Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1889-08-01
THE DOWNING MEETING AT
VINITA. SATURDAY.

VINITA, SATURDAY.
Last Saturday the Downing par
ty of Cooweescoowee district held
n meeting at Vinita. There was a
good attendance, mostly voters.
Considering the fact that there
were two barbecues near town and
that there was no picnic or barbe-
cue ia connection with their meet
ing, the attendance was remarka.
bly, good.
AT two O'Clock the band played,
when the speakers appeared,
Ridge Paschal said he had been
requested by those having tho
meeting in charge to preside and
introduce the speakers. That
while 1t was a Downing meeting
that the Nationals would be given
a fair opportunity to be heard and
any speaker whom they had pres
ent would be given a fair division
of time. He then introduced Col.
William P. Boudinot, of Table
quah.
Col. Boudinot' said he voted the
National ticket for years. That he
was still National man as far as
endorsing the platform of that par
ty was concerned, and if he and
the National party leaders were
not together it was their fault aud
not his. He had supported the
platform and had stood by the
agreements they all made, with
out going into the causes of the
quarrel. That after Mayes had
been elected there was trouble.
Finally the National party had
called for Federal interference and
had agreed to let the question be
settled, and when the votes were
counted by council, Mayes was de-
clared chief. That ought to have
bound every one. From that day
Mayes was his chief and all other
Nationals chief, as much so as
any Downing mems chief, and en-
titled to fair treatment, praise and
support while legally administer
ing heg Office for the good of the
entire Cherokee people.
The colonel then reviewed the
status of the Cherokee lands west
of 96 degrees, and said while many
contended that the title was not
perfect, and while the provisions
of the treaty might prevent the
sale to anyone except the United
States, yet that government could
not successfully do away with the
Cherokee title without the con-
sent of the Cherokee people. That
the United States commissioners
now in our country, ought to be
met, and the differences of opinion
fairly discussed. That in his own
opinion the title TO the Chero-
keo lands west of 90 degrees, and
its use was in the Cherokee nation
and could only be taken away from
it in strict compliance with treaty
of 1866, and that there was no ne
cessity of accepting one dollar and
twenty-five cents an acre for il.
The title was good enough to let
the Cherokees enjoy its use or
gather revenhe from it; that we
could not admit its weakness in
our dealings with the commission
ers. In 1888, Wolf and Ross,
without any legal authority for so
doing, had offered to sell that en-.
tire country to the United States
for AZ 40 cents an acre, and that gov
ernment and those who attacked
the Cherokee title concluded that
the $500, 900 was an advanced pay
ment on that country. As a citi-
zen Of Tahlequah district he felt
an equal interest in the election of
senator's and councillors from Coo
weescoowee, as the people Of this
district; that they had to legislate
for everybody in the nation. He
thought a Downing delegation that
would be friendly with the chief
was preferable to a National one
that would antagoniZe him at this
time, and the Downings' would
more successfully defend the en-
tire interests Of the Cherokees TO
those lands. In the struggle be.
tween the chief and the leaders Of
the Nationals over the loase,
Mayes had proven himself on the
side Of the people, and had sue
ceeded in getting two hundred
thousand dollars per year, where
these leaders would only have re-
ceiyed one hundred and twenty
five thousand. That entitled
MaySs and his party to the sup
port OF all patriotic National men,
and for one he was giving him
that support and advised all TO
vote for the Downing nominees
for the council. He regretted that
the National leaders had attempt
ed 10 make tho party endorse
their actions while trying TO bene-
fit the strip association, instead of
the Cherokee people-and for one
he would not do it, but intended
10 vote for the Downing nominees
for senators and councillors, who
opposed such actiOus as were done
at Tahlequah by these leaders.
Col. Boudinot spoke for more than
an hour, explaining his position
FULLY.
After he finished, Mr.. Paschal
said the programme called for
those speakers who advocated the
election Of the National ticket, and
they were invited TO come forward.
None responded and the next