The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-08-30
4 INDIAN LANp PROMISE

The Leader and every other Okla
homa newspaper will stand behind
any congressional act which guaran-
tees ~ tae Indians OF the Five Civil.
sSed Tribes early settlement of their
land allotnents. II the government,
in it's best Judgment, through instru-
mentality OF it's duly authorized rep
rescntatiyes. wishes to maintain
guardianship over those supposed not
to have proper conceptions of bust
ness. twllile not apparent how il may
he successfully done) no Oklahomai
will make protest against such effort,
hut 10 group some thousands of peu-
pie, some of them men who have
made millions In the conduct of taeir
affairs, although handicapped. and
place their affairs and property In
the power Qf irresponsible Indian
agents. Is crime. The guardianship
that has been in vogue. according to
the committee from the congression-
al house of representatives. has been
a fearful thing, allowing of graft and
rapacity unparalleled in United States
graft annals, and we have had not a
few In our short national existence
too.
Tie trouble has been in placing
such vast property rights under con-
troll OF men not capable of transact
ine the most ordinary business. In
no way can 1t be shown the govern
ment has proceeded even systematical-
" unless the graft germ has at last
become a system.
Phil Campbell. the Kansas member
OF the committee. Il a typical man of
the Southwest. An intense partisan.
that need not matter. for the Indian
cases do not come under the head OF
politics There Is no excuse for tie
acts of the past. The Indians dealt
hanorab1y with the Government and
did all they could to expedite settle
lrents. but. here and there. with Wash
ington as the place for general bad
work. have congregated men claiming
10 know what was wanted, until the
Indians were SO weary of the deal
they would barter with wbomsoever
might hasten their day of final set
tlement
McMurray dealt with the indians.
bat they wanted to and still are
willing 10 give him ten per cent of
tneir. wealth TO effect settlement. Is
refiecting upon the diatory tactics OF
TIE United States much more than up.
On eithe~ McMurray or the clients he
represented at Washington.
II is al right TO say that action viii
occur. That has been promised so
otter that few Indians will read the
llsIse. The promises have come and
gone In svarms, the action is in IN
tuiity aud seemingly afar OF
If the committee wishes TO call the
graft petty" that win do well
enough: but pettiness is not good
,srm Tor something almost two =
cades old and that has given millions
and millions TO officers who neyei
earned a doilar-for the Indian woulG
have been much richer happier and
better Gil istian had the vas. NJ
sf..ssy nj US guardians never se,u tue
lisiir Of = ssnrle day.
That solution Is promised because
Vi Investigations and deductions there
from, Is much: more can be done
through. the light of publicity. but, il
must be remembered, East Side com
munities have been held back by the
doDothingness of the Indian officials.
and any move that will expedite mat
ters viii be backed unanimously by
the property owners over there. Take
McMnfray today and place him where
votes OF his clients control. and be
I wouhi -se -eieeted 10 any Office over
there. ~,
Tbatsi Is because OF long delays Of
gossrnment and the ignorance OF
those vito posed as the friend and
gnardiah Of MR. Lo. The Indians want
10 get into business, to improve prop
ertp and become citizens In fact
That INDECENT people will follow be-
hind this deal, is known and very
well known. For that matter. give a
like number of palefaces a heritage
and turn them loose. and there will
be wasting of heritage aud some soon
ir want That is a matter OF govern
ment unsolyed-why try solution On
the red man, whose long association
in business and social pleasures with
the white men of that section, make
fneD as oneg