The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-01-13

III harmony with tne secretary, tnel
could continue in office and all woulC
be well.
'lf Secretary Fisher does not know
everyone interested in the matte,
here does know that the favored bid!
referred to were submitted to the
council for consideration early il
November last and were rejected
after which Fishers representatives
here circulated petitions among the
members of the Usage tribe, asking
the council to reconsider the bids
rejected and accept the same. Many
of the members of the tribe who
signed said petitions could neither
read nor write, and signed by the
Indian office regulation thumb mark
after which many of said signers
told the Usage council that they
knew nothing of the character of
the bids involved nor did they ask
the council to accept such bids and
if the petitions that they had signed
of said petitions had been misrepre.
sented to them and they desired 10
rep~diate their action so far as sign
ing the petitions were concerned.
Says Fisher Knew.
Everyone interested here does
know that after said petitions wer ,
submitted by the United Sta,"s In
dian agent to the Csage council It
its December meeting the Usage
council took up the regulations Of
the department for leasing III and
gas lards for consideration au1 took
up the petitions referred to ftr con
sideration ard had the same under
consideration at the time the sec
retary ordered the removal of the
council; so the secretary's statement
that the Usage council refused to
accept certain bids, after a majority
of the tribe had requested it to do
so, is a false statement pure AMI
simple. 1t is only an effort to for
tify his tottering position in this
matter.
The secretary's representatives
here were convinced that the char
acter cf inquiry and investigation
and consideration that was being
carried on and given to the matters
in question by the Usage tribal coun-
Gil would show up the misrepreseu-
tation and the perfidy in the attempt
TO favor certain bidders and place
the department in very bad light,
and for that reason, perhaps, obey
ing the first law of nature-the law
of self preservation-the department
saw fit to remove the Osa9c cCuncil
upon the advice and at the reques,
Of the secretary's representatives,
who were here on the ground.
1T is this matter of persuasion or
misrepresentation or coercion in the
interest Of certain favored bidders
that smacks so strongly of graft
Under the law the interior de
partment has a supervisory power
over the actions of the Usage triba,
council; that power is wisely lodged
in the department of the interior
Under the law, however, The Usage
tribal council is clothed with certain
discretionary powers in the exercise
Of which it should be untrammeled
by departmental rule of ruin, and
said council being a representative
body of the Usage people should
assert their rights and protect their
interest at every hazard.
Departmental officials may prop
arly disapprove and render for naught |
he actions of the Usage tribal coun-
I'll when submitted for considera- /
ion and action, but the department
fficials go outside the province O.
heir respective duties and are out
side the pale of proper action when
hey lower themselves to the level
If common boosters for certain, or
my bidders on Usage mineral lands
Why the Hurry? I
III is hand to believe that tn
ecretary of the interior is cognizan,
If the active efforts made by his
here, to have the bids
eferred to, accepted, but it must
'e presumed that he knows all about L
fhat mas been done and what is be-
ng done before he would take the
adical action of removing the