Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1884-06-26
Washington Letter.


Now that the Chicago convention
is over, both houses of Congress,
with quOrums, have gone to work.
The Indian Appropriation Bill is
still in the hands of the conference
committee, with the provision
transferring the jurisdiction of all
criminal cases arising in Indian
reservations, in or out of the In
dian Territory, struck out. What
the final result Will be, can only be
a matter of conjecture at present,
but it is to be hoped that the Amer
lean Congress viii not be so moral
ly obtuse as the Commissioner of
Indian Affairs who recommended,
and left his desk to lobby for il in
in the committee.
The two railroad bills that were
passed b. the House of Represent
atives, have not yet been reported
by the Senate Committee, and it Is
confidently hoped by our friends
that if they are not entirely de-
feated, they will be so amended as
TO not turn Us over, bound hand
and foot, to our enemies.
A resolution introduced by Scna-
tor Dawes. and passed by the Sen
ate 4 few days ago, looks 70 a com
plete halt in all special legislation
affecting the Territory, the present
session, and, should the Senate act
in accordance with the spirit of it,
all. such legislation viii be held in
abeyance until the report of the
committee provided for by the res
olution. Coming, as this measure
does. from Mr.. Dawes, who has
heretofore been 4 staunch friend Of
the Indian, II should receive the
serious consideration of all our
people. In the discussion preced-
ing its adoption Mr.. Dawes admit
ted that 1t looked to the establish
ment of a territorial form of gov
ernment for the Indian Territory.
If our friends are firing of defend
ing Us, 1t behooves US to put our
house in order.
The persistent raids upon cur
territory west of the Arkansas
river, and the apathy of the gov
eminent, not TO say criminal ne
glect Of its officers to do their duty
in the premises, and put the in
truders off, is of itself food for
thought. The discussion of the
right of eminent domain has devel-
oped a moral and legal heresy in
the minds of American statesmen,
and American jurists, that bids fair
to sweep away all the safeguards of
free government of the American
Constitution itself. Need we then
be surprised if they break faith
with a handful of barbarians, of
whom a mdR-a senatOr-said, from
his place in the Senate "the only
good Indian was n. dead Indian. F"
The subcommittee of the House
charged with the investigation of
leases, ETC., in the Territory, has
been organized, and are issuing
subpenas. \ beginning was fixed
for yesterday, but a quorum failing
TO appear, nothing was done. 1t
is proposed by this committee to
take such testimony now as may be
found present in this city, and dur
ing the recess to goto the Territory
and complete their labOrs. Whether
they have authority TO inquire in
TO questions purely domestic, in so
far as the Cherokees are concerned,
is debatable, and 1 doubt whether
any inquiry will be made on the
lease of the Cherokee strip, further
than to see if the land is really Oc-
cupied by these cattle men with the
consent Of the constituted authori-
ties of the Cherokees. The so, so
sensation seems TO be takinga rest.
The Sioux Reservation swindle
as not, up to the present time,
.,een clothed with the forms of law,
but II Is only a question Of divis-
ion Of spOils that delays it. The
question of right and wrong enter
into very few questions among
these people, in which money is a
factor L.