The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-10-26
COAL LAND SALE TO Be DISCUSSED
MEETING At M'ALESTER ON NOV. %

said to representatives OF the tribes
that he desires them to submit to his
department "A proposition for the dis
position of the coal lands and deposits
embodying the desires of the Indian
people, and it is understood that the
tribes will submit "A proposition. Why
should not the people who live in the
segregated coal area and are interest
ed in the disposition Of the coal lands,
otherwise than owners, join the In
dians in the preparation of such
/ proposition or bill as the secretary
asks for? Experience has taught us,
and by this time We should be con
yinccd, that nothing can be accom-
plished towards disposing Of the coal
lands unless the plan has the support
of all parties concerned, both the In
dians who own the coal lands, and
The people who live on the coal lands
and in the towns in the segregated
coal area. All parties have at all times
insisted upon an early and speedy dis
position Of me coal lands, but they
have never united upon any plan OF
disposition; the Indians owning the
coal lands have stood out for sale
of the mineral at or about the same
/ time the lands should be sold; the
people living on the coal lands or In
/ towns within the coal belt, but who
do not own the lands, have been in
| terested in the sale of the surface
only of the coal lands. Thus has
arisen an apparent difference between
the Indians and the people who live
within the segregated area, where
there should be no difference at all.
What the Indians want is to sell both
the land and the mineral, for they
contend that to sell the land and leave
the mineral unsold would postpone
indefinitely the sale of the mineral,
and that condition they do not want,
, but want an early and complete set
! tlcment of all their affairs There is
much force in their contention. What
| the people who live in the segregated
area, and who are not Indians, want
is a disposition of the coal lands,
whether it be the surface and the min
eral or the surface alone, they do not
care. SO there can he no ground for
difference between the Indians and the
other people interested in the dispo
. sition of the coal lands, for what the
5 one wants includes that desired by
r the other But with one party work
, ing for .he sale Of the surface, ant
= the other resisting that TO the eXtcn
, OF trying to provide for the sale o
: both the mineral and the surface :
| conflict arises fatal to both purpos S
, That point OF difference which +
: more apparent than real, must be
{ avoided if success is to be achieved
in any measure in the disposition o
the coal lands.
Clubs Called Upon.
= We take the liberty to suggest tha
. the organization of the Commercial
clubs in the towns in the sogregate,
| area, if there be such an organization
take up the matter of reaching al
agreement with the representatives o
the Choctaw and Chickasaw tribe
upon bill to dispose of the segre
5 -ated coal lands. If such bill can bt
! agreed upon here, and there Is NJ
reason to suppose that It can not, foi
all parties concerned are anxious FOL
an immediate disposition of the Goa
lands, the victory will ue practically
won, for the opposition which has
heretofore defeated such legislation
will have disappeared before getting
10 Washington, and all parties Will &c
up there united and therefore strong
The Oklahoma delegation in congress
to a man will support any bill agr ed
upon here between the indians and
the people living In the segregated
area, and congress will have not a
somblance of a reason for refusing to
give us the relief asked for, and 1t
will no. refuse. No selfish inteIes 5
will have an opportunity to wedge
themselves in and embarrass the pr p
osition in any manner whatever. for
there should he and will be, Il the
matter is properly handled, absolute
agreement between the parties legi,i.
mately interested.
No Grafters Allowed.
In tbs undertaking OF so much I'm
. portauCe and of so much promise our
. commercial club organizations should
adhere 10 that early American policy