Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1885-07-23

ed settlers who are only
to hold the proposed
purchase until they can make
titles 70 the big land sharks who
are endeavoring to build ND giant
monopolies to the detriIr snt not
only of the Indian, but the honest
masses of America. At last ses-
sion of congress more unearned
railroad land grants were proposed
to be forfeited than there are acres
of land in the entire Indian Terri
tory and as many of these grants
are situated in the most desirable
sections of the union, the pretense
that the Indian lands are needed
for the honest boomers, carries its
falsehood and absurdity on its face
and the fact that we bave long
since given up portions of the
states of Georgia, Tennessee and
South Carolina, which the whites
have not yet occupied to any great
extent, but have suffered greedy
corporations to absorb, and as is
the case in Tennessee, permitted a
foreign oligarchy in the shape of q
Scotch syndicate to gain possession
of hundreds of thousands of acres
of lands that,the boomers of half a
century ago were yelling like those
of the present day that they need
ed for homes, ought to weigh with
the federal government while pro-
posing any sale by our people.
History shows that thousands of
our people died while on the
march and before we became accli-
mated, to give the ancient boomers
room that they would not occupy
after we left. So, having paid for
this country with the homes Of our
ancestors, money and lives Of our
people, we demand that the feder-
al government consider well before
it again furnishes its honor at the
dictation of mob, by violating its
plighted faith to a weak people
who have become civilized in spite
of its harsh treatment inspired by
unprincipled demagogues who
were trying to gain popularity
with the uneducated boomer voter.
So we insist that the federal gov
ernment wake up to the fact that
it is dealing with an educated and
Christian people and not the untu-
tored savage the interested boomer
represents us to be.
Seventh-If we can be let alone
in peace any assured length of
time, we prefer TO let our lands re-
main held in common but if driven
to choose between an immediate
sale of the best half of our country
for less than one-fourth its value,
to be followed by a demand to sell
what the representatives of the
boomer considers surplus of the
remainder, within the next two
years, and an even division of land
among our people, we will make
the safest choice. Ii the gov
of the United States de-
clare it will no longer respect its
plighted honor, but will annihilate
the Cherokee nation, then the in
dividual Cherokee must be placed |
in the strongest position to meet |
the coming storms and as repeated |
bills in the congress of the United |
States have declared every acre of
land above one hundred and sixty |
acres to each head of a Cherokee |
family surplus, to be purchased at
m arbitrary price fixed by the
stronger government, less than
)ne-fourth its market value and
we have had full notice of what
We may expect if that body makes
4 division of our lands without our
consent. Justice would demand
hat each man, woman and child
should have every foot of Chero.
zee land that an equal division Of
he public domain would give
hem, without leaving any surplus
or greedy outsiders To rob us of,
lnder the name Of sale. If unwil-
ing citizenship is forced upon us
~ the federal government it must
eceive US full handed and full
anded. Not as a poor alien race
ust robbed by two unnecessary
and sales. Relying upon the
trength of our patent (Which has
lready successfully stood the test
n the federal courts) if our own
,eople will refuse TO submit to a
ew individuals making a ruinous
ale under pretended plea Of nee
ssity they can secure to each in
ividual Cherokee about five hun
red acres of land and avoid the
he absurdity of sale to the Unit
d States, the sale by that govern
lent to the boomer and a sale by
he boomer to the speculator who
as in many instances "grub
taxed" him while raising Cain
nd getting ready for sale. The
rst right of unwilling citizenship
re will demand, will be to Judge,
ach individual for himself, wheth-
r he has any surplus to sell; and
l case he desires 10 sell then to
rake the sale to the highest bid
er, after full investigation and in
uiry into its actual value, as all
ther intelligent people do, thus
,aying the government and BOOM
: out OF the trade and thus de- {
.roying speculator's hopes Of prof {
ing by purchase of the lands of
lose he misrepresents as untutor-
4 savages, at one dollar and twen-
Live cents per acre, when SINH
n lands across an imaginary line [
! the state of Kansas are valued :
from four to eighteen dollars :
or acre.
Eighth-The government of the !
nited States ought not 10 demand J