Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-11-11
OUR CIVILIZED INDIANS.
Their Forms of Government,
Their Schools, and Marriage
laws

Montgomery Advertiser.
There are in the United States about
100000 Indians; $4,000 in the five civil
lied tribes-the Cherokees, Creeks,
ChOCtaws, Chickasaws, and .,Semlnoles-
10000 more belonging to other tribes In
the Indian Territory, and the rest are
scattered in the western part of the
United States, with few remaining in
New York, North Carolina and other
States.
The civilized tribes have forms Of gov
eminent more or less similar to that OF
the States. The Cherokees have a con-
stitution, but their laws are not yet
cOdified, although efforts have been
made in this direction and code pre-
pared. The Creeks have a chief elected
by the people every four years, a House
OF Kings, and House OF Warriors, Dis
trict Courts, and Supreme Court.
The Chief Justice OF the MuscOgee Ma
ton is Baptist preacher and is now
missionary TO the wild tribes $50 miles
west of his home. Imet him the other
day at the Muscogee Baptist Association
on his way from his missionary labOrs.
He came back to preside over the Su
preme Court at its next session in about
two weeks. The Rev. John Mcintosh is
his name grandson OF General William
Mcintosh, whom the Creeks killed in
1925 on accounted the treaty OF Indian
Springs.
The present Chief is Ward Goodman,
born in Alabama, and who remained
there until lS4S. lie was delegate to
the Baptist Association at NewOka He
is a stout-built man, about % years old,
black hair, black eyes, thin whiskers,
will weigh 200 pounds, and was dressed
in citizens dark gray suit. He is a
man Of ability, and has an aflable al.
dress. took tea with him-coffee
rather.
The Presbyterians and Methodists
have each mission school on the
manual labor system, and the Greek ma
ton pays the board and tuition of a num-
Der of pupils. The Baptists are con-
templating the establishment OF mis-
sion school this fall.
There are twenty-eight public schools
kept open ten months in the year, and
under the supervision of a Superinten-
dent of Public instruction; and he is
also superintendent of public blacksmith
shops The nation pays for sharpening
both mental and agricultural tools. They
pay $40 per month TO teachers and pay
for school books.
The Indians enjoy religion. | attend
ell an all-night prayer meeting last sun
day. They say they used to worship
the devil all night, and think they
ought to worship God all night, too.
The meeting began at dark, and end
eel about sun up, or little later. I'm
agine savage crowd of Indians singing
i'm Greek at the top of their voices just
before daylight, and suddenly a bugle
blast sounds on the ar-wOuldn't you
think of Gabriel?
The Creeks have no marriage laws,
but the Baptist association adopted me-
mortal on the subject, urging the next
council to pass a proper marriage law:
Your correspondent had the honor OF
drafting the memorial. Their custom
allowed several wives, but the
churches have SO altered public opinion
that it is rare to find man with two
wives.
GLOW did you punish a violation Of
marriage vows2" | asked an Indian law
yer.
"You see that man there ?"
eyes"
"Well, his wife was taken by another
man, and one night he went with some
other men, arrested the betrayer, beat
him senseles, and then cut his ears off
with dull knife"
GLOW did they treat the woman ~
"The same way. Sometimes they let
her off easier than the man.
"What became of the man and wo'
man.
They are living together as man and
wife, and the injured husband got him
another wife
WAS that your custom ~
''Ges; the chief made that law, and
everybody followed il"
Sometimes they cut the woman's nose
off by way OF variety.
Ii the criminal could hide out until
Dusk ~ the annual festival, he went
free. Some OF the tribes had cities Of
refuge, n the lsraeljtes had