Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-18
FAIR PLAY FOR INDIAN
OLDEST AMERICAN" SAYS THE
PRESIDENT.
Addresses Delegation From Okla
homa on the Question of Restric-
ton on Land Sales.

After ALL gentlemen. he is The oldest
! American of all of us; so give him fair
show: give him a chance" In these
| words President Roosevelt spoke to the
members of the Tulsa, Okla. Commercial
Club. who with brass band and flaming
banners called at the White House yes
| terday afternoon and made it known to
the President that they favored the re-
| moval of restrictions of the sale of In
| dian lands in the new state.
The President told the club that he
would help them to see that they got
their rights and he wanted their help to
se= that the Indian gets his. The Presi-
dents remarks were as follows:
The Presidents Remarks.
| ut is a great pleasure to greet you
here. l take peculiar interest in your
great state, and 1t is a great state. and it
is going to be a much greater state.
endeavor to find out what is really for
your interest and then to do it. 1 went
over very carefully with your representa-
| tive this question of the removal of the
restrictions and came to the conclusion
| that substantial justice would be done
| to both the Indian and the white man
| by keeping for the Indian homestead of
forty acres of good agricultural land and
allowing him to ALLEVIATE the remainder
I do not think it is to his advantage or
to yours that there should be large tracts
of non-taxable and non-improved land
Il will help you to see that you get
your rights. Now, want you to help me
see that the Indian gets his rights.
l will help you in any legitimate way:
and I will do my best to try to see that
the Indian is not kept as an obstruction
to the growth of the state. But you know
as we'll as 1 do that there are plenty of
Indians who are not yet well able to
take care of themselves the rest of
you extremely able gentlemen of Okla
homa. You cannot afford, in your own
interest, to do less than justice to the
Indian, and 1 want each of you to make
1t your work to see that your own state
courts, your state officials. carefully pre-
serve the rights of the Indian, and that
you try to give him the chance to which
he is entitled I will do all 1 can to secure
him that chance.
The coolest American"
"After all. gentlemen. he is the oldest
American of all of us; so give him a fair
show; give him a chance. I have no
sympathy with that maudlin sentimental
ism about the Indian which is most in
tense the farther you get away from
where the Indian is. All / want is that
you shall not only give to the very able.
very advanced, Indian the same show
that you give the white man. but that
the Indian who needs to be brought along
for a decade or two. needs to be edu-
| Gated and trained until he can stand
entirely on his own feet, shall have your
help
The club members were accompanied
by Senator Owen and Representative Nc
CURE. c. c. Magee briefly addressed the
President. saying that, in addition to
other objects they had come hoping to
be able to play the great father as the
delegations from Oklahoma used to call
him, to aid them in securing the removal
of restrictions upon the alienation of In
dian lands in their state and he expressed
their qualification at finding that the
President had already given substantial
evidence of his sympathy with this OBJ
ject of their visit.
The delegation. whiAl numbers over a
hundred was greatly pleased at the at
ttude of the President, and the assur-
ances given by him.
Guests at Reception.
The citizens of Tulsa were entertained
at reception by the Chamber of Com
nerce last evening after visiting points of
interest about the city During the speak
ing that followed the reception Senator
Gore of Oklahoma said:
1.-The newest and the brightest star on
the American flag is that OF the state
of Oklahoma. and the fairest spot In
Oklahoma is Tulsa
Senator Owen, another speaker of the
evening, declared that the greatest con-
tribution which Oklahoma has made to
the United States is its constitution,
which, he declared. would be a beacon
light to the trainers of all future con-
stitutions. He asserted that although it
has been held up to ridicue. it is greater
In some respects than the Constitution of
the United States.
Other speakers were District Commits
sioners mcfarland and West and Supt.
of Public Schools Stuart. Mr.. Macfar-
land, after briefly outlining the history
of the National capital including a state
ment of its different forms of government
and what Gov. Shepherd and. his associ-
ates did toward carrying out George
Washington's plans. spoke of the progress
made in the past thirty years under the
present form of government which had
made Washington, always beautiful for
situation, one of the most beautiful cap
itals of the world and certain to be the
most beautiful.
Doubled Since 1873.
Since 1873. he said. the population had
doubled and the loanable resources quad
rupled, till now they were about one hun
dred millions. Before 1878 the District
taxpayers paid practically the whole cost
of maintenance, and since 1878 they paid
half, with the same civic pride and spirit
which sent more than the Districts quota
Of volunteers to- every national war and
gave more than the Districts share to
every national fund for calamity relief
Next year the District revenues would be
nearly six million dollars. ample for it's
share of all the current expenditures and
for a large payment on account of ex-
traordinary projects of Improvement.
upon which over sixteen millions have
been spent in the last seven years.