The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1909-12-01
Build the viaduct.
GETTING A LITTLE WORSE

GETTING A LITTLE WORSE
Secretary BalIInger's report on in
tcrIol matters is Of the utmost inn
portance 10 Indians on the east side
OF this state. 1t is a rchash Of other
report, piedging nothing and giving
little assurance "A change will be made
for the better. The Indian agency in
this state is a relic Of the past Il
is worth the same 70 the Indians the
house or lords is TO the government
of Engiana-thlee degrees worse than
nothing. There are the same degrees
oI Indian citizenship there are OF
Anglo-Sax0n or German or lrish-the
good anu the bad No worse: there
can be no less. An Indian who wishes
to protect his birthright and live Ia
good citizenship has that privilege II
he be saving aud content with the
common luxuries of life. he will in
crease bis holdings, thrive and bting
up his family in prosperous, happy
state. If he wishes 70 consume ali
the bad whiskey and break all the
faro games he can discover. The same
thing Is going 10 happen 70 him that
befalls white men who think they
can prosper as parasites.
Here rs an instance OF guardianship
that came 10 notice not long ago:
A North Carolina Cherokee mar
fied a physician Of considerable ablt
iiy The man was recognized as be.
sng one of The leading men OF medl
cine IN his community aud prospered
accordingly. After some twenty years
marriage the family consisted Of the
husband. wife and seven children. all
of the children and the wife being al
loited lands. As the lands became
valuable. the physician. one autumn.
concluded he would use the proceeds
Of the rentals and oil royalties Of the
children 10 purchase Globes. school
books. etc. After gettin, IN iQucn
with the indian agency and making
his application for the needed articles
he had to hire a stenOgrapher 70 get
his letters answered Three months
after application some OF the claims
were allowed. He had. for illuslra-
tl0n, applied for pair Of SHOES fot
the seyen-vearod SON The Indian
agent charged fee for making the
allowance. the governmental guardian
took another nhack al the lad. then
there was ihe dollar Tor lhe notary
fee: commission from the office
proper. etc.
Iii h1iel. the doctor paid eight dol
lars in fees this attorney 10 show
him how to make out the proper ap-
plication did nol charge him anythingl
and got the ,price OF 81 pair Of
shoes Tor his son. As paternal guard
ian he could waive some of iho indian
agency red tape, also the deal would
have placed him more 70 the had.
Because re was prospectus and had
money OF his own, his boy could get
to school and forget about the shoes,
ordered through the Indian agent, but,
If he had been poor, the offspring
wothd have worn the most expensive
pair Of brogans that wintes II could
be hts desire TO want.
The above is not oyerdrawn. II
shows the unhappy and unfortunate
lnanner in which Federal authorities
seek to be gnaidiaHs to the red man.
II has cost the Indians millions. II
has prevented the most fertile section
OF the United States being developed.
The Indian whom the good deac0ns
and deacouesses down East wish to
protect from the sharper OF the Gold
en- West does not exist. The Indian
uf Oklahoma in ten cases cut OF ten
and ene-ninetielh. is leading citi'
zen. rich, progressive and patriotic
The Indian race has Two represents
lives IN The United States senate
There are others like them u Is a
shame these people. sturdy. resolute
honest and upright in All their citt
ycnship acts. must be nnler control
Of lot of poohhahs who knew little
At homo and grew worse as they tray
eled westward The Indian asks nu
odds Of others IN the race Tor patriotic
development 81 his country. lie asks
no paid Indian guardian from the A.
lsntle roast Turn him loose and IN
hnslnesa matters he viii show a rec
ord hard 10 overthrow for ingenuity
and straightforward dealings Thu
East side Of this stale is hampered hs
interior department. huueombe. m,
end OF those Indian agencies viii ht
uotth millions to the Indians Dh.
0ps-book-almanse Indian. out IoolSing
for seaips. does not exist There arc
Indians with guardians of less thai
mediocre Intellect who write hacs
home Of their protection. yet those
Indians probably speak more Ian
guages than their guardians know jar
gons. How long viii these thing
desnoiI orr progressY They hay,
heen bad and are Ceiling liitll
verse.