Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1891-12-03
rHH oHnRoKnn COUNCIL.
John william Browne" Sizes up
Last Weeks Work.

see it, and mortal comprehension
may not appreciate 1t. -Four weeks
of unremitting toll, four weeks of
an extravagant waste of brain pow
Grand what2 Nothing Of good
to the public service. A waive OF
the magician's wand and the COW
law was amended to suit two
Texas COW punchers who have
for years fattened their purses and
increased their herds at the ex-
pense of the farmers and small
stock raisers of the Cherokee ma
ton.
Ten years ago there was as
many cattle in the Cherokee ma
ton as there is to-day; then in
herds ranging from twenty to five
hundred, they were owned by cit
liens. To-day the common citizen
is out of the business and Texas
COW kings parcel out the range and
say where cattle may be grazed
and hay cut, and dozen or so of
persons in the nation calling them
selves citizens, standing for the free.
hooters, monopolize the grazing
privileges, the inheritence of the
people-one and one quarter mil
lion of the finest Grazing land un-
der the sun-and all this for a
mess of pottage - Twenty-Five
thousand dollars in deprecated
script, and deficiencyof several
thousand dollars to be COW
cred by pretended expenses. in
running twice TO Caldwell, Kansas,
in vain effort to try to bluff the
president of the United States, and
collect a tax in a district of country
over which Mr.. Crutchfeld had
about as much jurisdiction or au-
thority as the "man in the moon"
Originally a man with a pasture
offering to Craze cattle for a fixed
amount per capita, would, in set
tling up with his agent require a
statement showing the number of
cattle grazed. So also would one
think that the powers that be,
who are our public guardians,
would require some sort of show
ing from its steward, and the chief
failing, there ought to be one man
at least in two branches of the leg
islature to make the inquiry and
demand this information.
1t is a lamentable state Of affairs
that we find ourselves in, when
half dozen Texas ranchers sustain
ed by a few so-called citizens Of
this nation can so paraylze our
National council that neither party
dare open their mouths in the face
of this brazen impudence and
shameless robbery.
The law as it was, faithfully ex-
ecuted, would have returned a rev.
enue of twenty-five thousand dol
lars. Legitimate business could
only have been done under It, and
legitimate business would not have
over.run the country with Texas
cattle, nor, as it is charged, de-
bauch the officers whose duty il
was to faithfully execute the law;
but the law as amended-well ]
have already said that it turned the
poor devils of Cooweescoowee and
Delaware districts, bound hand and
foot to the COW punchers Of Texas
and / can only say that such is the
fact.
1t is vain to hope for a deliver.
ance from this council, and the
people must "grin and bear it,
until another election or appeal tc
their guardian for an equaliza'
ton of benefits.
A bill from the lower house il
now before the senate attempting
to regulate the settlement Of the
public domain so as to preyen
monopoly. Judge Joseph A
Scales, of the executive office, il
credited with its authorship, anC
possibly it may reflect the vlewI
of the chief in that regard; be tina
as it may, / don't think that wher
the senate amends the counci
amendments already to it, it vii
reflect any mans views. Origin
ally it was an impracticable piec'
Of nonsense, and its impractica
bility was intensified by tn
council.
II is au1useing to see these dil
ettante statesmen air themselves
! but it becomes serious when al
+ are such statesmen, or worse.
few bills making, as Hon. JacI
Cookston once said, "making stor
keepers and widows" and yo
! some up the visible work of th
council the past week.
There are six appropriation bill
necessary for the proper main
| f A. ,.o,,o.. -, -, ,,,t ,,.,,,