The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1912-05-15

for revenues with which to run the
government on May q, 1908, con
gress passed an act removing restric-
items on certain classes of Indians,
and at the same time provided as fol
lows:
THAT all lands from which re-
strictions have been and shall DE re-
moved shall be subject to taxation
and all other civil burdens as though
if were the property of other persons
than allottees of the five tribes
This superseded the act of April
26th. 1906 which provided as follows;
That all lands upon which re
strictions are removed shall be sub
iect to taxation, and other lands snail
be eyemut from taxation as long as
the title remains in the original al
lottee'
THE act of May 81, 1908, removed
restrictions on one third or one nan
of the lands approximately ana IN
cuded the following classes: the
homestead and surplus OF those be
tween one half and three fourths and
upon the entire allotments OF the
adopted whites and freedmen.
Now the patent that was Issued by
the government to each Indian pro-
vided that all of the burdens and
privileges imposed in the original al
lot tment agreement act should attach
tn the lands: this was done in gene
raj terms. Now Immediately upon
the admission OF the state into the
union the tax authorities OF the state
sought to collect taxes on the ABOVE
classes of lands under the act OF con-
gress. The Indian allottees at once
banded themselves into an organlza-
zion. employed competent and able
lawyers among them, Q. F. McMur-
raw. w. A. Ledbetter and Joseph w,
Bailey who resisted the collection OF
these taxes on the ground that the
government of the United States had
entered into a solemn compact anu
agreement with them whereby these
lands should not be taxed for u years
Druvided the title remained vested III
the allottee in the meantime; ana
that the government as one oi the
narties to the agreement had no right
TO violate said agreement AS 1t was
attempting to DO in the above stateI
acts of 1906. and May 27th, 1908 that
the reinquishing of their tribal gov
ernment was sufficient consideT
tion for the making of this agreement
/. nv the government, and that 1t was
, acting in bad faith to impose these
burdens upon The Indians when TINS
Land was theirs. That, heretofore
they had to pay no taxes, and that
the white men had come among them
in great numbers and sought to take
AWAY from them that which belonged
to them and their ancestors.
The above decision sustains the
contentious of the Indians, and holds
that the government is bound by
the covenants accompanying the
original grants.
The opinion holds. that when the
lands are sold by the original aI!ot'
tee or his heirs they become taXaoi"
But taking the most liberal view OF
the result it practically means bank
,,,ntcv 70 the counties of the Indian
Territory part of the state Tor the
reason that there is not sufficient
amount of taxable landed area to sup
port them. If there is deficit under
the present taxable area and under
the present management. may ! IN
ouire what the situation is when ii
is reduced by at least siNty-five per
cent?
/ 1T is impossible to change the eN'
isting law, because the present sit-
/ nation must remain from 1908 to 1924
period of twelve years yet. The
| legislature and congress have exer'
cised all the powers they possess to
make the lands taxable. Bonds can
not be floated for the reason that the
increased burdens caused thereby can
not he horne by the outstanding pro-
| perty in a sufficient manner to lus
I tjfv the same. There rs only one
| way to expect relief and that is that
congress in it's generosity Will de-
fray the Indians proportion of the
| taxes. Or the further removal of
restrictions.
L ,,n,,ct hn rpolrdpd as the SIeat