Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-02-21
ATalk With Bushyhead.
The Noted Chief Talks About His
Country.
The Civilized Tribes of the Indian
Territory as Enlightened and Pro-
gresSiye as the White Inhabit-
ants of the States.

y
gressive as the White Tnhabit-
ants of the States.
WASHINGTON, d. Can Indian state of
the Union, native American Common
wealth, holding her head as high and
wearing her horOrs as proudly as any of
the sisterhood, this Is the aspiration of
our people," So said an Indian, ex- Chief
Dennis Wolf Bushyhead of the Cherokee
Nation, and present envoy of that nation
90 the American Capital. Bushyhead
represents a republic that has existed for
half century within our republie-a lit
tie nation which presents more features
of interest to the student of political
economy and sociology than any other
country on the American continent. His
present business in Washing ton and that
of his colleagues Is TO ascertain how much
honor there IL in the greater republic
which surrounds and overshadows his own
little nation. In the passage of the Ok
lahOma bill through the house, at the be
hest of q lobby of railroads, lanograb-
bers, and spectators, Bushyhead and his
colleagues have discovered not how much
honor there Is in the American republic,
as represented by the democratic house
of representatives., but how little. Out of
the mouth of this descendant of those
whom the world calls savages we have an
indictment of the ignorance and corrup
ton of g large number of modern states
men. He speaks now in general terms,
but if he should decide to deal in Particu-
lars and names let some of the great men
of this day beware of the barbarian. His
tongue is more to be feared than his
tomahawk.
BUsHYEEAD ON CoNGRESSMEN.
"I have now been two months in Wash
ington" says Bushy head. 81 came here
full Of the hope of our people that some
day we may join the Union as a State.
But now | am in doubt. I know not
whether you are a people we should care
to join. Surely we would not wish to be-
come your brothers if you are fully and
properly represented by some of the Con
gressm en- have met. But / hope for
better things from your people than from
their representatives. Here l have met a
few congressman who are dishonest, who
are what we call 'barrows.' They are
lobbyists. men who have sold themselves
for a price, men who are willing out of
selfish motives to override the rights of
a small people like mine and to dishonor
their own Government. Then | meet men
vino are densely ignorant of the country
in which they live, men who sit III Con
gress and know less of the Indian Terri
tory than they know of Samoa or Russia
or any other foreign land Worse than
all, they are too INDECENT to learn. They
take what some interested men have told
them TO be true, and are too lazy to in
quire into The facts.
THE INDIANS OF THE TERRITORY.
"When I am introduced to some con-
gressmen they say to me: SIS it possible
you are an Indian?' They expect to see
being with feathers on his head, a
blanket, and a tomahawk. They are
amazed when / converse with them as /
do with you. They look for me to bring
out knife and take their scalps. They
think all Indians are alike, and have no
other idea than that my people, the Cher
okees, and their nelghbors, the Chicka-
saws and others, are wild and savage.
They look upon US as ignorant wards of
the government, who have to be looked
after by the federal troops and have ra-
tions of beef and pork dOled out to US.
L have met scores of congressman here
who have never dreamed that our people
are nation, with perfect self govern
ment, schools, churches, asylums, like
other civilized people. Throughout the
north, and even in Chicago and Kansas
City, where much of our trading is done,
we are known only as half savage Indians.
let me tell you something about our peO-
pie We wear just such clothes rs CON
gressmen wear; we eat the same kind of
food; read the same newspapers and
books. In Tahlequah, our capital, and |
other towns, newsboys sell daily papers
on the streets as they do in Washington. /
l take five daily papers. Many of my |
neighbors take as many. In our schools |
the English language is used and no 9th
er. We have a complete common school |
system, and soon will open a seminary |
which cost $4,000. We have asytums
and hospitals, daily newspapers of our
own, railroads, telegraphs. Our people
live in frame, brick or stone houses. We
have organs and pianos. Sixty per cent
of our people speak English, and larger
per cent of them are members of Meth
odist, Presbyterian or Baptist churches.
We have nj Catholics. Our children at
tend Sunday schools and bring home with
them the same Sunday school papers that
IOdu oil OfOI VIC 5bdbcS' Law
and order are maintained. You might
travel from Kansas to Texas through our
country and notice no difference in the
customs of our people. II is odd TO me
that we have lived 80 long almost in the
center of the United States
aud are still 30 generally unknown and
Our people take great
great in the national politics of the
states. We are naturally fond of pol
itics, and az 1 say hope some day to be-
come a state.
AGAINsT sPRINGERs BILL.
''We think we are rapidly becoming fit
for citizenship. We do not wish to have
our country divided up and organized in
to a white mans territory, as is proposed
by this Springer bill. If we wers to
come in as state it would be a matter
of pride with us TO show what native
Americans can do. We would at least
strive to know our own country. In my
belief the majority of the Cherokees are
republicans. All our politics dates from
the war, when part of our people went
into the confederate service and part
into the federal. From that date We have
taken sides as democrats or republicans.
Oar school system is rapidly educating
Ds for statehood. Many of our sons and
1aUg hters are sent away to the states TO
be educated. The rising generation of
Cherokees and ChIckasaws are as iutelli-
gent and DrOOreGgiye "a the yOuuO men !