Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-10-28
Oklahoma Red Men No Longer
Uncle Sans Wards.
MUST WORK ON THE ROADS
Pay Their Taxes and Confne Stock
Within Bounds,
AND PUT CHILDREN IN SCHOOL
Congress Right to Do This Cues
toned, But It's Done, and No
More's to Be Said.

| The Indians of the four civilized tribes
| in Oklahoma-the Creeks, Cherokees.
Choctaws and Chickasaws-are they still
wards of the United States. are they fciti-
zens of the new state. or are they both
] the one and the other?
| Can they be wards of Uncle Sam. and
entitled to his guidance and protection,
| and at the same time citizens OF Oklaho-
ma. and subject to the laws. etc, of that
| state?
| The foregoing questions we're asked al
| a council Of the four tribes held recently
! The Indians await a solution. Ihey say
they cannot comprehend how they can be
| both wards and citizens. In other words
| they ask how the red men can serve two
masters.
There Is unrest among the Indians IN
| Oklahoma because of the arrest of many
| of them for failure to work upon the pub
lie roads and perform other acts of clti-
zenship. The matter has been presented
| to the bureau of Indian affairs
Assistant Attorney General George W.
Woodruff Of the Department of the In
| terror has replied to the complaints OF
Eufaula Harjo. John Smith, Willie va
| hola and others of 1.-THE four mothers as
| they term the four civilized tribes.
Judge Woodruff's View.
Judge Woodruff says in part:
LAS far as human foresight can tell
| there is no iota of ground for belief that
Congress will or can at this late day re-
scind its action In dividing the tribal land
| in severalty among the members of the
| five civilized tribes, and as soon as COM
patible with the welfare of the Indians
disposing of any residue of that land ana
distributing the remaining funds In the
| TIC 80 I-rifo toe
! Indians.
whether such action by Congress was
| incompatible with the treaty of 1880:
whether 1t was unfair to the Indians ana
against their welfare; whether 1t will lead
| to the destruction of the Indians of the
five civilized tribes. did not attempt to
argue 1 declared and reiterated the one
great fundamental truth-that Congress
| has the power, whether right or wrong
| to do this thing and Congress has done II.
"Ordinary common sense demands that
the Indians shall discover where their al
| lotments are and obtain from them a
living return If that Is possible. either
| by leasing to others or by cultlvatlng
them themselves
Il. also-after admitting that the treaty
of 1880 provided that the Indian Terri
tory should never be incorporated within
the limits of a state of the Union-called
attention to the fact that Congress mad,
whether right or wrong, created the state
land of the Five Civilized Tribes. and that
the most ignorant of persons who can see
and know, in view of the fact that the
state of Oklahoma Is under full sway
with it's governor. Its legislature, Its con-
stitution its laws, it's system of courts
and schools-that the most ignorant per
son, l repeat. seeing and knowing this
could not hope that Congress will recon-
slider its action.
Explains to Indians.
while in Oklahoma 1 explained care
fully at many meetings of fullblood In
dams that since the state of Oklahoma
exists and they are citizens of that state.
they must obey the laws. and each one
bear his share of the burden which must
fall upon each and every citizen.
Il assured them-and they can be as
sured over and over again-that 1t is not
legally possible for the state authorities to
levy any different rate of tax on the In
dams or demand any different kind Of
service from them than is exacted from
their white neighbors. The Indians have
exactly the same exemptions from taxes
as their white neighbors-namely. apprais-
ing the property, as l understand II, 10
the amount of 500.
"AlI three quarter and full blood Indians
of the Five Civilized Tribes also have
complete exemption from taxation on
their land until such time as restrictions
may hereafter be removed Dy the oecre-
tary Of the Interior.
ION the other hand the Indians must
work out their road tax. For their own
good as we'll as the good of the COM
munity they should do this cheerfully.
1t means work. to be sure. but only work
of a few days The white man must do
the same amount and class of work. 1t
is over in a short time.
THE roads are better. The Indians
have done their part and should be glad
tbnx, do do a
subject to the same punishment-perhap
a fine, and imprisonment until the fine is
paid-as their white neighbours If they
refuse to do their work.
IF the Indians refuse to disclose to
the tax assessor the amount of their per-
sonal property, here again they are LA
BILE to the same punishment. no more and
no less. as their white neighbors who
thus refuse.
Must Build Fences.
"If the Indians horses. cattle, sheep or
hogs stray through the land of their
neighbors in those counties where the
law requires the owner Of such stock to
fence them it, the Indians are liable to
the same loss, by what is known as i'm
pounding, and the sale of enough of the
stock to pay the damages. as their white
neighbors-no more and no less.
"Of course, If the Indians break any
of the laws of the state by stealing. COM
hitting perjury as witnesses. becoming
drunk and disorderly, or committing as
saults and murder, they are liable to the
same penalties as their white neighbors-
no more and no less.
IF the state authorities arrest Indians
for failure 10 work on the roads, failure
to disclose their property to the tax as
SCISSOR, or any other offense when the
Indian did not know that he had COM
mitted such an offense. or that the faw
required him to do such things, it is un
fortunate. 1t would be better for the
road masters and the tax assessors to be
patient in explaining to the Indians about
these matters.
However. 1t is impossible for the fed
eral authorities to protect the Indians
from such arrest, fine and imprisonment
If the proper magistrates or juries find.
after considering the case, that the In
dian has violated the law, and If the
same punishment could have been admin
istered to a white man under the, same
circumstances.
Instructions to Agents.
1.-The district agents are instructed, and
know they are trying to carry out their
instructions, to inform the Indians as
readily as possible of their duties as cit
liens: to urge upon them to work on the
roads when the law requires It. just as
their white Eeighbors: to disclose t e full
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