Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1888-09-06
DON'T SEE 1T THAT WAY.

DON'T SEE 1T THAT WAY.
Delegate Buudinot, in his com
munication to The CnirFrAlN Of
last week, gives further reasons
for "the faith that is in him. why
Chief Mayes should approve the
act Of council TO release the graz
ing on the "Ouilet" to the Chero-
kee Strip Live Stock association
for the sum ofsl75, 600 per snnum.
lie introduces, as a preliminary
to his argument, the right of the
Cherokee nation to dispose, in
some way, Of the grazing on the
strip, under a reverse construction
Of the intercourse act imposing a
penalty Of one dollar per head on
stock grazed on Indian lands with
out their consent. As reverse
construction of the law, the con-
sent of the Indian to the grazing Of
stock on their lands would conse-
quently strip the law of its penal
ty. The position of Mr.. Boudi-
not, in thus inierentially claiming
for the nation a right to consent to
the grazing of stock on the
"Outlep' or any part Of
their lands, upon terms agreed
upon between the parties in inter-
est, is correctly taken, but when
he comes to the main issue, the
CHIEFTAIY is Of the opinion that
he is considerably off He is en-
titled. possibly, to the benefit Of a
doubt that he is thoroughly ac-
quainted with all the circumstanc-
es that give character to the lease
question as il is now before the
Cherokee people. He speaks Of
the bids that were offered and Of
the retirement of one party after
having offered 100000. TO one
unacquainted with the circum-
stances that drove Mr.. Wilson
from the contest, the inference
would be that he had offered all
that he had intended, when really
such is not the fact. The council
having refused to accept sealed
bids, and the contest being reduced
to an open, free fight, the bids
were submitted auction-like, with,
as it is usual at such sales, inten-
tion on part of the bidders to make
higher bids should it become nee
essary. The old lessees made a
bill Of sl50,oeo, rs aamed in the
bill to release TO them. Wilson
came in with bid Of s160, 900 fol-
lowed by Patrick Henry with one
at sl75,0 900. What did the com
mittee do to encourage further COM
petition which it was their duty 10
have done ? They virtually put a
stop to it by accepting bid of
$4,000 from the old company
which was the bid of Mr.. Henry
& Co. This action OF theirs plain
ly proves that higher bids were
not wanted, and that the commit
toe were determined to release TO
the old company at a price not
TO be disturbed by an offer Of
higher bid No higher bid being
offered, as consequence of the
committees conduct, as shown in
Mr.. Wilson's withdrawal from
the contest, it is naturally suggest
ed that the bin to release 10 the
Old company for s175,000 would
pass the council and BE approved
by the chief Mr.. Boudinot may
now unlerstand why Mr.. Wilson
quit and went nome. Mr.. Wilson
saw the decided pariiality of the
committee an Of the majority in
council for the old lessees, and re-
marked that he had not the time
nor the inclination to remain long
er under the circumstances. He
became digusted and went home.
AS finale Of a proposition that
certain things ''had TO be done be-
fore the bargain could be closed
with any party" he says that the
"council must satisfy itself that
the party offering the most money
was legally known as represented
by itself that the party was
aware Of the terms and conditions
upon which alone our lands west
of0Go could be used as pastures or
for grazing and lastly, that the
party was willing 10 abide by those
terms and conditions, should his
proposal be accepted by the ma
ton" After laying down his
premises as though they were in
fact, he proceeds with his argu-
ment, but fails to give any reasons
why company should be legally
known as represented 10y itself,
and what security there is to the
nation in being thus known. to be
preferred TO that Of company
that has no legal recognition. Re