Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1908-04-22
JUSTICE TO Indians
President Roosevelt Says They
Were the FIRST Americans
WE MUST TREAT THEM FAIRLY
Oklahoma Commercial Club, Will
Brass Band and Flaming Banners
Visits the White House in the In,
terests of the Removal of Rsstric.
tiors of the Sale of Indian Lands.

Washington, Special.--"After all
gentlemen, he is the oldest American
of all of us; so give him fair show;
give him chance"
In these words President Roosevelt
SPOKE 10 the members Of the Tulsa
Okla, Commercial club, who with 9
brass band and flaming banners, call.
ed at the White House Friday and
made it known to the President that
they favored the removal of restric.
tions of the sale of Indian 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 see that the Indian gets his. The
Presidents remarks were as follows:
A Homestead Of 40 Acres.
tis great fp,feasurs4tte rsetzyou
here. I take peculiar interest in your
State; it is q great State, and it Is
going to be a much greater State. ]
endeayor to find out what is really
for your interest and then to do it.
1 went over very carefully with your
Representative this question Of the
removal of the restrictions and came
to the conclusin that substantial jus.
ticc wou d be done tt both the FL
dian and the white man by keeping
for the Indian homestead of 40
acres Of good agricultural land and
allowing him to ALLEVIATE the remain:
der. l do not think il is to his ad
vantage or to yours that there should
be large tracts Of non-taxable and
non-improved land.
"I will help You in any way to see
that you set your Fights New, / waa;
You to help me see that the Indian
gets his rights. / will help You in any
legitimate way; and 1 will do my
best 10 Try to see That tie Indian IS
not kept rs an obstruction to the
growth Of the State. But you know
as well as I do that there are plenty
OF Indians who are not yet as well
able to take care of themselves as
.I,e icst of YOU ey .e.ne!y able gen
tlemen of Oklahoma. You cannot af-
ford, in your own interest, to do less
than justice to the Indian, and l want
You to make it your work TO see that
your own State courts, your State OF
fcials, carefully preserve the rights
of the Indian, and that you try tc
give him the chance to which he is
entitled. 1 will do all / can to Sc
cure him that chance.
Give the Indian Fair Show.
"After all, gentlemen. he is the
oldest American of all of us; so give
him fair show: give him chance
I have no sympathy with that maudlir
sentimcntalism about the Indiar
which = the most intense the farther
you get away from where the Indiar
is. All want is that You shall moi
only give to the very able, very ad
:. mead Indian the SIN, shnw that yor
give tie white man; but that the In
dian who needs to be brought alone
for a decade or two, needs to be edu
Gated and trained until he can stanc
entirely on his own feet shall have
your hclp."
The club members were accompan
led bv Senator Owen and Congress
man Mcclure. The delegation whicl
numbers over a hundred, was greatly
pleased at the attitude Of the Presi
dent and the assurances given by him