The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-07-21

BRAVE FIGHT
IN CONGRESS
OVER EFFORT OF PAT HARRISON
AND HIS FOLLOWERS TO EN-
ROLL THE MISSISSIPPI cHoc-
TAWS.
(By r. ID. Elkins)

when they succeeded in defeating the
attempt to enroll the Mississippi Choc-
taws, the fight is by no means ended.
Another attempt will be made by Pat
Harrison and his followers to have the
amendment re-inserted when the con
ference report is again laid before the
house. Carter, Ferris, and those mem
bers from the state who yet remain in
Washington, are whetting their knives
for another lively skirmish as soon as
the question bobs up again, at which
time it will be vigorously combatted
by them. They intend to let no grass
grow under their feet, but to wage the
war against the enrolment of the Mis-
sissippi Choctaws so long as the ques-
ton retains a spark of life in it and
to eventually forever put it to rest, If
such a thing is possible.
over the stubborn opposition of Sen
ators Owen and Gore, in two lights
lead by John Sharp Williams in the
senate, the amendment was twice
agreed to, and its adherents looked
for an easy victory in the house when
it reached that body. However, the Ok
'ahoma boys had been quietly at work
in the meantime among their many
friends in the house, and when the first
vote came in the committee of the
whole, resulting in a disagreement to
the amendment, Pat Harrison and his
followers were completely dumfound-
ed.
Harrison then began laying his wires
md waging a bitter campaign among
the membership of the house to again
bring the question to vote on roll
call which he succeeded in doing a
few days later However, things had
been completely livened up in the
house in the meantime by the speeches
made by Ferris, Carter, and Murray
against the amendment to enroll the
Mississippi Choctaws, and rough sled
ding was in sight for Harrison.
In these speeches were brought ou
many astounding facts and arguments
lagainst the enrolment proposition be
fore the most attentive audience il
the House that has been in evidence
during the hot days. These speeche
had the effect of saving many vot,
to the Oklahoma delegation and Of con
pletely routing the Pat Harrison fol
lowers In an effort to stem the tid
that was sweeping against him, Han
rison talked so loud and so long tina
his voice grew weak and hoarse, bu
without avaid. The final roll call vot
was 153 to. .92 in favor OF the Okla
homa boys. This meant the sending o
the amendment back to conference ant
of virtually disagreeing to it.
CONGRESSMAN Carter who closed TIT
debate concluded his speech with
vigorous and pathetic. appeal to th'
sentiment of the house He dealt man!
telling blows to the opposition as h,
paced the space in front of the speak
ar's desk and revealed some astound
ing facts to the membership OF th'
house on the enrolment question.
Murrays speech was no less effect
i've.
Ferris intimately reviewed the his
tory of Indian legislation, Indian treat
les and Indian decisions by fedora
courts for almost hundred year
back and conclusively demonstrated 4
his Interested hearers that the Missis
| sippi Choctaws have no right TO Ell
rollment either from the standpoint q
law. equity or good morals.
There was introduced into the Rec
ord by the Oklahoma trio copy Of III
proceedings before the Carter enrol
ment committee embracing copies
correspondence where it was show
| that attorneys behind the move to el
n
| roll the Mississippi Choctaws ha
| made contracts with those whom the
| sought to enroll whereby the alto
| news had received enormous fees. II
contracts providing for a cOntingeI
fee of from twelve and a-half to fort
:, per cent of the value of each shar
| OF contracts held by one firm of alto
news alone with more than 10000 hal
breeds. negroes and others, whom the
| sought to enroll, it was shown that
the attorneys succeeded in enrollir
only 5000 out of the 10000. that Il
individual fees for one member of Il
firm alone would amount to S2,055,9l
In another case it was shown tn
more that Ss,OOO,OOO in attorneys fe'
would 20 TO other attorneys in Il
| event they succeeded in getting the
clients enrolled.
II Evidence was introduced into q
Record which laid bare the fact tn