Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1890-08-28
NOT YET.
MIR. Trott thinks the People are
not yet ready for Allotm ent.
:. RooERs.

allotment Of our lands allow me tC
say through your columns; lst,
do not believe a majority Of oul
people would favor allotment
2nd, the man who cries the loudest
for sale Of land west and allot-
ment of this, is generally the man
who is the farthest from ex.
planning to you how it can be
done. In many cases he has been
scared to believe il is the only
salvation for him, perhaps by
some man that is termed "sore-
head wanting TO create strife and
division among the people, seek
ing to be exalted himself Or he
is a man with an "eye like an
eagle,n with his merchandise
ready TO gather the spoils. The
most numerous of these three
classes is the man who is scared
lie is honest in his convictions.
Why deceive him? 1t is we'll
known that a plan cannot be map
ped out whereby we can allot our
lands at present. Some say the
claimants and intruders are ruin
ing us and we cannot get rid Of
them. Let me ask why? They
say, because the government of
the U. s. protects them and will
not allow them to be removed. !"
Then do we suppose for a moment
that the government would any
more allow us to allot and leave
them ont than they will allow them
removed. Certainly not. Then
your allotment issue must give
way when you see you cannot
carry it into effect. The crowd
that is crying out for sale of our
lands west of SO and allotment Of
this,and trying to make a political
issue of It, could no more have it
done than those Shawnoes did who
applied to Washington a short
time ago to have their lands set
apart TO- them. No; the status of
every citizen in this nation must
be established before we could or
would be allowed TO allot, or before
we could make payment of our
moneys that would meet the APP
proval of the government,provide
we did sell our landed interests
west.
We believe our interests are be-
ing well guarded by our officials
and that these things will all work
out satisfactorily TO the people.
We yet have cur lands west, not
withstanding many of our people
were scared into the belief that
they would have been gone from
us long ago. 1t is a well known
fact that there were men through
out this country crying out to sell
them for one dollar and twenty
five cents per acre and less, or we
would lose them. While such
men as ex-Secretary Teller, ingalls,
of Kansas and others stood in the
senate halls of the United States
claiming that the title to these
lands was in the Cherokees, and
that they were worth from five to
ten dollars per acre and if the /
wanted them il should I
pay the Cherokees the worth of
them. Many Of these things have !
been brought about by our own ac-
lions. We have, ever since the /
war Of the rebellion, thrown our
doors open to the outside world
and invited them to come, and Of !
ferred a premium for Cherokee !
blood. Many have come at our
solicitation and they have since
been decided against BY our courts,
leaving them in many cases, with /
all they have invested in improve
ments on the public domain, with
their cries going up continuously.
The government is slow TO move !
against them, even though the /
attorney general has decided and /
it has been approved by the SUI
preme court of the United States |
that we have right to decide who /
our citizens are. The case Of the |
Shawnees and Delawares is now I
in the hands of the supreme court !
Of the United States. The next /
man is the colored citizen. We
we'll know that the government /
will never lose sight Of his interest /
and it looks as though these things +
ire being brought about and that /
Justice and equity will prevail ere
Iong.
would favor sectionizing our
land. Run it off into sections /
ourselves in order TO get our farms /
square with the world, and TO reg
llate our public roads. Then pass /
some laws to regulate the monop- +
1lizing of our public domain either
by farming, leasing. stock. or
otherwise, and regulate our school +
'ystem go as to place every citizen /
within reach of public school /
hat he may get the benefit there /
IF. When these things are all +