The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-06-14
EAST OKLAHOMA
MADE VERY DRY
Prohibition of Liquor Shipments Into
Eastern Oklahoma Effective
indians Still Wards.

Washington, June TO- As in the
early days, the eastern section of ok
lahoma or the old Indian territory
side of the state viii be as dry as the
Sahara desert as the result of an opin-
ION handed down today by the United
States supreme court which was pre-
pared by Justice Pitney
The court held that federal prohibit
ton of the transportation of intoxicat-
ing liquor into eastern Oklahoma or
the old Indian territory was still eff
fectiye and that persons convicted Of
importing liquors should be liable to
the same punishment administered be-
fore statehood. The supreme court
maintained that the enabling act gave
Oklahoma the right to regulate purely
interstate liquor traffic, but maintain
ed that the federal government still
had the right, it being the original and
real guardian of the Indians, to enforce
the clause governing the Interstate in
PRODUCTION of liquor into the eastern
side.
The enabling act provided strict pro-
hibition should reign in the old Indian
territory for a period of twenty-one
years, and this provision also was
placed in the state constitution by the
constitutional convention.
The opinion handed down today is
one of the most important that has
been given in Oklahoma cases this
winter.
Stops Heavy Traffic.
Since statehood there always has
been a question as to the governments
right to prevent interstate shipments,
and as result it is declared that
liquor traffic has been carried on free
" and that thousands of people who
were handicapped in obtaining liquor
within the state purchased outside and
had it shipped in by express.
1t is estimated that hundreds of
thousands of dollars worth of liquors
have been sent into the state on the
eastern side alone every year. Owing
to the severe punishment provided un-
der the old federal regulations which
through the opinion of the court still
are in effect, these shipments are sure
to be curtailed almost to nothing, for
anyone caught introducing liquors on
the east side can be thrown in Jail and
heavily fined. IN fact, there is no es-
cape from the jail sentence if one is
caught.
In the olden days on the eastern
side there were many cases where peo-
pie entering the territory from neigh
boring states and who carried liquor
in their grips for private consumption
were dragged from the trains by dep
uty United States marshals taken be-
fore courts, fined and jailed. Hun
dreds of people selling liquor within
the borders of the territory were jail
ed and the amount of liquor selling
was reduced to almost nothing, al
though some men constantly braved
the danger of Jail terms by operating
travelling saloons, the saloons being
boot tops and hidden pockets in their
clothes
May Gust Prohibition.
The belief prevails among several
Oklahomans in Washington that the
opinion of the supreme court today in
the Charley Webb case, which will de-
prive most Of the residents on the east
side of their toddies and juleps, high
balls and other medical drinks will
lead to movement to repeal the state
prohibition law And this feature of
the case is being seriously considered
tion law. it is declared, liquor could
be sent into or made in the western
side of Oklahoma and then shipped
into the eastern side, it then being un-
der the classification intrastates. An
interesting point, it is declared, then
surely would arise, that of whether
the federal government could officially
recognize the old Indian territory line
separating the eastern and western
portions of the state.
Even under today's ruling, there is
some doubt as to this situation. Al
though the western section of the
statefs under state prohibition, liquor
is shipped in from other states and
much speculation has been aroused as
to whether this can be carried into
the eastern section of the state and
across the old territory border with
out feoeral interference.