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

who represents the Fourth Congress
sional district in Congress, has made
on Of the finest speeches delivered in
this congress which entities him to a
/ place among the orators of the house.
| On March 13 when the house had re-
solved itself into committee OF the
whole Mr.. Carter was allowed 10 oc-
| cupy the floor for the space of forty
| five minutes. lie used that time
with speech that will give him a
national reputation and that will be
| of untold benefit TO his constituents
/ and TO the people of the entire state
of Oklahoma. lie devoted his time
! to "A discussion of his bill providing
| for the removal of restrictions. His
/ clear knowledge of conditions and the
/ forceful and logical manner of plac-
| ing these conditions before the con
| gress made many friends for his bill
and when he had finished Mr.. Reale
/ of Pennsy sylvania remarked that he
could not see how congress could re
fuse to give Mr. Carter all that his
! bill called for. 4 copy of that por.
tion Of the Congressional Record hav-
ing to do with his speech is publish
ed here:
Mr.. BOWERS. Mr. Chairman, ]
now yield forty-fiye minutes TO the
gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Car.
ter.
Mr.. CARTER. Mr.. Chairman, I do
not desire to discuss a question of a
partisan nature, but / want to call at.
tention to a bill which | have intro
duced in this House and to present
reasons as best | can showing the jus
tice and necessity of sch legislation.
This bill provides for the removal
of certain restrictions upon the alien
alton of Indian lands in Oklahoma,
and It shall be my purpose to show
TO this committee that these restric.
tions have proven in the past a con.
suant and successful barrier to the
progress and development of our
State, a menace to the civilization
and advancement of the Indian and
destructive of the very spirit ot
American liberty.
do not rise FOR the purpose OF
criticising the acts of any man who
has had to do with Indian affairs in
the past. | have the highest regard
: for that able man who stands at the
head of the House Committee on IN
dian Affairs, although | differ from
Aim politically.
That mistakes have been made il
handling the affairs of the Five Civil
lied Tribes in our State no one WI
dare gainsay. 1t is but human h.
err, and it is but natural that mis-
tling conditions so anomalous a
ours. So far as / am concerned,
am going to be generous enough r,
ascribe the cause of these mistake
to a misconception of the situation
= and to attribute such misunderstood
ing of the conditions to the dens,
and prolix complexities of the stat
of affairs with which these gentle
: men were confronted.
fully comprehend the many disat
vantages that confront one in secul
= ing favorable consideration of
= measure introduced by a minorit
Member. Without going into discu
sion Of the rules of the House, | wi
! simply say that | understand It to b
the policy of the majority TO assum
| all responsibility of legislation, n
matter which party is in power.
My remarks, however, should appl
with equal force to a bill introduce
by my colleague (Mr. McGuire), an
| want to say just a word in regar
to this bill, The Mcclure bill is goo
enough, so far as it goes, but, in m
opinion, it falls just little short {
the legislation needed in Oklahom
today.
This bill must not be regarded a
embodying the exact ideas of the O
lahoma delegation. 1t smacks tC
much of paternalism for that. Tn
measure should be regarded as re
O resenting the limit 10 which the
terror Department would agree to
at this time 1t is the result of Z
Y agreement with that Department al
gives a measure of relief, and +
these reasons | shall give 1t my u
qualified support, in the hope that