Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-10-31
CHEROKEE POLITICS.
A Review Of the Important Measures
70 Come up Before the Chero-
kee National Council.
Leasing Of the Cherokee Strip and the
Granting Of Right Of Way 70 Kali
ways, the Knotty Problems.
The Action OF ocagrcss IN Looking Upon
the Lands as Eminent Domain will
be Legally Contested.
POINTS OF coSrrsr.ox.

SpeciaA w bhc HhAtAtos
TAHLEouAH, 1. T., Oct So Hon John
M. Taylor, one of the shrewdest Chero-
kee politicians in the nation, accosted
your reporter this evening and said,
"Did you know the coming council which
meets next week VIII be the most inter
esting ever held by the CherokeesH II
will and | will tell you why. In the Arst
place New York syndicate is going to
make a big offer for the whole OF the
Cherokee strip, then the lessees OF the
strip who have It now are going to apply
for another term OF three years. Several
railroad companies viii be represented
here asking for right of way through the
nation. Then after these outside issues,
there is the new code of laws TO be
adopted or rejected, besides the regular
routine work that has TO be done every
year. tell you many state legislatures
are now represented here behind our
council and we stand
SECOND ONLY TO CONGRESS-
in importance with the questions TO
handle, and care will be required to pro-
tect the nations interest Now, as to
selling the strip outright, for the hand
some figure offered for IT, lots OF our
people are in favor of ~, and the only
trouble | see In this, is TO dispose of It so
as not TO jeopardizs our present homes
! I have Just come into information, aud
got Il from a reliable sources that one OF
the largest syndicates that ever existed
In this country in the cattle business is
forming TO get up a corner on grazing
lands by buying or leasing All there is u
be got hold of In the states and terrific
ries, and maybe these men who are try
| ing TO bny our strip want " Tor
THIS VERY SYNDICATE
And should they ever gel held OF It by a
lease, a. honestly believe they want II
that way and not by purchase, they would
be too strong for our little government tC
handle should they take a notion L
squelch US, and you know these syndicate,
and corporations have very little soul
and especially for Indians, for most q
them are like Gen. Sheridan was when hs
said the only good Indian Is a dead one
This is the Scotch Land & Cattle Gompan,
allude to, and should they succeed Ar
mour & Co.'s little corner on bacon woul,
be bat mole.hile by the side of noun
tain. Then again, oppose and believ
majority OF our people oppose, the leas
ing again at the same small prlc
as heretofore OF IL cents pc
acre, when grazing lands on bot
sides OF the strip are leasing at from u
cents an acre. You kncw u was est
mated that wren the men who compose Oh
Cherokee Strip Live Stock associate
leased before considerable was payed
and some Il our people are prcjudlceC
against the company which now has
) hold OF the strip. There are people Il
! the state who
WANT GRAZING LAND
besides the two companies now pulling
for IT, There is no telling what conclus
: ion our council will reach Ia regard to II
though the men who now have 1t hav
been prompt In payment and vigllant II
protecting our timber and their interest
out there, and may be willing to pa.
more than they have been paying. The
/ for one, would be willing to entertain
another proposition from them, bu
they cannot come In here a
they did before and leus
it without opposition, and no one els
knowing that 1t Is to be leased. ar
confident that we are nos getting, an,
we ought to get, every cent we can, TO
the strip is one OF the finest grain
countries on the continent. Well, NOS
as TO railroad companies wanting right
/ VI Wa13 uHu thObb hh'AhE Ai6heo ~ W.
granted them by congress, You know ou
council is going TO
MAKE DRcIDED KICK
against them. The congressional grant
are so grossly contrary to treaty stlpult
tons that there Is no court In the Ian
3 that Will sustain them when pu. TO ties
aud we propose to test every foot Of tn
J ground on this point. When we 81
1 ready for railroads then we will hay
them, and not before II we ca
J help II. The Idea Of the gov
r eminent holding that the takin
D of our lands and giving them
/ private corporations is eminent domain
Why, this is not government land, br
s belongs 90 us exclusively. We have
patent for It signed by Martin Van Bure
4 when he was president perfect ot
, simple title, that is all there is about /
9 and how In the world can congress or an
. other power made eminent domain obtRi
. here only by might, aud not by law
. justiee2"
I From all appearances, Col. Taylor ht
5 stated II rightly and big contest is sur
{ AS the stockmen are already shown