Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1891-01-15
A soonoHINa LETTER.
Judge Clingan Warns up the
Council and other Officials.
CnrLsEA. 1. T., Jan. leth, 1891


EDITOR CHIEFTAIE: - When a
person gets full he then has some
thing to spare. That being my
condition, by your kindness l
will unload through your valuable
paper. 1t is not my intention to
shock the morals of any one, but
oh ! the COW law; the revenue law;
the six per cent. warrant provis-
ion; the s1.00 per month on stock
owned by non-citizens; the proba-
BILE Indebtedness ofthe nation; the
intruderism and monopolizing
public domain; and getting worse;
and with per cent. delegates to
Washington. Oh, where, mighty
brain, are we drifting2 Do not
ali answer at once; it would cause
such a profound shock as 10 check
the progress of the Sioux war. l
as lover of my country and peo-
pie, but exclaim aloud-halt for a
period. What is our late cattle
law, adopted Dec. End, 1890, in
tended to be A money machine
for the nation of course; never
once calculating the destruction
from diseases communicated to
native cattle and the operations Of
the same on home industry, which
judging from past experiences
would be about from a third to a
half of native cattle liable to be
destroyed, and their loss by the
poor. Not right. Let us examine
the law; the first section taxes to
the extent Of fifty cents each
head of cattle introduced or i'm
ported into the Cherokee nation
east o he Arkansas river, includ.
ing all cattle removed from the
lands west of the Arkansas river
and driven or otherwise brought
into this nation. We infer from
the verbage Of the above the line
made for the western boundary of
the Cherokee nation was the Ar
kansas river, entirely excluding the
Canadian district, the operation of
said law leaving said district en-
tirely unprotected. AS to an i'm
port tax, as this is certainly the
object, it can not be laid or charg-
ed against one state or territory
within the jurisdiction of the
United States; we cannot consider
1t a privilege or tax on grass, as no
tax is required after the fifty cents
is paid; the intercourse law inter
feres in such cases. Next, unequal
taxation is contrary to the princi-
pies OF good government and
should not be required and is alb
horred by all civilized people
which we contend is the operation
OF said cattle law. For instance,
all cannot buy cattle of same grade
or age, consequently an $500 per
head investment pays as much as
a $1,000 per head investment,
making difference of $50 per
cent. cn taxable proportions. Next,
the revenue law making eight new
oflicers--as Canadian district can
not have one aud does not belong
20 the Cherokee nation under the
COW law--with bonds OF $4,000
each; FROM good authority il is
estimated that 100000 head will
be located in this district under
the present COW law, iDaking
revenue Of 100000. The officer
20 take charge Of all revenues COM
ing Into the hands Of other district
officers making a considerable
amount, for bond OF SIS, 600.
Said revenue collector is to have
as pay five per cent. Of all revenue
collected on cattle, making the
nice little sum Of 5000 IN this
district and 5000 extra per an
mum. we estimate the number Of
cattle now Ia cooweescoowee dis