Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-04-18
Presidents PLEA
FOR THE INDIAN
No is the Oldest American and
Should be Given a Fair
Show and Chance.
DESTROYS OF HELPING HIM.
would Have the Backward Rcdmnn
Educated and Trained Until
He Can Go 1t Alone.

washington. April 1I-"After ALL
Gentlemen. he is The Oldest American
n all OF US; SO give himaa fair show;
Give him a chance" In there words
president Roosevelt spoke of the mem
ners of the Tulsa. okla, Commercial
c,ub who with hrass band and fam
Inc banners called at the White HOUSE
today and made il known to the presi-
ident that they favored the removal of
restrictions upon the sale of Indian
nnds N y.ie new state.
,rne president told the club that he
would he,p them to see that they got
their rights and he wanted their help
10 see that the Indian gets his.
PRESIDENTS SPEECH.
The presidents remarks were as
follows:
1T Is a great pleasure to greet you
here. take a peculiar interest in your
great state, and 1t is Il great state, and
Is going to be q much greater state. |
endeavor- to find out what is really
for your interest and then do it, L went
over very carefully With your represen-
tatyes this question of the removal of
the restrictions and came to the con-
tlusioG that substantial justice would
he done to both the Indian and the
white man by keeping for the Indian a
homestead of 40 acres of good agricul-
tura land and allowing him to alien
ate the remainder. l do not think 1t
is to his advantage or. to yours that
there should be large tracts OF non-taS-
able and uon-improved land
II will help YOU to see that you get
YOUR rights. Now | want YOU 10 help
me see that the Indian gets his rights
! will help YOU in any legitimate way
and ! will do my best to try to see
that The Indian IS not kept as an OBJ
struction to the growth of the state.
But YOU know as well as / do that there
are plenty of Indians who are not yet
as well able to take care of themselves
as the rest of you extremely able gen.
tlemen from Oklahoma. You cannot
afford. in your own interest, to do less
than justice To the Indian, and ] want
each of you to make it your work to
see that your own state courts, your
state officials. carefully preserve the
rights of the Indians. and that you
try to give him the chance to which
he is entitled. | win do all l can to
secure him that chance.
After all, gentlemen, he IS tho old
est American Of all of us; so give him
Il fair show give him n chance.
have no sympathy with that maudlin
scntimentalism about the Indian which
is most intense the farther you get
away from whore the Indian is, All
want is that you shall not only give
10 the very able. very advanced In
dian the same show that you give the
white man but that the Indian who
I@ds to be brought along for a de-
cdde or two needs to be educated and
trained until he can stand entirely
on his own feet shall have your help
The club members were accompanied
by Senator Owen and Congressman Me-
CURE &. c. Magec briefly addressed
the president, saying that In addition
to other objects they had come hoping
10 be able to pray 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 Indian lands in their state
and he expressed qualification at find
ing that the president had already Civ
On substantial evidence of his sympathy
with this object
The delegation numbered over 100 and
was greatly pleased at the attitude of
the president and the assurance given
by him.