The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1906-03-05
c. B. ROGERS
Writes ConCering Stat
us of Territorial Bills
in Congress.

Washington, ID. c., March 2, 1906
DAILY CHIEFTAIN:-The people o.
the whole Indian Territory and espe
peciallg the people Of the Cherokee
Nation being intensely interested IL
the present Curtis bill, / am pleased
to comply with your request for 3
resume Of the present status ano
future prospects.
The provisions Of the bill as it pass
ed the house in January are well
known.
When the same finally passed the
senate this afternoon about five o'clock
it would be difficult to recognize its
original form. The senate radically
amended by cutting out or adding to
every section of this bill save one.
Independent of this bill a joint reso-
luton Of the senate and house has
within forty-eight hoursi been adopt
ed and probably signed by the execu-
tive, continuing tribal existence"
for one year from March 4th, 1906.
Radical changes we're made ina num-
Der of sections applying more par
ticularly to the Choctaw and Chicka-
saw Nations.
The senate committee added a
clause pro giding for the sale of Choc-
taw coal lands to the amount Of 4e0,-
OJO acres approximately under the
Joint direction Of the President and
secretary Of the interior.
This is the clause which has been
lately commented upon by the press
as a job.
Robert NJ. LaFollette, Junior senator
from Wisconsin, attacked the commit
tee amendment and attempted to
amend the same by another amend
ment, which marks departue in
American legislation and which has
created a great sensation at Wash
ington and brought into the front
rank Of legislators this already noted
man. He proposed provision, that
no railroad company nor any officer,
agent or stockholder Of any railroad
company or any other common carrier
should be permitted to acquire any
interest, right or title in any such
lands at said sale.
The amendment elected most re-
markable debate and developed a tre-
mendous interest, which finally result
ed in the proposal, to sell said lands,
being stricken out of the bill entirely.
Senator McCumber, of North Da-
kcta, then carried an amendment to
the section removing restrictions upon
alienation of allotments, so as TO
make the alienation by fullbloods i'm
possible for twenty-five years.
Teller, of Colorado proposed such
changes in all other sections as would
place practically the whole bill in
conference where tie same had not
already been changed by the senate
So the whole bill is sub
ject to the conference, which will no
doubt be held soon. There win, no
doubt, be many changes and altera-
tions in the conference
The two clauses most important to
are the one pertaining to
the removal Of restrictions and the
third section of the bill, which, if
passed, in conference and finally en-
acted into law, will prevent the en-
rollment Of some $500 to 5000 Chero-
kee freedmen, whose applications are
now on file and many Of whom would
otherwise have certainly been enroll
ID unless of course, congress repeals
lhe said clause at some subsequent
session before said roll is finally closed.
There will no doubt be a senate
appointed to investigate
and affairs in the Indian
Territory during the present vacation.
The proposition of certain senators
% postpone action on this bill until II
he next session Of congress is being
opposed bY all persons
rom the territory now ~ Washing
on, in so far as same applies to re-
noval Of restsictions 1 am Yours
Truly, @. B. ROGERS.
The Groom Returns to Duty.
VVosl,f,rfon Nor ponroeonta
i've Nicholas Longworth returned to