The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-10-03

OppOs ION that would destroy any or
dinary man: and again | would advise
him to avoid controversies with pow
crful mon and powerful influences and
to no. 30 readily rctort when assailed
He invites the combined opposition
OF the special interests and powerful
individual, with rccklcssncss tina,
would make life miserable for any
public man.
No Intent TO Deceive.
Nnalyzing the vast volume Of in.
formation, records and official state
mems from which have drawn the
above facts ii is clear to my mind
that those who schc dulcd lots in the
Creek nation towns. Muskogce inc'ud.
ed. were absolutely free from any
intent TO deceive the government Off
cials. That the government officials,
as now conceded by the government
acted as honest m"n, prescribed their
own rules. were cCgnizant of the
exact method pursued and were hon.
est III 50 con IuiUS lu' IL w ] MT uht
general government a. Washingon
had all THESE facts from the very be
ginning and approved them and Ger.
tn aly would not deny that the several
reports and investigations of the en-.
tire facts above mentioned show that
the general government at all these
times concurred in al the procedures.
That after waiting eight years and
then beginning this prosecution the
government certainly owes an cxpla
nation to the American people for this
procedure at this late day, reversing
its own repeated actions needs an
explanation
Beginning Of the Suits and Why.
These civil suits for he collection
Of additional compensation for the
lots were first begun and confined
/ 90 the few progressive towns In the
/ Creek nation, where public enterprise
and energy had multiplied the original
value of the lots. Mu ogce, for In.
stance, mas grown fr.m 300 to 10000
and from single i4ilroad to four
railroads. and what appears TO me- as
"A remarkable thing IL that the civil
suits which were started about year
ahead are by attorneys under contract
for q contingent fee; that Is, their com
pcnsa'ion + a part Of what they col
lect may pe mistaken about this
being unusual. but never before
heard OF he United State govern
mcnt commissioning attorneys for
the mlscei ancous bringing OF law
suits on contingent fees. The result
here seems to be among the multi
tudc OF civil cases that many persons.
even recent purchasers OF lots, pay
few hundred dollars TO get cases dis
missed in order TO avoid the expense
of hiring lawyer to remove cloud to
title. 50 that in this way these con
tincont fee attorneys Will probably
make considerable Nancy. whether
they win the contested case or not
In TACT. In busy hustling town like
Muskogcc you find many people who
will pay out few hundred dollars
rather than bother with a years liti'
cation
A Church Pad.
Illustrating this practice We have
the case of the board OF missions OF
the Presbyterian church OF the United
Statcs Of America. which for years
had maintained an cducat onal nsti-
tuition In Muskogee known As Ken
? dall college" standing in an open
field in the outskirts OF Muskogee.
The authorities OF this church insti-
tuition. in the name of the board OF
Home missions of the Presbyterian
: church OF America had scheduled to
, il about twenty acres of the pasture
. field surrounding the college building.
1hes" contingent fee attorneys
: brought their civil action by petition
: in the United States court at Musko-
! gye, containing all OF the charges OF
2 fraud and deception and mi conduct
- that IS charged in any OF the othc,
cases against individuals, making the
board OF home missions OF the Pres
4 byteriaN church OF the United States
; cf America and the synod OF Okla
! noma Of the Presbyterian church the
= defendants At the time this suit was
, fled and the charges made against
this organization the board of hom.
A missions had already decided 10 re.
: move the college from Muskogcc to
+. Tulsa and contemplated selling this
20 land TO endow the new institution. II
: will b. understood that when this land
Q was scheduled 1t was an open pasture
!. field in the outskirts OF the little town
J. OF Muskogcc. yet seven years later II
4 had become surrounded with the new