Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-01-04
CHEROKEES' RIGHTS TO NEUTRAL
STRIP

The statement was published few
days ago that the Cherokee Indians had
lain claim to the tract of land In the ter
ritory. known as the Neutral Strip, and
that they had sent or would send repre-
sentatives TO Washington to assert their
claim thereto before congress and the
departments with the view TO having
their asserted rights publicly and form
ally recognized and established. In COM
menting upon the state of case as it
exists and in explanation of the situation
there the Territorial Advocate, published
at Beaver City, in the Strip, says:
There is an erroneous impression ex-
isting in the minds of most people con-
corning the rights of the Cherokees to
the strip of land known as the Cherokee
outlet
When the Cherokees were removed to
the Indian Territory in 1885. the coun-
try west of their reservation was unin-
habited. The Indians only means of
sustenance was by hunting and trapping,
and they desired access TO the great
plains west of them, over which roaned
countless herds of buffalos and ante
lopes. 1t was then the policy of the gov
eminent to settle all the Indians upon
reservations in the Territory Had the
government held to its original policy.
the Cherokees would have soon found
themselves shut off from the great hunt
ing grounds by the planting of other
tribes to the west of them. This the
Cherokees saw, and accordingly asked to
have a perpetual outlet guaranteed.
which the government guaranteed. as far
as the dominion OF the United States
then extended-to the 109th meridian.
For years the Cherokees made Iegiti-
mate use of this outlet, going to and re-
turning from the great hunting grounds.
AT the time the treaty was made, St.
Louis was border town, only a few of
the harder pioneers having penetrated as
far westward as Kanas City. The Cher
okees were then hundreds of miles in
advance of the white settlements, but
the advance guard of civilization soon
caught up with and surrounded them.
cutting off their hunting ground. Thus
the outlet ceased to be used for the pur-
pose congress guaranteed, and the Chero-
KEGS assumed title III fee simple, and
leased it to the cattle companies.
AS the public domain grows smaller
the people require their officials to rem
der a stricter account of its disposition.
Thus has been brought TO light the lille
gal leases of the Cherokee strip. The
government never gave to the Indians a
shadow Of title to the strip. All that
was ever guaranteed them was the privi
lege of passing over this land without
restriction. Since the hunting grounds
have disappeared and the Indians have
abandoned the strip as right of way.
the right certainly remains with the
government to declare it vacated.
Instead Of the government attempting
to rob the poor indian of his land, the
poor Indian has been shrewd enough to
make a clean hundred thousand dollars
year out of illegal cattle taxes. They
were cunning enough to lay claim TO
and collect tax from the Neutral Strip.
to which they had no claim, not even
that OF right of way. 1t IS high time
that the tables were turned, and that the
Cherokee Strip be thrown open for set
Element with the Neutral Strip.
4 great cry has gone up from every
part of the union against the lavish dis
position of the public lands to monopo-
lies of white men. now let the same cry
go up against the Cherokee land monop-
oily, which is holding 10000, 900 acres
of public lands without shadow of
title. Perhaps the fact is not generally |
known that the Cherokee monopoly uses
large sums of money annually in lobby !
ing at Washington. The Cherokees
We're not long in learning the ways of
the white man, and like all imitators,
they Guido the originators.