Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-30
THE CATTLE MEN MUST GO.
Secretary Noble Will Not Allow Them to
Lease Lands on the Cherokee Strip.

Secretary Noble, in a letter to Gen. Fairchild.
the chairman OF the Cherokee commission.
sharply defines the relations of the government
and the cattle companies to the Cherokee
lands. The Secretary says that he learns that
the object Of the commission to secure from
the Indians for the government the land in the
Cherokee strip is opposed by the Cherokee live
stock association. This association, the Secre-
tary says, he understands, has made PROPOSE
tons to the Indians for Q lease Of the land.
THE SECRETARY DOES SOME FIGURING.
The Indians are told, he says, that the offer
Of the association to lease the 5000 900 acres of
land ie preferable to that of the government.
The rentals offered by the association for If
teen years. the Secretary caluiates, would aver
age SAC, 900 per annum IL the whole was paid,
or $500, 600 il ten years was paid, or S2OO, 900 If
five years was paid. The government proposes
to pay 81 IS per acre, which would amount to
"a, 100000 at five per cent annum interest,
payable by the United States. This would net
to the Indians $3.50, 900 per annum. In other
words, the Secretary adds, the corporation syn
dictate, with cattle for its assets or indi-
viduals for its sureties, pretends to the Indian
that such proposition as the foregoing is pre-
ferable to the proposition of $1,000, 900 well in
vested at i've per cent, with the United States
of America for debtor, and that, too, in the face
of the power of this debtor to take the land
for Indian tribes and the unquestionable power
to sweep out this syndicate as an unlawful in
truder upon the outlet, IL a lease with the In
dams is formally entered into.
QUOTES THE LAW
The Secretary then quotes from opinions of
the United States Supreme Court and from the
Revised Statutes and shows that the Secretary
of the Interior is authorized to summarily re-
move from the reservation any person thereon
without authority of law. whose presence
may, in the Judgment Of the commissioner of
Indian affairs, be detrimental to the welfare of
the Indians. Section PIG, Revised Statutes,
Is quoted. which declares that % purchase,
lease or conveyance of lands or title of claim
thereto from any Indian nation or tribe shall
be valid unless made by convention entered
into pursuant to the Constitution. The lease
the cattle company has apd the ones they pro-
pose to have to defeat the United States fall,
says the Secretary, under the condemnation OF
this section.
ORDERS THE CATTLEMEN TO LEAVE BEFORE NEXT
JUNE.
The conclusion reached by the Secretary is
expressed in the following words: Il there
fore announce to you, in order that it may be
communicated without delay to the Cherokee
nation, that in my opinion those who propose
to make leases with the Cherokee nation for
grazing upon the Cherokee outlet do SO with
the knowledge expressly conveyed by the Sec
Rotary OF the interior 10 them, as well as TO the
Cherokee nation. that such leases are unau-
thorized and void. and may at any time,
within the discretion of the United States gov
eminent, be set aside and the territory cleared
of the presence of the pretended lessees and
all connected with or acting for them; that the
interference by offer of what are deemed future
and extravagant payments to the Cherokee
nation to be made by certain persons who have
started up with their proposition since the
Congress of the United States determined to
negotiate with the Cherokees, gives occasion
for the government to consider the propriety
OF laying its hand upon these citizens acting in
defiance of law and against the public in
terests, and to restrain them from proceeding
further i'll this direction; and it it is now
deemed that any such lessees should be COM
PEELED to leave said outlet, with their property,
ON or before the LIST day of June next it being
deemed proper not to fix the time earlier. that
they may escape without injury or suffering to
their cattle anu herds