The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-03-20
INDIAN REPUBLICANS.
The Cunning Redskins of Indian Ter
ritory Make Monkeys of the Okla
hOma Yankees.

| A special from Oklahoma to the
New York Times gives the following
illuminating account Of the develop
ment Of the Indians as politicians:
Some fairly reliable reports have
finally reached Washington from Ok
lahoma's constitutional convention,
and they chiefly illustrate new quail
ity in the character Of sLo, the Poor
| Indian" More interesting even than
| the expected color-line legislation,
temperance legislation, and the effort
to restrict corporations, is the fash
ion in which L. P. I. has put it all
over the white brother in the game
| Of politics.
To Indian Territory was allotted 55
delegates in this constitutional con-
vention, to Oklahoma 55 delegates,
and to the Usage Nation delegates.
The whites of Oklahoma were set
tiers who had been educated from
their youth in primaries and nomi-
elections had kept them in training,
| while Lo had none Of these advan-
tages. 1t, therefore, was natural that
the Oklahoma delegates should have
begun to caucus weeks before the
convention, planning the distribution
Of the Offices committees and the good
things generally that are passed
around in constitutional conventions
as we'll as legislatures. They gather
ed in Oklahoma City and glibly dis
cussed the task of Organizing" the
untutored red man for his good and
their profit.
Shock to the Whites.
The untutored Red Man was a
shock when he arrived, for he had
been educated at Harvard, Princeton,
Cornell, Michigan, or Chicago, and he
wore tailor-made clothes and smart
linen and the latest thing in scarfs
that had reached st. Louis. For the
indians of the territory are rich be-
yond average avarice, because a pater-
nal government has protected them
in their property until has reached
boom values. The Farmers" as the
Oklahoma delegates called them, were
heads Of banks, directors of railroads,
promoters Of gas and electric compa-
MES and owners Of farm mortgages.
The untutored Indian had put for
ward his best man.
Oklahoma, on the other hand, Sc
lecting delegates according tot he best
traditions of American politics, had
picked chin whiskers for honesty,
windy little lawyers for oratory, and
a few bartenders here and there to
lead in such manipulation as might
be necessary.
The two neutral delegates from the
Usage Nation looked over the two
crowds and threw their deciding votes
with their fellow-Indians. Some or
the Oklahoma delegates liked the
company in which they found them
selves so little, or were so upset al
being overlooked in the planned dis
tribution Of the pie that they sided
with the enemy.
The White Brother had planned to
give Indian Territory few janitor-
ships. That is precisely what he got.
The untutored Red Man hogged the
whole business-presiding officer,
clerk, sergeant at arms, and the
chairmanships of all the important
committees.
Seized the Legislature.
But the end was not yet The
constitutional convention was to cut
up the new State into counties The
Oklahoma delegates had made some
plans about that. But they sat aghast
and watched Lc carve up Indian Ter
ritory to give him the greater num-
Der of counties and consequently a |
majority of the legislature, and then |
f1,,- OH
Of Oklahoma for his own purposes.
The white man who represented
Beaver county in Oklahoma roared |
and kicked most loudly over these
things. Four towns in his county |
were contesting for the honor Of be- |
ing made the county seat. The po-
litically ignorant Indian established |
Beaver county's seat on farm in the |
middle Of the county and named it |!
Buffalo, because. as one Indian grave |
ly said, the only public improvement |
visible in this new metropolis was a |
buffalo wal1ow.
Worst Yet to Come.
Even then there was more and |
worse to come, for the haugty poll
ticians Of Oklahoma. Congress had
forbidden the liquor traffic in the
Indian Territory part Of the new
State. The Indians said they wanted
no monopoly of good thing and
they voted to take prohibition into
the new constitution. Both the man
ufacture and sale Of liquor are for
hidden. And there are several fran
tic breweries in Oklahoma still strug-
Cling desperately to have that cause
modified. But the Indian is unrelent-
ing.
Curiously enough, despite his ap-
petite for firewater when it is thrust
before him, Lo is a rabid prohibition
ist when it comes to voting. He re-
cognizes the desirability Of keeping
the stuff at a safe distance. md he
thinks that some sort of absent treat
ment ought to do the white man
good.
The constitutional convention has
twice clashed with President Roose-
welt. The first time it had about de-
cided to include clause forbidding
any individual, concern or corpora
ton bringing armed guards ;ato the