Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1886-02-18
UNITED sTATps OoURrs.

UNITED STATES COURTS.
The necessity of such court
somewhere in the Indian Territory
was anticipated by the contracting
parties Of the treaty of 1865. The
extent of its jurisdiction is not cir
cumsoribed except in such cases,
civil and criminal, in which men,
bers of the nation, native or adopt
ed, are the only parties. Its juris-
diction, otherwise, is TO be pre-.
scribed by law-the law Of con-
gress creating the court. The ma
tional council has often instructed
the delegation to ask for a fulfill
ment of the treaty in this respect,
although by many it is regarded as
a sort of Trojan horse. The con-
sent of our nation being pledged to
its establishment, it cannot offer
any reasonable objection to Sena-
tor Vests bill, or any other bill
that does not interfere with the
jurisdiction of our courts, or that
does not exceed the privilege stip-
ulated for the simple establish
ment of such a court. The trial of
civil as well as criminal cases
arising between a citizen of the
United States and citizen of the
nation, can be consistently placed
under the jurisdiction of the court,
as there is no law for the trial of
such cases in this nation. and per-
haps not in the territory. No hon
est man can have any reasonable
objection to paying his honest
debts, and those who are not hon
est enough to willingly pay such,
ought to be made TO do so. A
court with such jurisdiction, there
fore, cannot be reasonably objected
to by honest people. But the ne
cessity of such law is another
thing, and can only be necessary
to the extent that there is a de-
mand for it in the country. A half
century of trade and intercourse
between whites and Indians has
hardly proven a demand for such
a law as far as the Indian himself
is concerned. Honesty has been
the only bond for the iulfllment of
contracts between him and his
white nonresident neighbor, and
there has been but little or no room
for complaint against such security.
Perhaps not another instance of
the kind can be found anywhere
where there has been such vast
amount of trade and trust between
two people, the whites Of the
states, and Indians of the Indian
Territory, without some law COM
pelli'g the fulfllment Of obliga-
tions. But such is the fact, and
such business relations still 60 on
under the old rigime Of honest and
mutual confidence without inter-
Exceptions there are
doubtless, to the general rule, and
if but one instance it is enough to
justify the enactment of such law.
Security is what the world of
traffic wants and must have in or
der to be healthy and vigorous in
all its relations, and is Just the
any nation needs 10 be
prosperous. If times can be made
better and relations securer, no
reasonable objection can be enter
tained against a court in the terri
tory with civil as well as criminal
Jurisdiction.
In the line Of accommodation,
there is nothing stranger than the
erection Of a United States court
in the Indian Territory, if the pun
ishment for crime nearer home can |
be considered such. A likeness
would not suffer if for the benefit |
of the human race, hell or a de-
partment of it was placed on earth
rather then have sinners taken TO
1 foreign country to be tried and
roasted for their sins.
THE bill TO extend civil jurisdic-
ion of the United States courts |