The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1914-02-09
TO PROVIDE
HOMES FOR
CH0CTAWS
CONGRESSMAN c ARTER
AND SENATOR OWEN,
BOTH INDIANS

/ The Mississippi Choctaw question,
Il stumbling block FOR so many years
in the settlement of the tribal af-
fairs of the Choctaws and Chickasaw
Indian tribes of OK ahoma, is again
efore congress in several forms, and
throughout these Two nations the de-
sire is general that final legislation
on the subject be obtained. Con-
gressman Chas D. Carter Of this dis
trlct has an amendment pending. tina
provides for the dislri0ution OF the
tribal funds among the two tribes OF
Oklahoma. Senator Robert l.. owen
i has a similar measure Introduced
and Congressman William II. Murray
Of Tishomingo, himself an inter mar
ried Chickasaw. is asking Congress
TO buy homes for the Mississippi Choc-
taws and also TO make ehe per capita
distribution of funds.
Originally there were 10000 Mis-
sissippi Choclaws-those members of
the tribe who remained in Mississ
Il ippi when the majority came 10 old
indian Territory applied for al
lotment in Oklahoma ten years ago,
and at the present time there are
5000, according to Congressman Mur-
ray. Only a few of the Mississippi
Choctaws We're allotted as for in
anee, our 9,000 cases passed upon
by the Dawes Commission, only seven
Indians We're given land. The per-
sistency OF attorneys VINO represent
the claimants has kept the question
| alive however, during the intervenin5
years, and now strenuous effort is
being made to have the rolls of the
two tribes re-opened and the Miss
issippi Choctaws added thereio.
1t is easy TO understand why the
| claimants are again so active, ana
ESQ their attorneys, when it is re-
allied that zhe Choctaws and Chicka-
saws OF Oklahoma have something
ike sS,G00,e00 to their credit in the
! United States Treasury at Washing
ana also that their land holdings
| nave been greatly increased recently
through the opening of the Wilson
Healdton oil fields and because of
oil operations In 'Ponttotoc, Marshall
johnson and other counties that lie
within the Choctaw and Chickasaw
nations. The members of these two
tribes in his state are bitterly OPP
psed to the re-opening of the rolls,
and the Choctaw and Chickasaw In
dian rights association is conducting
a campaign to prevent H. DE-. T. p. |
Howell il Chckasaw and prominent
banker at rayis, is the president
Make tine Claimants Rich.
should the plans to reopen the rolls |
succeed, Z world make the Mississ- |
fees Tor their attorneys, as 1t Wound 7
ippi claimants rich and provide big
really mean, according ito Congress
man Murray. the payment to the Mis-
sissippl claimants about s6,00O.00J OF
The funds in the national treasury.
just as all have a right 10 expect
speedy settlement OF tribal estates
hy he sale OF tribal property, capital
ling the funds and paving them out
tc individuals of the tribes" SAYS Con
gressman Murray, we find ourselves
confronted by the strongest effort
ever known to reopen the Indian
rcMs with the object of enrolment OF
upward OF 5000 claimants. ninety per
cent of when live in other states. \
speedy settlement wocld result not
only in material interest TO the In
dians themselves but world prove a
erea Boon 10 the business interest OF,
our state as sell as increase our tax
able values
Those in favor Of re-opening the
rolls are in favor OF paying out the
money. knowing that when the tribal
estate is distributed there viii De no
further Incentive for court made In
Liians. Two methods are proposed in
case of enrolment one gives the
new arpi.eant an equal risht TO the
whole estate while the other gives
'hem ~ the money remaining an
amount sufficient TO balance the am
punt OF lana already allotted This
Nonid mean gnying % ille newly en-
rolled all of Die remaining funds. Nli
the former plan should prevail. itlI
aond disturb and titles 10 a degree
iever snown before in THE history OF
'aT indian land titles If The latter
Dan should prevail nearly every cent
If money on hand now in THE ma
ionai treasury. al least sG.00o.0ao to-
,ether with ether property. would be
aid TO lie claimants who do not
es de in oklahoma which from a ma /.