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ROBERT LEE REAM
Vol. 3, p. 1238-1239
Book has photo of residence

True history is only a composite picture of many biographies, and
some of the best interpretations of the political life of a people
are frequently found in the careers of individuals. An interesting
case in point is that of Robert Lee Ream, a well known and prominent
farmer and stockman at Wapanucka.

But for the activities of Mr. Ream, who had been schooled in the
polities of his day in the Chickasaw country, D. H. JOHNSTON, the
present governor of the Chickasaw Nation, might never have held that
position. It was in the year 1898. Young Ream, having just finished
his education, had returned to the land of his childhood to take part
in the affairs of his people. In July was held what was know as the
Sandy Spring Convention, before which Johnston, Martin CHEADLE, P. S.
MOSLEY and Governor Jonas WOLF were candidates for the nomination. As
a delegate to the convention, Mr. Ream espoused the cause of
Johnston, and was made leader of the Johnston forces. At one time it
looked as if Mosley had a majority of the votes, whereupon Ream took
the floor and entered into a discourse in which he and read the
Curtis Act and compared it with the Atoka Treaty, and by his comment
instilled such doubt into the minds of the convention as to the
proper course to pursue that the body adjourned for a day. This
adjournment enabled the friends of Johnston to gather sufficient
strength during the night to assure his nomination. At another
convention of the opposing party, Hyman BURRIS of Tishomingo, was
nominated. Johnston was elected, and at once appointed Ream a member
of his force with the title secretary of investigation.

The duties of this office required only ninety days to perform, and
the Legislature, on being convened, elected Mr. Ream secretary of the
Senate. Later he was appointed special national agent of the
Chickasaw Nation. The duties of that position required the collection
of a 1 per cent revenue tax used in defraying the expenses of the
government. In obtaining this position he engaged in another fight
that is an interesting feature of Chickasaw political history.
Opposing him was Alex RENNIE, a prominent man of the Nation, whose
cause was backed by Ben COLBERT, who later became a member of the
Rough Rider Regiment of the Spanish-American war, and after the war
was appointed by President Roosevelt as United States Marshal of the
Southern District of Indian Territory. Rennie and Colbert sought to
so divide the vote that Ream would be defeated. In making their
plans, Colbert was dispatched to Denison, Texas. No fixed time had
been set for the election. After the departure of Colbert, Ream made
a hurried canvass of the Legislature, and persuaded them to hold the
election that night, and he was elected. He served eighteen months in
this office.

Meantime William H. MURRAY, then a member of the tribal Legislature,
secured the passage of an act raising the commission on revenue
collections to 33 1/3 per cent, the law applying, however, only to
certain of the collectors, and not affecting the commissions of Ream.
The later then applied to Governor Johnston for a similar raise, but
at that time the law firm of MANSFIELD, MCMURRY & CORNISH was seeking
contracts with the Nation that would enable them to get big fees as
representatives of the Indians at Washington. Ream was opposed to the
contracts, while Governor Johnston favored them. Under the law the
commission of a collector could not be increased during his term of
office and Ream agreed to resign and remain out of the office until
provision was made for the raise by the Legislature. He resigned and
went to Ardmore, and the following day Governor Johnston appointed
Ben Colbert to succeed him. This affair brought about a crisis in the
affairs of the Nation and led eventually to a congressional
investigation involving charges made by United States Senator GORE to
the effect that the senator had been offered a bribe not to oppose
the approval by Congress of contracts procured by McMurry.

Later in the same year Mr. Ream had a bill drafted creating the
position of delegate to Washington from the Choctaw Nation. It was
passed by the Legislature and Ream was selected as delegate. Governor
Johnston, however, declined to approve the bill. The Legislature was
then convened in extraordinary session that lasted eleven days,
during which approval by the interior department of the Legislature's
act was sought. This extraordinary session was expensive and members
of the Legislature demanded of the man whom they appointed as
delegate that he should pay $1,000 of the session's costs. Meantime
the governor had approved the bill. Ream declined to pay that amount
or any other sum, and the result was that Ben Colbert of Tishomingo
and B. F. ROLAND of Ardmore, were elected. They served six months,
but, receiving no pay, resigned.

It is evident from the foregoing that Robert L. Ream has been as
prominent a factor in making political history in the old Chickasaw
district of Oklahoma State as any other one man. He is a member of a
very prominent family, several of his paternal relations having
became distinguished in different ways, and on the maternal side he
is of Chickasaw blood. Robert Lee Ream, a son of Robert Lee and Anna
(GUY) Ream, was born at Ream Switch, now in Pittsburg County,
Oklahoma, in 1871. His father saw active service in the Confederate
army. Up to the age of twelve Mr. Ream attended school in Washington,
D. C., subsequently spent one year in school at Alexandria, Virginia,
and another year at Battle Creek, Michigan. Returning to Indian
Territory he entered the National Academy of the Chickasaw Nation,
and for two years was in a preparatory school at Franklin, Tennessee,
and finished his education with a business course at Nashville. It
was then that he returned to the Chickasaw Nation and became so
closely identified with the political events which have been
previously suggested.

Since his retirement from politics and in recent years, Mr. Ream has
lived on his valuable farm near Wapanucka. He is a leader in
agriculture and stock husbandry, and has made his efforts and
enterprise more than individually profitable, and really a beneficent
example to his section of the state. Three hundred acres of this farm
are under-laid with a fine quality of oolitic stone, and from this
material he has constructed a residence at a cost of $14,000,
regarded as the finest in the Chickasaw Nation, and the construction
of which from the opening of the ground for the foundation work to
the final completion involved a period of five years. Mr. Ream has
made a specialty of blooded horses. A few years ago he introduced
some of the first Percherons to the territory. One of these animals
won the blue ribbon at the First State Fair in Oklahoma City, later
the first premium at the Missouri State Fair, and red ribbon at the
Illinois State Fair, the blue ribbon and a purse of $350 at the Texas
State Fair, and first premium at the Fort Worth Fat Stock Show. This
horse subsequently was sold for $3,500.

At Boggy Depot, Indian Territory, in 1898, Mr. Ream married Miss Ona
O'NEIL. Their four children are: Lee Ona, Robert Lee, Alinton Guy and
Annie Louise. Mr. Ream and family are members of the Presbyterian
Church at Wapanucka. He is a brother of Boudinot Ream.

Typed for OKGenWeb by Charmaine Keith, November 10, 1998.