Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1891-02-12

The Now Low Better Than the
Old-No Council Promised.
coowrsscOOw.r p,sImcr, q Il; g,

DEAR SIR ours oil recent dat
received submitting various peti
tions Of over four hundred names
mostly citizens, under resolu
tion adopted at Vinita, January
sth, 1891, by county meeting o
the Farmers Alliance. of Coowee
scoowoe district, Cherokee nation
asking me as Chief Of the Chero.
kee nation TO convene the national
council in extra session for the
purpose Of repeating an act of the
national council approved Decem'
Der End 1891. which you term
"the COW law" stating in said
petition that the law was uncon.
slitutional and that the importa.
ton of Texas cattle at certain
date april I5th) would produce
disease or Texas fever, and further
that it was class legislation and not
the way TO raise a revenue.
In answer to your petition and
complaint must beg leave to diff
fer with your honorable organiza-
tion on the question Of the consti-
tutionality of this law. Thia ques.
ton seems TO have been brought
with the idea that Canadian dis
trict was excluded from the op-
Grafton Of the law. In this mat
ter, in my opinion, you have a
wrong impression. The terms of
"Cherokee lands" east and west
of the Arkansas river that has been
used continually for many years in
describing the Cherokee country
as applying only in the compari-
son or distinction between the
strip and the Cherokee country
comprising the nine districts,
known as the Cherokee nation.
This was the intention and mean
ing of the law, and has been car
ried out with that view and appli-
cation.
Now as to the extension of time
for the introduction of foreign cat
tie under said law, up to the 18th
of April, as not being good quar-
antine regulation but liable to
produce fever among native cattle,
| am truly at a loss what TO say as
to the facts in this matter. But, if
it is known to be a certain fact
that cattle brought into this nation
up to the 18th Of April will in any
way be the means Of destroying
our home cattle, l am certainly
opposed to this part of the law
for | can fully appreciate the great
evil that would follow. Being a
farmer and small stock raiser N.Y.
self, owning four or five hundred
native cattle that have grown on
my farm, and from which look to
as a resource for the maintenance
of my family, in common with
other farmers, in which respect my
interest is entirely similar tol
yours end "anld he actnnted By no
nil.er feeling than a mutual inter-
est in this matter. But | will as
sure you that while the bill was
in council and after | had
received the same for my signature
rs Chief, l held it for five days for
the purpose of fully ascertaining
the facts as to whether disease
would spread or be conveyed to
native cattle by foreign cattle be-
ing brought as late as the 10th day
Of April. The matter was fully
by all parties who SEEM
ed to know and feel a deep interest
in this question both in and out Of
the legislative body. / failed to
find a single individual who OBJ
jected to the law on that ground,
but all seemed to unanimously |
agree that there was no danger. !
Under these circumstances | sign |
ed the law, feeling that it was the |
best one in sight, and to-day, / |
must say that il is a much better
law than the one we have hereto
fore lived under. For many years
We have had law on our statute |
book that prohibited the introduc-
lion Of cattle, but il failed to pro-
bibit. 1t seems that the cattle |
come any way and / will give il |
10 you as my opinion that the only |
way to regulate this matter is by |
taxation, (import tax either for |
profit TO the people, or q penalty |
10 prevent their introduction at |
certain periods Of the year and let
he matter be adjusted by a court
1f justice. The law that we have
been operating under for many
years wherein II made the sheriff /
he judge, the jury and sheriff, TO
Ieize and sell property without
iue process Of law, has been a
iource Of expense, trouble and an
ioyance to our government, haY-
ng cost the nation not less than |
en- thousand dollars. While |
lon't fully endorse the present
aw as the best that can be made, | (
ion't think il prudent at this time
% repeal it entirely as you ask, and
ct this matter remain under the
I'D law.
II you will investigate the recent
,attle transaction Of the sheriff Of
Delaware district, the late Nc
jlellan cattle case Of Cooweescoo.
wee district and the suits now
'ending before the supreme court
.gainst the Cherokee nation for