Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1889-12-10
AMONG THE CHEROKEES.
The lll-Absorbing Topic in Indian
Territory.
nom orr SPECIAL Correspondent

~ the lower house CcounciT has tw
= white men and one freedman 10
10 negro.) One unacquainted with thi
~ fact, however, would consider eacl
"a branch rs containing one-third eacl
el Of whites, half-breels and full
ID bloods.
Y During their sittings the proceed
" ings are very slow, as all speeche
e made, all documents read anC
:, everything which transpires, mus
: be given in both languages, Their,
: being members in both houses who
J.. can understand but one language
: Every sentence spoken in the Cher.
= okee tongue occupies fully twice as
: much time as when rendered in
= English; thus during session hours
{ the time is mostly spent in reading
, and interpreting committee reports
and communications, and work is
mostly attended to in committee
rooms where interpreters are also
generally required. Most of the
business Is done by half a dozen OF
the a6lest men Of each body, and
many of the present incumbeuts are
but learning their first lessons in
legislative matters, Chaplains are
not among the appointed officers
who receive pay for services and
all prayers are offered gratuitOuSly.
A limited number Of desks are pro
vided, but the majority are without,
and generally rest easily against the
wall, apparently taking no notice OF
what is going on. AS the members
use tobacco freely, and almost CON
tinually in some form, the room in
which they sit Is often enveloped
in dense cloud Of smoke. Specta-
tors are allowed the liberty Of listen
/ ing and run from one room TO an
other, Oftentimes making the pro-
ceedings difficult TO lie understood.
| because Of noise, and at this session
so much interest is being taken as
to what action the council will pur- /
sue on certain questions, there is 4 I
greater number Uf visitors than .
usual This law-making body i .
not in any way free from the profess 1
siOnal lobbyists. who NOWADAYS /
loiter around legislatures while in
session.
-Four weeks have passed since the
council assembled. The thirty DAYS
limitation expires December 9TH.
but an extra session may he called
by the chief, but only to consider
such business rs he may place before
them. Very little has been accom-
plished thus far, and questions which
public interest has been Centeredon
are now but beginning TO Ice consid-
cred. The propositions regarding the ,
sale Of the land known "a the
Cherokee Outlet We're referred to the |
Senate committee on foreign rela- ,
tlons, and recently they have re-
ported. A there are some Of the !
Nations ablest men considering !
this question, no dOub. the Indians
welfare will be kept in view. To :
THIS committee the United States
submitted all the !
which they were EN- :
covered TO; and, providing the In I
iians cannot do better, those offers :
nay he accepted. 4
The CherolIees, from the lands /
'eded 20 them In this Territorv.ha :
'lready sold TO the government held 4
n trust for the various tribes over 4
wo million acres OF land on their n
)utlet 10 settle friendly Indians on. =
nj the money accruing from those T
lles, ut their appraised value. is i'm +,
estei IN United States bonds. as i I.
rovided by treaty that all cur Il
ency received from sale Of lands :.
hall be. !,
The commission, in addition TO n,
fering Sl.25 per acre for the un- n
coupled land. propose adding am d
mount to that already paid sufIici- M
mt TO raise the price of those lands q
,ttled By friendly tribes, 10 81 .25 os
er acre, with the exception Of the q
Inds occupied by the Usage Nation. ~
III the land sold to these tribes nj
ne POncas, NeZ Perces. Pawuees. a,
llssourlas, Otoes and Osages-were si,
)nveyed TO them Mt the same time ne
nj In similar manner, and it Is not of
Npiained why the Usage tract Is
nitted, though'the payment offered ~
Ould not be otherwise claimed for ~
ny OF the lands thus sold. If the NJ
herokees desire, the whole amount 81,
hlch the conveyance of the land on
Ill bring-Over $1,000, OO0-can be ~,
Ivided among the people, each in hi
vldual citizen obtaining about he
go therefrom; or one-half can he m,
'id to the people, and the interest I'm
4 the balance, invested in L. s. m
mus, VIII give them an annual an.
come ofSlTT, 000,O the whole sum 20
n be invested at ) per cent per n,
mum. In fact, the money is 10 be mi
mpietely at the disposal of the liz
lerOkeeS. In all payments to the mo
ople Of the nation the white :
opted citizens do not share-only sin
ose Of Indian blood, and freed re-,
IN and their descendants who m,
IRE slaves in the nation at the ma
ne Of the war and returned prior IN,
lsGo; also two small tribes. the an,
,lawares and Shawnees, who have ne.
lied among the Chcrokees and Nc
come part Of the nation. OF
Nothing definite has Yet been n,t
ne, but the offer Of 81. . win prob Jir
y he rejected. The committee We
whose hands the matter was in Daf
stcd, has reported adversely, pre- lot
lting two resolutions. viz. the H.
Jorlty favOring informing the i
that the Proposals adv
re not acceptable; the minority me.
'vlding for committee to treat r;gI
Their with the commissioners IL,
I substitute has been introduced ,,,i
ID VIII probably pass, providing Sta
a delegation Of four or six 10 40,
ltinue negotiations, with instruc- viii
Us TO decline the present offer and s.lI
INIT proposition TO sell the land but
greater value. In connection fr,s
n the understanding that the Tor
tied States viii rectily grievances ana
which the Indians COMPLAIN. -,
IS substitute was introduced by n
n l.. III. Bell, President of the noei
late, and one Of the shrewdest III;
lticiansan Legislators among the ba,.
arOkees. IL is almost certain this n.;,,
,ci,-.f - nsAt movement. The fare
osltlon to a sale under present any
Posals, and the majority in both met
ses are pledged to the same tbs,
teal party and platform as the i
4. This fact has its weight. ami
ne commissioners negotiations enc,
other Indians, however, have dsv
arently better prospect Of sue st3tf
. The ChOctaw and Chickasaw the
ional Councils have considered far
favor the proposals for the sale Ieost
heir lands lying between the 9sth fonn
zee and the Tooth degree longi- Of II
, and containing over 1000, 900 acl-I
:, on which there are now nend
IDLY Indians; and have appoint rove
elegates TO meet the Commits 9v,n.
ers, empowering the former 10 tivaI
the lands. They are now on tbe
!, way to the Cherokee capital: and
. q haor; Guo u we Cnerokees VIII the g