The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1915-04-13
ALL CH0CTAWS
IN HARMONY
WITH MOVE
FEW WOULD THROW COLD
WATER ON PROPOSITION, BUT
THE CONVENTION is EXPECTED
TO FURTHER PAYMENT.

DuIduJ On lllt ISL udN vi llllS IIohIll'
certain men and certain newspapers
are using their influence to throw
cold water on the convention. They
have circulated the report that the
convention was called for the benefit
alone of certain Choctaw politicians,
and that it was not supported by the
Choctaw people. The report is not
true and only circulated for the pur-
pose of lessening the support of the
convention. These same newspapers
and these same men are opposed to
any action by the Choctaw people.
They fought the McAlester convention,
and they are fighting the Durant con
vention for the same reasons. In all
probability they will not attend the
convention, and if they do attend, they
will not appear in the assembly to
take part
Perfects Organization.
Before the last session OF congress,
the Choctaw people realized that the
people had to do something if they
secured any relief during that session
of congress They held a convention in
October in McAlester, which conven-
tiOn was attended by representative
Choctaw people. They perfected a
permanent organization for the pur-
pose of making an effort to get some
disposition made of their affairs, and
especially for the purpose of securing
a payment of the tribal funds now in
the hands of the government belong
ing to the Choctaw and Chickasaw peo
pie. They elected two delegates to
take the matter up for them and to
represent them in the matter at
Washington during the last session
of congress and made permanent the
resolution committee with power to
do and act for the people in the mat
ter of making the fight. And, they in
structed the tribal attorney in the
meantime to take legal steps toward
filing mandamus suit against the
secretary of the interior for the pur-
pose of compelling him to pay out to
the Choctaw people the moneys that
were in his custody and belonging to
81, tl,g Of sc
acting with our state representatives,
hard fight was made before congress
by the representatives of this conven-
tion, and greater pressure was brought
to bear with congress than anything
else that has been done.
Desire Concerted Action
In spite of all this, congress failed
to pass the appropriation and the tri-
bal attorney failed to take any action
and the people have realized more
than ever before that if they get any
relief, they will have to make a great
er effort during the next session of
congress than ever before. They fur
thea realize that a strong combined
effort of the entire Choctaw people
must be made, And, for the purpose
of some plan of concerted action to-
ward getting immediate action, the
resolution committee of the McAles-
ter convention have called a conven-
tion of the whole Choctaw people to
be held in Durant for the purpose of
deciding on some plan of action. The
call was signed and issued only by the
members of the committee of that
convention according to their instruc-
tions. They propose that the Choc-
taw people get together and decide
what they think best to do in the mat
ter, the merits of the case, whether to
urge that a mandamus suit against
the secretary of the interior be filed
or whether to sit still and DRIFT
1t is proposed that every Choctaw
present shall have equal voice with
every other Choctaw present both in
suggesting and acting and it will not
be a convention of any particular in
dividuals. 1t will be convention of
the Choctaw people, by the Choctaw
people and for the Choctaw people, re-
gardless of whether you are a demo
crat, a republican or a socialist, or
whether you want something done
toward getting final settlement of
the Choctaw affairs or whether you
don't want anything done. 1t is pro-
posed that the people shall meet and
decide according to the majority, as
70 what is best to be done.
Chief Secondary Matter
The matter of selecting a princi-
pal chief to succeed the present chief
was also mentioned in the recent /
,all because the matter has been be
orefore the Choctaw people for. some