Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1890-02-13
tx" Thinks it's Safety Depends on
Allotment and Individual Title.

bu&mSclNcs Ou OuT idllOcQ lulcL
est The question of how W,
shsll settle this vexed subject il
somewhat puzzling, complex. diff,
cult, delicate and responsible
The time has come when, aside
from all considerations of humani-
tt, this problem mus. be solved,
The question that no man ought
to seek to evade is: How can this
work be accomplished? What
shall we do with the common peo-
ple7 Where lies the solution to
this problem =? Let US grappls
with this question, and like men,
meet the requirements that it i'm
poses. Before beginning my ar
gument, we would, as speedy As
possible. place the subject outside
of the pale of party politics. The
cause Of human advancement is
too sacred 10 be subject TO the mer-
cenary ends of political patronage;
and just so long as the Indian re-
quires the--gardianship of the Unit
ell States government he remains
at least under the indirect infiu-
ence Of political parties. The key
10 the solution of this problem
lies, in those questions affecting his
rights in a monetary sense, ard 10
the soil. Before We do anything
let US pct our money and landed
interest on an unchanging basis
that cannot be altered by the re-
curing mutations of party poll
tics and every new administration.
We want our legal rights to the
soil that We occupy plainly defined,
making il the duty OF the United
States government to defend The
Indian against all encroachments.
In other words, fence in our rights
with a decent court. The charac-
ter Of the title vested in the Indian
10 his land is, in our opinion, the
most important consideration con-
nected with the whole question.
Our title should contain no equivo-
cal terms. Let the whole country
be divided among our citizens,
leave no place where land shark
could hang a hope. Let the title
be vested in the Indian by an act
of our council and the same ap-
proved Of BY the general govern
ment.
What these conditions in all the
details Of law should be, we do
not attempt to say. Instead Of
holding our country in common.
let it be held by individuals-citi-
Eens Of the Cherokee nation.
First-We thus get security in
local habitaiion, which would be
a bar to the encroachment Of citi-
zenship courts and intruder popu-
lation. 1t would put an end to
these expensive delegations, at
to-ney fees, COW syndicates, etc.
We believe in such legal attach
ments IS carry with them the pow
er TO accomplish the object for
which they were enacted. We
would not fail to call your stten-
ton TO the adopted element of our
nation. If our lands were section
allied and allotted, these meetings
AID petitions that are urged by q
class of men who drift into the
country and get in with men who
claim to be attorneys, men who are
not capable of writing a legal docu-
men, only by partially copying
form from some book. Othello
would lose his occupation, and an
end to al complaints would be
closed, and "Lo" better of. Our
present system is wholly made
quate to the protection of proper
ty. Inirusions commencing with
the colored people and ending
with the white, whom the United
States government does not see its
way clear TO expel, families who
are amendable to no law and pro-
tected by none and whose num-
bers are dangerously large and con-
stantly increasing.
Our country is the common pos
session of the tribe, proves more
and more an especial hindrance
to social progress. Our tribal or
ganizatiOn is something that lives
by permission. Our country has
40 legal basis; it can neither sue
nor be sued; = has no power to
force an obligation; if abused. its
only recourse is to the power that
injured it. In conclusion, when is
al Indian prepared to take lands
in severalty2 Answer: When he
is civilized, Christianized; when