Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1891-11-26
THE OUTLET AGAIN.
Further Effort to Get the Strip
Opened.
A RENEWAL OF LAST YEARS OFFER.
Eight Million Dollars Cash and Large
Concessions the Governments Of
fer-History of the Negotis-
tiOns.

TAHLEQUAH, !. T., Nov. 23.-On ac-
count of the feeling manifested and the
demonstrations of those locally con-
cerned in the opening of the Cherokee
outlet, much interest undoubtedly CEN
ters in the negotiations between the
United States commission and the Cher
okee nation.
The Joint sessions of the commissions
last year were conducted behind closed
doors, and though at the conclusion a
resume of the proceedings reached the
public, the position of the two commits
sions are generally misunderstood. For
six weeks the commissions held daily
sessions, and at the end disagreed upon
three questions which the government
could not concede and the Cherokees
would not yield.
The commission on the part of the
Cherokee nation was composed of the
most prominent and intellectual men
interested in its public affairs, and fully
comprehended the situation of their
government They insisted from the
beginning that there were questions to
be settled with the United States Of
greater Importance to them than the
price of the outlet, and these were con-
sidered at length The prevailing i'm
preston that the United States COM
mission did not depart from the govern
ment's original proposition is entirely
an error The commissioners realized
fully the Importance of the situation
and the demands of the people of the
western states and made every reason
able concession that their judgment
would approve.
Bv the treaty of 1866 the United
States has ti:e right to settle friendly
Indians within the Cherokee home tract
upon certain conditions, and under this
article of the treaty the Shawnees and
Delawares have been Incorporated into
the Cherokee nation. This provision is
distasteful to the Cherokees and they
wish it abrogatcd. BY the same treaty
the United States agreed = remove all
intruders from the Cherokee nation,
but because no plan is therein set out
it is now impracticable and 1000 citi-
zens of the United States are living and
cultivating farms within that country.
In addition the Cherokees demanded
the assurance of the government of the
United States that the jurisdiction of
their tribunals over their own citizens
will be maintained, and further that
they have the privilege of bringing suit
against the United States for unsettled
claims in land and money arising under
existing treaties. These questions, they
maintained, were essential to a eonsid-
Grafton of a cession of the outlet, and
they wished to provide for settlement
of these before price was considered.
Concessions were made by both
parties and the last propositions from
the United States commissioners sub
mitted December "a, 1890, provided
first: That the article of the treaty of
1866 providing for the settlement of
friendly Indians in the Cherokee coun-
try should be abrogated; second, that the
judicial tribunals of the Cherokee ma
ton should have jurisdiction in all
civil and criminal cases where its
citizens by nativity or adoption were
the only parties; third, that the govern
ment of the United States would re-
move all intruders and protect the
Cherokee nation from this an
noyance in the future, two
plans being proposed to
this end, both of which would have
been effective, and for the future that
the Cherokee nation should determine
the status CT its own citizens; fourth,
that the government of the United
States should render an account of all
moneys held for or agreed to be paid
under existing treaties. and if the
Cherokee national council should con-
slider such a statement unjust or in
correct that the nation should then
have the right to bring suit for the
proper adjustment of their accounts
Then as an additional consideration the
price agreed 20 be paid was ss,669.-
Ira 90 for the 6,534, 4So acres in the out