Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-11-25
THE INDIAN NATION.
Life in a Community OF
Which We Are Ignorant.
THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES
People Who Do Not Have to Pay
Taxes-A Supreme Court OF
Learning and Character.


full region, known as the Indian Terri
tory. The imaginary lines which divid
it from the neighboring States hav
been strengthened by national law int
strong walls, which, if not actually i'm
passible, have proven strong barriers
Even the inhabitants OF the contiguou
States have little knowledge of the peo
pie or the land beyond
strong hatred of the one, borl
of an undue lust for the other. The east
ern part of this Territory is inhabited
with what are called the GIVE civilized
trihes"-the Cherokees, Creeks, Semi
noles, ChocItaws and Chickasaws. Eacl
of them lives life absolutely separate
from the rest, with its own peculiarities
it's own institutions and its own
national characteristics for each
let it not be forgotten-each is a
nation. But certain things are true of
them all. Common circumstances and
common needs have wrought upon COM
mon traits of race and character to pro-
duce like results. The Government of
each nation is republican, with frequently
recurring elections, legislatures, execu-
tives and systems of judiciary. Each
nation supports common schools and high
schools, provides charitable institutions
and fosters churches. Whether Choctaw
or Cherokee, these Indians carry on large
business interests and live intelligent and
valuable lives.
The traveller who leaves st. Louis at
night wakes to find himself in the prairie
country, strewn thick with villages OF the
peculiar, unthrifty, huddled appearance
of Southwestern hamlets. He has
scarcely breakfssted before ON sudden
he discovers the prairie roll away before
him, unvexed with hut or herd,
and mile after mile the railway
strides on through the luxuriant
acres, past the fertile bottoms. The
mysterious silence and space explain
themselves. This is Indian land, and the
Cherokee people have as yet found no
better use for this northern country than
to keep an unoccupied strip between
themselves and their white neighbors.
When at last town appears, it is still
Southwestern town, but it is a brick and
mortar city, with shops and newspapers
and busy lie of its own. 1t is con-
siderable tax on credulity to dis
cover that this town of Vinita is
also Indian, and altogether Indian,
that it's business life is full and active
and reaching out widely; that its citizens
have private interests in many other
regions, and affect the public affairs of
two nations, moving sometimes the des-
TIMES OF an alien and mightier race than
their own. Its men and woman have
their lives in books and thought and
music; brave men marry fair women
and children play about the streets whose
future holds happiness and prosperity.
This is the most commercial town of
this nation, but not its most representa-
tive settlement. "Have you seen Tab
leouah ?' is the instant question asked
of him who Processes q knowledge of the
Indian Territory, and not without ea-
son. Located in the interior Of the
country, among the mountains, the
approach by the all-day ride amoung the
wooded hills, over the grassy uplands,
and through the forest glades threaded
everywhere with rushing creeks, serves
to heighten the effects.
Tahleouah first discovers itself afar off,
across one of the most beautiful of these
prospects, in large and somewhat i'm.
posing brick building, standing out alone
upon swelling height. Unneighbored,
and vet requiring considerable popula-
tion to fill it, it seems something OF a
mystery, and when the winding road
comes face to face with its SIM
plicity and it's size, it proves no
less mysterious, although in different
way, since it is public college ior
Indian boys and young men. Three
miles further ride, still in the open
country, though no longer through an
altogether uncultivated region, brings
the traveller suddenly into the long main
street CT a large town. Here sits in
serene and self-centered isolation the
capital of Nation, containing in itself
every element of such capital except
those metropolitan products which be-
long to crowded centers of the worlds
Esin the very middle of Tahlequah is the
capitol, a large brick structure sur
rounded by an open square filled with
locust trees. The size and relative
Importance of this building mark the
feeling that this is a nation. Here meets
a Legislature, composed OF two Houses,
retaining traces of the common Indian
and white influence over their origin, IN
their titles of Council and Senate.
The Council is presided over by
a Speaker and the Senate by the Assist
ant Chief. Bills must pass both Houses,
and require the signature of the Execu-
tive. This officer possesses much power,
and is man Of many titles, since ne ls
actually President, and is better known
as Principal Chief, while in common
conversation he is usually addressed as
Governor. Under him is an assistant
chief answering to our Vice-President,
Secretary OF State, Treasurer, a Super
intendent of Public Instruction, and sew
eral other officers. All are elected di-
rectly by the people, and for terms OF
four wears. These hot'y-contested cleo
tions occur every two years, when half
of the Council are chosen, and in August
a month of agricultural vacation, thus
.,oarking the chief occupation OF the peo-
ple. All the affairssof the nation-very
literally, nearly alfS&of them-are de-
bated and settled by this Legisla-
ture. The establishment and sup
port of schools, questions OF finance,
permissions or licenses to railways or
telegraph lines, the admission OF relig-
IONS teachers to the privileges of the
nat;on-all these matters are decided as
Of old. in council, but neither the heredi-
tary right OF Indian custom on the one
hand. nor the Anglo-Saxon condition ol
ACE on the other, admits to this body.
Every lad among the Cherokees may
vote and he voted for. In the Capito
e AI,0