Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1891-05-14

thirty-one years professor Of an
cient languages in Wheaton col
lege. How very appropos, how
well it fits our case, as we are try
ing TO commit suicide as last as we
can Prof. Lamry's prevention
would not suit our case, therefore
to be brief nothing but allotment
of our lands in severalty will. The
arguments used heretofore against
allotment by conservative and well
meaning patriotic citizens were TO
save a home for their children and
grand children, but they now see
that as things are going IL is evil
dent they cannot even save q home
for themselves This accounts for
allotment becoming so very popu-
lar, even by those who opposed il
so strenuously.
As ] promised in former letter
to show how allotment can be ob.
tanned without waiting for a pow
WOW at Tahlequah, for | am per-
fectly satisfied the people will
never get it by the acts or consent
of either chief or rep. cntatives,
not SO long as there is anything to
be made by holding office. Well,
in order to explain my plan will
first state that the law knows no
difference between civilized In
dians and those who are not-they
are all classified MS wards That
being so it is evident the govern
ment would allot the lands of the
Cherokees if they would ask for il
individually. They did so with
the Sioux, Crows and other In
dians. The o. s. commissioners
did no; ask the Sioux or any 9TH
ers to call council to get their con-
sent, but on the contrary they sim
ply asked each individual Indian
to sign a petition in favor of allot-
ment and when they got a MAORI
" to sign that was sufficient to
consummate and legalize the trans
action. Now. if the people mere
really desire allotment of their
lands they can get petitions print
ed so they can put about fifty in
an envelope and send through the
mails to each district or they could
be printed in your paper in the
form of coupon, to be cut out by
the signer. By these methods
many thousands could be placed
in the hands of the people. The
cooperation of merchants, post
masters and all others who are in
favor OF allotment and would work
for signers should be secured. In
structions should be furnished to
allow no one to sign but bonafide
citizens; the petitions when signed
to be forwarded to an enrolment
committee, say at Vinita, and
whenever a majority of the citizen
signatures were obtained tho petit
tions could be bound in book form
and forwarded to Washington. |
would suggest this form of petition:
To the honorable the house OF representatives
OF the United stntess
The undersgned citizen OF the Cherokes na-
tion and ward OF the United States govern.
mont respectfully asks that your honorable
body VIII pass a special act OF congress for
thereby freeing n from our farclcal and fraud
ulent syJtem Of government and Tahlequah
rings. AMI clothe US with the great proroga-
tive Of American citizenship, and your petl-
tloner VIII ever pray, etc.
In this way the voice of the peo-
pie could be got with but little cost
and without the aid OF such as old
Soggy, the "Immortal Fourteen"
or any other humbug.
Before concluding this article |
will say emphatically 1 have no
confidence in any party which
may get into power, whether it is
first, second or third party, as ac.
cording to my experience the par
ty that succeeds is the one that is
best able to expose the others ras-
,ality and at the same time giving !
The people taily and false promises. |
When the people in Kansas got |
1isgusted with their political |
frauds they made a change last |
November, out we have not got |
the material they had to fall back |
on. The great and lamented Lin
coin once said, you can tool part of |
the people part of the time but !
you cannot fool all the people all !
the time. As the people of this
nation are about disgusted with
the stealing Of the last administra-
ton, the COW and mining laws of
the present one, besides the blar-
ney and false promises, they have
about concluded it is not prudent
to stay on board of rotten old
hulk that is past being repaired,
until she takes her final tlounder,
particularly when a life boat is
within hailing distance.
Resnectfnllv TnM Hnu1r