The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-18
GIVE FAIR SHOW ID OLDEST AMERICAN Roosevelt Says Indian Must Be
 Treated Fairly 0KLAHOMANS MAKE VISIT Delegation Appears At White House Asking That Restrictions Be Taken
 Off Sale of Indian Lands
 In New State.
0KLAHOMANS MAKE VISIT

Washington, April 17.-"After all, gentle men, he is the oldest American of all of us, so give him a fair show; give him q l chance.'
 In these words President Roosevelt spoke to the members of the Tulsa, Okla. Commercial club who with a brass band and flaming banners called at the White
 House today and made known to the President that they favored the removal
 of the restrictions against the sale of Indian lands in the new state.
 The President told the club he would help them to see that they got their rights and he wanted their help to see that the Indian gets him.
 The Presidents remarks were as fol- lows
 Tt is great pleasure to greet you here. I take a peculiar interest in your great state; for it is a great state and it is going to be much greater state. I en- deavor to find out what is really for your interest and then to do it. I went over very carefully with your representatives this question of the removal of the re- strictions and came to the conclusion that II the Indian and the white man by keeping for the Indian homestead of 40 acres of good agricultural land and allowing him to alienate the remainder. l do not think
 it is to his advantage or to yours that
 there should be large tracts of non-tax4 able and non-improved land.
 'I will help you to see that you get your rights Now I want you to help me see that the Indian gets his rights. will help you in any legitimate way, and I will do my best to try to see that the Indian is not kept as 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 the rest of you extremely able gentlemen from Okla homa You cannot afford, in your own in- terest, to do less than justice to the In- dian. and I want each of you to make !, it your work to see that your own state courts, your state officials carefully pre- serve the rights of the Indian and that you try to give him the chance to which cure him that chance.
 AIter all, SeHtleilSl, ne IS the OlQeSt
 American of all of us; so give him fair
 show; give him a chance. have no sym
 pathy with that maudlin sentimentalisin
 about the Indian which Is most intense
 the farther you get away from where the
 Indian is. All I want is that you shall
 not only give to the very able, very ad- vanced Indian the same show that you
 give the white man, but that the Indian
 who needs to be brought along for a de- cade 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 McGure. c. c. Magee briefly addressed the Presi- dent. saying that in addition to the other objects they had come hoping to be able to pray the Great Father" as the deega- tions from Oklahoma used to call him, to
 aid them in securing the removal of re-
 strictions on the alienation of Indian lands in their state, and he expressed grati- fcation at finding that the President had
 already given substantial evidence of his
 sympathy with this object of their visit. The delegation, which numbered more
 than 100, was greatly pleased at the at titude of the President and the assur- ances given by him.