The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1914-07-28
gate all powers of bureaus that have
defended the rights of the Indians.


defended the rights of the Indians.
Candidates Make Admissions.
"That nominees for probate Judge
ships in Oklahoma have openly an
nounced that, if elected, they will not
allow to appear in their courts the
attorneys designated by the federal
government to defend the rights of
minor Indians.
"That one of the nominees for at
torncy general of Oklahoma is law.
yer who proved traitor to his In
dian clients.
"That every newspaper in Oklaho-
ma has come under the control of
the graiters, and that all those news
papers have been ordered to suppress
mention of the name of Kate Barnard
and to avoid any reference to any
pending legislation concerning Indian
affairs.
"That bills have been introduced |
in congress, with the approval Of men |
whose duty it is to protect the In
dians, that would permit minor and
ignorant adult Indians to sell all eX-
cept forty acres of their lands, where
as they are now compelled to hold
160 acres.
"That bills are also pending in
! congress that would remove all re-
| strictions on leases into which In
dians might he induced to enter and
that the Standard Oil company and
others in the plot charged by her are
ready to enter into leases that would
simply be robbery to the Indians.
"The stake, according to Miss Bar
nard, includes 10000 acres of land
bearing the richest hard pine timber
left in the country and 100000 acres
of land of incalculable value, rich
in deposits of petroleum, coal and
asphaltum. The Indians owning this
land are now hedged about by federal
and state laws that if enforced,
would prevent them from wasting
their holdings; but if the conspiracy
against which she will battle should
be successful, those lands could be
bought for sums far below their rea'
value-and then, when the despoled
Indians found themselves pauperized
they would rise to make war and kill.
Miss Barnard asserts.
"The Indians are to be paid $25,
100000 in cash within two years
That. immense fortune, as well as
the rich lands held by the Indians,
is to be diverted from them, by
those who would prey upon them, ac.
cording to Miss Barnard, and within
six weeks the Seminoles are to be
paid S1,S00,00 in cash, and that prize
right at hand, is the motive back of
the attempt to rash legislation
through the present session of con
gress that would remove all official
guardians of the Indians.
Miss Barnard tells of cases where
Indian youths were kidnapped on the
eve of their twenty-frst birthdays,
taken out onto the prairies in auto
mobiles, piled with liquor, and, as
dawn of their twenty-first birthdays
came. induced to sign leases or deeds
to their rich oil lands. Miss Barnard
when she had all the powers that
were originally vested in her office,
was able to go into court and have
set aside all such fraudulent transact
tions; but now she has been shorn Of
her power to large extent, and the
plotters, if they can elect their can
didates to office, will utterly wipe out
all guardianship for the Indians, she
asserts. and will despoil them of all
they possess as rapidly as the papers
may be signed and approved by the
corrupt judges.
, "The conspiracy, involving at least
81, ,000, 900, 900, according to Miss Bar
nard, was first successful in part SIX
years ago, when the Oklahoma mem
bers of congress put through law
by which the federal government re-
linquished much of it's authority over
the Indians. A few weeks later Miss
p Barnard found in the state orphan
asylum 134 Indian children who were
wealthy in their own right while
under federal protection, and whose
parents had been wealthy while they
had federal guardians of their lands
Appeals for Authority.
"Then she appealed for authority
5 to protect the Indians, and it was