The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-03-22

strictiOns provided for 10y the Nc.
CURE bill will prove SO satisfactory
that there will be no objection 80
adopting the provisions of my bill at
an early day.
OF one thing ! am morally certain.
and that is this. If the gentlemen on
/ the floor of this House only had
| thorough understanding of the conf.
tions in Oklahoma, If they could only
see these conditions in their true
light and as they really exist, there
would be no occasion for the preson.
tation of my remarks today, for feel
sure you would pass the bill which /
have presented without opposition
and with very little comment.
As you all know we have new
State out there our predcament was
deplorable enough before our admis-
sion, but with the advent Of statehood
and the many burdens that come
herewith. the conditions on the east
side of that State, in what has here
tofore been known as Indian Terri.
tory, will soon become almost intole.
rable.
All the lands in Indian Territory
originally belonged to the Indians
composing the Five Civilized Tribes
and were inalienable and nontaxablc.
Indians, | say, Mr. Chairman. As a
matter Of fact they are not real In
dians as you understand that term. A
great majority of them are miXed-blood
Indians, with a small degree of In.
dian blood Others, white men who
have intermarried into the tribe, and
a great number, about $4,000 as | re-
member, are negroes, freedmen, for.
mer slaves of these tribes, who have
had lands allotted TO them, so that
the actual Indian, the real full-blood
T Indian, only represents a very small
minority of these people. But, get
% ting back to the land in question. /
, will say that there are about twenty
r million acres of these lands, all in
| aienable and all nontaXable. | am
going a little too fast. To be more
t accurate: Restrictions have been re
moved on about three mellon acres
{ of these lands, leaving a residue moi
, OF twenty million, but Of seventeen
, million acres on that side of the
4 State, all nontaXable, and on which
o permanent improvements and home
. building are absolutely prevented, FOL
d the reason that title can not b'
made on account of these restric
n tons.
J. Such lands as have had restric
i tions removed are distributed owe
} many of the counties on the east side
$ but | understand that in some of th'
L counties no restrictions whatever hav,
5 been removed All of the land Is in
| alienable and not one dollar in take
o can be realized from same.
s The major portion of these land
n have never been improved or put Il
l. cultivation, therefore produce no reve
e nue. whatever to anyone. Many of III
e Indians owning such lands have n
E. funds with which to improve then
and the most inconsistent and ridicl
4. lous part of the whole system is tina
r this very class of Indians, who ar
a too poor to build improvements o
y their lands, are prevented from lea
s. ing these lands for longer perio
II than one year. Now, what | woul
20 like TO have explained TO me Is hoy
le in the name of common sense, sue
10 lands are ever TO be made productiy
under the present system? The Il
ly dian without funds to improve h
ii land is prevented from having II in
I'd proved by leasing. So | think 1t ca
ri easily be understood how this yer
ID class OF Indians which are incomp
ly tent must retrograde under the pre-
OF ent law.
IA These conditions, Of course, mai
our State most undesirable aboC
as for the man with worthy ambitic
k to build and own home Of his ow
DO Many of our best citizens have en-
is grated within the last elghteC
p- months, pulled up bag and baggag
IN. and left the State entirely VIII.
80 For no other purpose than 10 seek
an location where they can own hon
nd and improve It.
cr Witmhin tie radius OF the trade
IN my home town. Ardmore, undC
If stand that $4,000 acres of land whi