Wichita eagle., 1889-05-18

gOo0 Ialth on the part OF the 1exaS DID
ders, and finally asked the chief what he
wanted. He stated first that he was
friendly to us: that we had paid our rent
promptly; that we had protected their
lands from timber thieves and other
vandals: that we had been heavy losers
by severe winters. and that he would
ike to see us get the lease, but that his
offer from Texas men was made in
good faith and large payment to be
made IN advance, and as to the question
of what ne wanted he said In words and
manner not to be misunderstood that he
wanted the greatest amount of money
which could tIonorably be obtained for
the use Of the lands or for the grass, as
he always expressed it, and he wanted it
all for his people, Has any white man
been more faithful to his trust? 1t was
finally agreed if the council would pass
an act authorizing lease to us at $780,
600 the chief would approve it, which he
did, but before he made this promise he
had made every effort to get better bid
from the Texas company.
Now, Mr.. Editor, what do you think
about "this man Mayes" being member
of the cattle syndicate and that as you
say in another place he is making more
out of it than he would be if they sold
their land at 500 per acre! As to the
title which you give the chief, which oc-
| ours in two places in your short article,
This Man Mayes." l will say think it
| is mistake and due to ignorance of abb
original court etiquette. However, this
| is a matter of taste. joel b. Mayes,
whether Chief Maves or Judge Mayes, or
''This Man Mayes, is an honest man. 1t
might be news to some of your readers
to state that Chief Mayes is nearly as
white as the average EAGLE reader and
that he is a lawyer OF no mean attain
ments.
Having shown that your statement
that Chief Mayes is interested with the
cattle men is untrue, | will say that
in regard to what you say he said in
Washington, it does not look reasonable
that he said the land would not sell for
$1.25 per acre. | cannot disprove the
statement as have done with the 9TH
ers, but Chief Mayes has often said to
the writer that the Cherokee lands were
worth So per acre now and would be
worth much more in few years.
As to the closing paragraph that it was
shown before the senate committee that
the Cherokees had no title to these lands
and that people ought to understand if
the S125 offer is not accepted they will
in all probability get nothing, | have to
say there was nothing shown before the
senate committee but opinions, some for
and some against the validity of the
Cherokee title. Senator Vest declared |
in the senate that the Cherokees |
had no shadow of a title which was |!
telegraphed over the country and &C
cepted as law by persons who did not |
know or had forgotten that the United !
States supreme court in one case, and |
the United States district court for the |
western district of Arkansas in another |
case involving the validity of the Chero-
kee title, each declared in the strongest |
language that it was fee simple title, |
absolute in the Cherokee nation, and in
one case the court declared, in substance,
that the title could only be extingushed |
by the extinction of the Cherokee tribe of
Indians. With Senator Vest on one side
and the highest legal tribunal of the
land on it other, we can we'll afford to
dismiss the Cherokee title question, and
in closing we will make friends Tor as
the Indian would say, ''make incidence
with the EAGLE by declaring that the
ought to be opened to settle
ment. The general policy of our gov
eminent demands it; the genius of our
is opposed to the aggrega-
ton of large landed estates in the hands
of the few. Public policy and particu-
larly public clamor viii in time override
all obstacles and my children will live to
see the whole Indian territory owned in
small parcels by the white mana pros
porous and happy agricultural country,
far-reaching benefits not pos
sible under its present condition. But
for Heavens sake let us do the thing de-
Gently and IN order.
In the first place the Indians do not
need SO much land, but the peo-
pie DO need it. In the next
place it rightfully belongs to
the Indians, both by treaty and patent,
and does not primarily belong to the
people. Now all these opinions given,
let Us go about acquiring these lands in
a business like way and without malice,
or falsehood or temporizing. The lands
are for sale by the rightful owner and
here is customer who wants the proper
ty and who has plenty of money to pay
for it. The people will furnish the
money, and do it cheerfully, and would
much rather pay for the property than
steal it.
DOM tlIe great poiltiCdl partieS nave
been embarrassed with the excessive
surplus in the treasury and still the in (
crease Is likely to damage and possibly
down the present administration. Sup
pose we pay 81 per acre for fourteen
million of acreS-fifty-six million dollars
and then give the land to the people,
who is wronged? The people pay the
money and the people get 1t, for the n
dams become citizens and taxpayers an
the money is still a part of the aggregate
and ever increasing wealth of the whole
b. H. CAMPBELL