The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1907-05-05
An Address to the People Of Oklahoma
SIN. RUTHERFORD, Of AuSkOsec, Candidate for U.S. Senate

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the threshold Of statehood are So ano.
malous. and apparently so irrcconci.
able with the needs Of prosperous
state. as to make intelligent action on
the part Of the people in the organize.
tion Of the state. and the selection
Of our first corps Of officers. appar
entity impossible. Indeed. they are
such as would discourage less hope.
ful people than those composing the
citizenship Of the proposed state OF
Oklahoma, hailing, as the great ma.
iority Of our citizens do. from every
section Of the globe. bringing with
them "a Heterogeneous mass OF ideas
entirely at variance with the condi
|. tions they find. The people are unac-
quaintcd with one another, and the
time intervening between now and the
primary election Is so limited as to
personal campaign and extending
personal acquaintance with but a
small number. which makes 1t neces-
sary on the part Of those seeking the
suffrages Of the people to avail them
selves Of every means and opportun.
ity Of placing their views before them
/ In view OF these facts. | avail my.
self of this means of expressing to the
people Of Oklahoma. briefly, my views
an some questions of chief moment,
and questions, too. pertaining to the
duties OF the office to which | aspire
am a candidate for the United
States senate and my long residence
in this country, and careful study of
the conditions, and of the progress
made in the settlement Of the Indian
questions. fits me, in my humble opin.
ion. To be of some service in their
solution.
The time may be far distant when
the political arrangements Of our
country will reach the highest ideals
of which our social instincts are
capable. but every life honestly spent
in the common veal. and every hour
devoted to the earnest study of the
public good. will bring that day more
surely within our reach.
The most important question first
claiming the attention Of our peo-
The question ot taxation is on,
pie, and which demands immediate ac-
affairs of the Indians of the Five
Civilized Tribes.
The object of government being to
secure every individual the fullest
freedom for the exercise of his facul.
ties. and the right to the fullest en-
joyment of the fruits Of his labor,
makes 1t imperative that every citi.
zen, as rapidly as possible. be digni.
fled with all the privileges that the
word citizenship" implies.
The absurd policy adopted by the
government of the United States for
the control and settlement of the In.
dian affairs becomes all the more
monstrous when viewed from this
standpoint. That the retention of re-
strictions is an outrage to the intelli.
gcucc of the Indian to the integrity
OF the white citizen, and to the growth
OF the state, needs no argument to
demonstrate. They must be removed
and upon that point | stand for the
absolute removal Of restrictions on
the alienation of Indian lands and II
any need the protection OF government
in the management OF their affairs
land some few wild. that such es-
tates be transferred from the depart
mcnt OF the interior at Washington
to our local state courts. The Indians
ask this. the development of the coun-
try requires IL. and the needs Of the
state demand 1t.
In the discussion of this question
much confusion has been created. |
The failure TO realize that the condi- |
| tions that will surround a senator and /
those that attend a lobbyist who is
sent 10 Washington under present
conditions to secure relief, are vast.
ly different. has given rise to this con
dtion Of the public mind, The pres
cnt conditions have resulted in the
robbery OF the Indian and the enrich.
ing OF the land spectators To re
move these restrictions will not be so
difficult as some would think. An in
telligont exposure Of the frauds suf'
fercd by the Indians in consequence
thereof alone is sufficient to convince
those who, by Indifferent attention to
the affair, OF this country, have been
led into this ridiculous system of gov.
ernment in practice here, When Okla.
homa has been admitted into the I'm
ion as state the same indignity and
nnWar that attaches IN aVarN spnatnr