lands shall have expired. or un- til such time as may be otherwise pro- vided by law"
 The suggestion was adopted without debate, On motion of MT. McCumber the following was substituted for the House provision on alienation: That all restrictions upon alterations and leasing of lands Of Indian allottees of the Choctaw, Chickasaw, Cherokee. Creek and Seminole tribes of less than full blood are. except as to homesteads. hereby removed, that no full blood In- dian of any of said tribes or his full blood heirs, shall have power to alien ate, sell. dispose of or incumber in any manner any of the lands allotted to him for Q period of twenty-five years ana aIEeE -tEe PdSHdBt ana dppEONdA OL this aot. unless such restriction shall. prior to the expiration. be removed by act of Congress; provided, however, that such full blood Indian of any of said tribes may lease any lands other than homesteads under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed by the Secretary of the Interior and in case of the inability of any full blood owner of a homestead on account of his inflrmity or age to work or farm his homesteaed. he shall upon proof of such inability. authorize the leasing of such homestead under such rules and regulations.
 On motion of MT Teller Sections G., 9, TO- II and 15 were stricken out for the purpose of giving the Conference Committee Jurisdiction over those pro- visions As amended the bill was passed
 The Senate then at 5;32 p. nl went into executive session and at $40 ad- journed until Monday
 PRICE OF ICE RAISED.