The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1906-08-17
WHY THs INDIANS SHOULD BE
DEMOCRATS.

Nr ~. L Cusey. o field represen
tatiye of tho united States Indian
agent. statei IN a recent interview
that most ot the Indians asking for
the removal Of restriction are intel
ligent people and pass creditable
examination. ar Cusey Is a man Of
fair intelligence and has had years Ui
experience In the Indian service. 10
is safe TO say however that In a great
many Of the applicants for the reno.
val Of restrictions are as competent
20 care for themselves as Is Mr.. ca.
sey Yet they are compelled 10 demon
strate this fac; 20 him. the Indian
Agent. tae Commissioner OF Indian A.
fairs and N esecretar yof the late
ri1r.
The process 90 best is slow and Co.
dious one. Nj Cusey says he has a'
this time enough csscs on hand to keen
him busy till late in October Even
when his report Is filed all the papers
must be forwarded 20 Washington
held there for an indefinite period
then returned 20 the Dawes Commls
sion to be recorded, thence 10 the
agent for delivery. An interval OF al
least sixty days must elapse from
the time Of the making Of the appli.
caticn until the applicant is finally
advised as 90 what action Is taken
over sixty per cent OF the Indians Of
the territory ave less than the full
blood and the major portions Of these
|, tdFns tryi l'et Nhplr restrictions
removed upon application. The Re
publican party. through It's Republican
secretary Of the Interior. Is resp0n
ible for the killing Of the bill remov
ing the restrictions from those In.
dians Of less than the full blood In
doing so the party left the unwarrant
able assumption and UNJUST reflection
that 10000 10 10000 intelligent. law.
abiding and highly respected citizens
were incompotents and not capable
u caring for themselves Th.- was
no tall in doing this that the G.. o r.
va sguilty of lts action IN this regard
gitally affected the growth and pros
Ierity OF an the Indian Territory and
depressed the price of the Indians
lands and retarded the growth Of 'hi.
pleHdld country 90 a marked degree
The Republicans claim they are do
The Republicans claim they are
largely responsible for the wonderful
growth o 1.-THE territory aud the CORE
iponding increase OF ,Le value OF land
and all properties, and for these reas
Ons the Indians should be Rcpabli
cans. The wonder Is that the country
has made such rapid advances as II
has unuer Hitchcock's bureaucratic
red tape ana arbitrary maladmInI ra
ton of affairs The growth and pros
pority Is attributable TO the wonderful
md diversified resources and vim auC
.N'lhe VI lNH iNidulldulFs ilhN bNtHN
1cratic party been IN power a far
more liberal policy ~ treating with
Indian affairs would have been adop,
3D. Corporations and railroads
would not have been per
mittod 20 secure long time leases on
the most valuable oil and coal lands
Restrictions would have been remov
ed, the price OF land tribled In value
and the yogatioUa and annoying de
lays incident to the placing OF arbi
rary power In the hands OF an ig
norant and prejudiced man like Hitch
cock would never have occurred.
Il Is generally conceded that Cleye
land was one OF the best friends the
indians ever bad and his treatment
1f the Indians fair and upright. There
are other reasons why the indians
should be Democrats, but few, II any
why they should be Republicans. II
Is n significant fact tina the ieauers
lnd most prominent men Of the tribes
are rapidly announcing themselves
as Democrats and their people will
follow them in the future as in the
past and In joining the Democratic
party they will make no mistake.