The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-06-28

mere.
with a population Of more than a
million and half. made up Of many
men from many climes. presenting
Ia cosmopolitan appearance, Okla
homa was ushercd into the union as
the forty-siNth state. The times are
propitious; the opportunity here: the
a"bition present with which To make
Oklahoma q land of the fair god
In speech In the United States
senate, Senator Bailey OF Texas. said.
My opinion is. that Indian Terri.
{ ry is the richest spot ON earth un-
der the American flag today for it's
size. Il Is enc Of the few places on
this continent that possesses almost
ever kind OF wealth Coal In great
abundance and of excellent quality.
and ] believe ~" greatest gran tc
belt on earth. also oil and asphalt"
And the Senator might have added
the greatest forests of long leaf pine
I'm the United States today. primevaI
forest Of hardwood. more land sus.
coptihle for agricultural purposes than
any other state In the union, except
perhaps Iowa Missouri and .,chrasla
We have all of the rush. grit. de-
termination and push of the west.
but We have the conservatism. con
stancy and learning Of the east Most
.of the population came to this new
country of other states where they
had secured their education. to meet
face to face new conditions and n
new aspect OF affairs as presented
by undeveloped nature. From raw
prairie great plantations have sprung
into being; from dots on the prairie
thriving and prosperous cities have
been croated-cities with the best
paved streets, gas and electric light
system, streets car lines, city hall.
water works. public libraries and all
Of the improvements of country far
older than this.
The Indian Territory part OF the
new state is held by the FIVE civil.
lied tribes of Indians. In the aggre.
gate these tribes consist of one hun
dred and three thiusand persons
and the area of their land holding
| is twenty millions OF acres; their
citizenship is composed OF Indians
by blood, by adoption by intermar-
riage and their negro freedmen.
Congress five or six years ago
created a commission having for it's
purpose the allotment Of their lands,
a distribution of their tribal prop
| erty and the abolition of their tribal
| government, looking to the creation
| pt an ultimate state of the union.
| The compilation of the tribal roll, the
grading and the appraisement OF the
/ land, the establishment of townsites
and the allotment of these lands in
! sevcrality have all been but accom-
| plished, being conducted under the
general supervision of the federal
government. II will be remembered
that In the allotment OF these lands
much care had to be exercised in
order to render to every member OF
| the tribe even justice. In order to
do this, the system devised is wond-
erful in its simplicity and effective
n its execution, so much so indeed
that On the whole there Is no just
complaint TO be made
An Indians allotment is divided
ed the homestead. the other, land
exclusive of the homestead of Sur
plus When this land was originally
allotted to the tribe, congress in its
wisdom deemed the Indian incompe.
tent to conduct his own affairs, and
TO protect him from unwarranted
encrOachment TO be caused by the
superior intelligence Of the white
man, imposed restrictions on all
alienation. This inevitably produced
a land Of tenantry, such as existed
no whore on this continent, In the
| course of years, however. conditions
changed and the Indians changed
with them; In the course Of nature
the Indian became possessed Of new
life, seeing the example of superior
mind they naturally and adly adopt
ed the civilized methods of the
white man and 10 such an extent
THAT congress believed that for the
most part the mnian capable Of
managing his own affairs and remoy-
ed him from the thraldom and the
slraint heretofore imposed. This com.
| plment 10 the growing Intelligence
Ibl llt lUNldN l0 lllUult 10 MS
ability 10 grasp the new conditions
that are imposed Of necessity by
civilization.
The recent act OF congress re-
moving the restrictions on the alien
alton effective July eth, this year,
places upon the market approximately
nine million acres Of land The In
dan knowing fun well that he has
his homestead 10 rely upon or If he
sells his homestead has the ability
TO invest the money, will sell his
land 10 the actual settler,
II Oklahoma has million and a
half population, with the land tenure
that Is heretofore obtained, what may
We expect under new regime?
New lie blood will flow into the
state. The farmer living in Nebraska
Twill dispose of his lands and come