Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1890-11-13

the land was priced for the grass
and cane which furnished ample
feed for their stock, and the land
valued on account Of the natural
growth il furnished for the sub
sistence Of ones herds; then the
settlement of the public domain
was an easy problem. But to-day
the Cherokees are an agricultural
people-wheat, corn, cotton, fruits
and vegetables are produced IN
abundance for expectation. Large
wealth is now being accumulated
in tilling the soil, so much SO that
our valuable lands will soon be
taken up and be put in cultivation,
thereby making permanent and
happy homes. Hence this i'm
portant question presses itself up
on your consideration. The strong,
energetic and wealthy class OF our
citizens will naturally get posses
sion of our rich lands and monop-
olize the use OF the same. Our
forefathers in the formation of this
government wisely looked to this
day and engrafted in the constitu-
ton a provision by which this
monopoly could be restrained,
AT this time the monopoly has
grown to be an evil that demands
your immediate action. The in
formation have from many parts
of the country is that individuals
have become so infatuated with
the accumulation Of improvements
that single persons claim as many
as thirty farms. The country IN
some sections is literally fenced
up without a pass way. While
you should encourage every citizen
TO make and own good farms and
become large tillcrs Of the soil
there should certainly be a limit
10 this greed. You should teach
the people that every one has an
interest in this, our common coun-
try. and when they properly un-
derstand and fully appreciate this
great family government and es-
tate, they win then know that 2
few citizens cannot fence up and
own the entire country.
The way in which this monopoly
is greatly carried on is by our cit.
liens entering into pretended
leases Of the land TO non-citlzen'
for number Of years, which IS IN
plain violation Of the laws of this
nation. The citizen is to get all
improvements after the non-citizen
gets the use of the land and in many
instances after the land is nearly
worn out. The citizen as a gen
eral thing has never invested
dollar in this transaction. | an
also informed that a land-othc'
business is being carried on be
tween non citizens in buying anC
selling these leases. You can al
once see the great evil and danger
that will be entailed on the coun
! try by this unscrupulous action oI
our own citizens. am Of th'
opinion that you are justified in
resorIng 70 extreme measures L
relieve our country of this curse
We have many good and whole
some laws and if properly ex
ecuted, would correct many evils
that exist. There are violator'
OF law who 60 unpunished. This
state of affairs is greatly due tc
the fact that the district solicitors
are neglectful of their duties, ol
! incompetent. | recommend tha
you provide for a Solicitor Gen
eral for the Cherokee nation, with
salary sufficient to demand thu
services of an able attorney.
INTRUDERs-5, 1873
: This question has become sick
ening to the pride Of every Chero
kee who has bona fide interes
in this nation and is enough tC
arouse his indignation and ven
geance, after having endured tn,
J burden, hardships and expense o
owning and holding this country
for themselves and posterity. tC
be compelled to sit quietly anc
see n herd of vagabonds organizing
themselves into citizenship as
sociation" with a fund placed by
it in the hands of unscrupuloui
lawyers to carry out one of th'
,, boldest robberies ever perpetratet
! ! on people. This lawless clas'
! Of marauders, who have come
from the four corners of the earth
have fastened themselves upor
our rich soil and claim to be Cher
okees by blood, appealing to th'
United States government for pro
lection in carrying out this infa
= nous scheme. 1t makes no dit
5 ference from what country h
J halls, if he only has the initiation
fee of five dollars, he is duly in
+ grated into said association and
? then instructed by the leade
!, to make improvements on Cher
i okee land. How wonderful.
strange the officers of the Unite'
. States government, whose dLt.
{ IL - W iAiiAQN0 lAANiit etAN
! knowing all the facts connected
n with this fraud, will listen to thei
II plea and afford them protection
5 While recently in Washington
; the commissioner of Indian affair
2 gave me his sacred promise tina
u he would see that they were re
j moved, but means and ways ar
? used to defeat this purpose.
e The matter passes through man
hands; many formalities are gon
e through with and finally the prop
/ er odicer loses sight of it an
n thereby this outrage goes on III
= settled. Thiss class Of person
d have lived here for years and i
Il many instances accumulated fol
|, tunes by the use of our soil an
J, the sale of our timber, withor
y paying one cent for the suppol
y of otfr government and at the sam