Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1889-09-05

could be done would be to sell
those western lands. In the his
tory Of this nation there has new
er been the pressure and influence
brought to bear that there is now,
nor has the demand ever been
made before, that is and will be
made from now on for these lands.
do not believe the federal gov
ernment will ever consent for the
nation to sell those lands to any
private individual or corporation,
from the fact that according to the
treaty of '66 it is party interest
ed in the sale Of those lands to the
extent that when the nation pro-
poses a sale TO any other than the
government, it will interpose its
strong arm, and effectively check
any such sale, which it consistent
" can do. Had there been no
treaty stipulation to- settle friendly
Indians on the lands, and did the
government not have what we con-
slider a kind of q ellen" upon
them, we would think il wisdom
for the nation to insist upon SELL
ing to whom il pleases.
The commission propose to give
s1.25 an acre for that land, based
upon its entire acreage, less the
amount the nation has already re-
ceived. They claim the nation
has received a little more than
$4,000. What if the. govern
ment should conclude to settle that
country up with Indians, accord
ing to treaty2 It could, with the
greatest propriety, give to the
Cherokee nation 47.49 cents per
acre and locate ten or twenty
thousand Indians out there.
If there is any possible chance
to obtain more than s1.25 per acre
for it favor it, but l am not able
to see how it can be done. There
are one or two instances in which
the government gave more than
her regular government price for
land, but they were far different
from this one, and then by special
congressional action. We have a
title to those lands but it is an inn
paired title, and an imperfect one,
and the nations jurisdiction and
possession will terminate the mo-
ment the government chooses to
settle or fill it up with Indians.
I know it is not popular to favor a
disposition Of any of the lands
west Of 96, but the crisis is at hand
and we should discard popularity
and take advantage Of the propo-
sition of the government.
Another matter is the pecuniary
advantage to be derived from a
sale of those lands. The govern
ment would give the nation some
thing near eight million dollars for
them, and that divided up among
all her citizens would give them a
Nice little amount Of money to fur
ther improve their farms, or do
whatever they pleased with it.
It would take more than fifteen
years to receive the same amount
of money under a fifteen year
lease.
Sell or not sell, is a question
that should be thoroughly discuss
ed between now and council time,
when the commissioners will re-
turn and renew their proposition
TO the nation. There is no posi-
BILE way for this nation to evade
the issue either by prolonging the
sale or referring the matter for set
tlement to some future day. If
those lands were Immediately
sold, portion of the money could
be used towards building school
houses which would be more COM
Portable than tho ones we now
have. and a great many other im-
provements needed, if the people
desired it. If the amount was de.
posted at 5 per cent. interest, ii
would give us an annual income of
four hundred thousand dollars,
which is two hundred thousand
dollars per year more than we are
now receiving under the present
lease.
What say you Cherokee states
men, what say you Cherokee citi-
zens, in regard to the proper dis.
position of our western lands?
Shall we take sl.25 per acre upon
the governments proposition, or
the pitiful amount of 47.49 cents
an acre, according to treaty stipu-
tations? All answer at once.
j. II. BECK.
Swift's Specific cured me Of ugly
and very painful boils or risinRs.