The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-07-09

would mean that about 1000 full-DlOod
Choctaws and as many others as were
able to prove their Indian blood,
would be entitled to participate in the
$4O,O0O,OOO estate to the tribes cred
it.
Members of the Mississippi delega-
tion served notice that the fight for
the Choctaws of that State had only
fairly begun, and if the Williams
amendment is defeated, they will make
an attempt to defeat the bill which
carries a total appropriation of about
$12,OOO,OOO.
Many Points in Argument.
Representatives Ferris and Carter
told the house that adoption of the
amendment would reverse the Dawes
commission the federal courts and a
former act of congress. They brought
in the connection of the TeXas-Okla-
homa Investment Company of Hous-
ton and st. Louis, with the Mississip-
pi Choctaw claims and asserted that ii
had financed to the extent of $4,000
the claims secured by Cantwell &
Crews, st. Louis attorneys. The law
firm of Ballinger e Lee of Washing
ton and Ardmore, Okla, also had con-
tracts for Choctaw enrolment which
would net them a possible $2,QOO,OOO,
Ferris said, and a third organization
was operating under charter secured
in Arizona. In ALL, Mr.. Ferris point
ed out, attorneys stood to get more
than $6,0OO,00O as the result of this
legislation.
"These galleries and lobbies have
been filled with scheming attorneys,
who have not only deceived the In
diaRs, but congress-" said the member
from Oklahoma.
"An amendment to the bill makes
invalid the contracts complained of,
suggested Mr.. Miller of Minnesota,
who was supporting the Williams
amendment.
You can't abridge the right of con
tract" replied Mr.. Ferris.
'I say that in this legislation it
can be done" answered Mr.. Miller
Governments Dealing with Indian.
According to Representative Murray
of Oklahoma the attorneys who held
contracts for a 40 per cent fee did not
appear so bad, when some of the gov
ernments dealings with the Indian
was contrasted. The government pur-
ported to give the Choctaws 100000
acres of land, then held out 100000
acres, and sold some of the remaining
land for PIC an acre and charged the
Indians a fee of 10c an acre for making
the sale, he asserted.
Talk about the Oklahoma grafters,"
Numbered Mr.. Murray "The grafters
in the State of Mississippi got most
of the Indians land because the gov
ernment did not place proper restric
tions around them. Let the govern.
ment pay the Mississippi Choctaws
what they are entitled to-
Adoption of the Williams provision,
he said, would tie up all Choctaw
money until the attorneys could con
vince congress that it was a meri
torious claim.
Attorneys proposing to represent the
Indians on contingent basis came in
for much abuse during the debate, and
reference was made to the large fees
collected by Robert L. Owen, now
senator from Oklahoma, as attorney
for Indian claimants. Representative
stephens, chairman of the committee,
replied that Senator Owen stated in
the senate that he had not represent
ed any Indians since being elected to
the senate.
Representative Harrison charged
that Oklahoma had packed the House
Indian committee and that the denun-
citation of the attorneys was brought
into the debate with a view of minim-
izing the rights of the claimants in
this state. He said he would support
the provision which invalidated all
the Indian contracts.