Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-03-18
WHAT NEXT?
Pertinent Questions by Chief
Mayes to the Great Father.
Is the Cherokee TO be Deprived of His
Rights by the Government He
Looks to for Projections
The Democrats VIII Fight the Lodge Fedora,
Election Biu-Steampr Aground with
Secretary Tracy Aboard.
WHAT NEXT?
Chief Mayes Talks.

Cnle1 @~A@S'
Special to the Gazette.
WASHINGTON, March 17.-Joel Mayes,
principal chief of the Cherokee Nation,
is here with Chief Bushyhead and ex-
presses himself very forcibly on the oc-
cupation Of the Cherokee Strip by the
boomers. He thought the government
should drive the boomers out and says
the object of his visit is to protest against
the government taking the Cherokee
Strip. He states that the Indians are de-
prived of 5000, 200 received from the
cattlemen, besides $3.50 900 spent for
fencing. He considers the land worth
s. an acre and the government would
only give S1.25 to the Indians.
1t Is good farm and good grazing land.
He was glad that the president had or
dered the boomers away. If few of
the interlopers were killed he thought It
would have q wholesome effect.
LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT.
In letter to the president Mr.. Mays
says: ''They have been taught by the
supreme court, the highest tribunal OF
your government, that this patent is
good and that the land is theirs. Now,
IS this all mistake? Have they lived
this long in this imaginary securityf Is this
a delusion? After coming to this coun-
try over fifty years ago, enduring all the
privation and hardships that people
could possibly endure, and giving up for
the white man their ancient home east or
the Mississippi river, thereby doubly
paying for this soil, are they now to be
told by one whom the Indian has been
taught to call his
GREAT FATHER
that the Cherokees can no longer use
this land, that this country must be
turned into a waste and they can no
longer receive revenue from this
source, or will these lands be turned
over by you to the despOiler just for the
simple reason that the white man says
he needs it and all eyes and ears be
turned away from complaints of the
Cuerokee? In the face of this proclama-
ton, Mr.. President, /, as chief of the
Cherokee people, am compelled to ask
these bitter questions. It seems the In
dian has no place to go for protection,
and only ask what shall be their fate?
What next? When will il be demanded
that they depart from these lands? ask
you
TO PAUSE AND CONSIDER
before you take our property, and not
deprive Us of the use of property which
we have held and used so long undis-
turbed by this sacred title and patent
from the government.
The Democrats will fight the Lodge
Federal election bill with all the power
left them under the new rules. Many of
them would not oppose the adoption Of
the Australian system as applied in
Massachusetts, but they are opposed TO
the new features in MIR. Lodges bill.
The clause providing for the making of
ballots for ignorant voters by supervisors
of elections they hold
DESTROYS THE PRINCIPAL FEATURE
of the system, which is the secrecy of the
ballot. The application of Federal con-
troll on the petition of 500 voters in dis
trict they regard as especially vicious, as
it would. they say, necessarily be Sec
tional, there being no probability of such
petition coming from any quarter bu
the South.