Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-02-05
The cngRokEg STRIP.

THE chGRokEE STRIP.
Mass Convention 1t Ark.na>s City In Fsvvs
OF Opening the Outlet Reooiatfoaa
Adopted.
ARKANSAS CIII, Kan, Jan 3o-The
here yesterday was the largest assem-
bly, OF the kind ever seen on the border.
It was not in any sense = boomer com
vention. for il was almost entirely COM
posed of earnest, practical business men
and farmers.
Among the distinguished people
present were Governor George W.
Steele Of Oklahoma. Hon. J. s. Emery
of Lawrence, Congressmen-electS imp-
son and Clover of this State, Hon. W.
81. Clements of Wichita and Hon Oscar
Johnson of Mcpherson, who was repre-
senting a colony Of Swedes numbering
several hundred. Delegations were
present from Wichita, Newton, Law
renee, Anthony, Copeland, Caldwell
Medicine Lodge. Winfield, Kingfsher.
Purcell, Oklahoma City, Guthrie and
many other places
Mayor Clements, Of Wichita, was
chosen chairman and Prof. D. R. BOYD
secretary.
y
opening address and spoke at some
length on the Indian and land questions
Governor Steele, of Oklahoma. fol-
lowed with a short address, telling Of
the progress of Oklahoma and Of the
need of more lands for settlers
Hon Jerry Simpson, Of Medicine
Lodge, was next introduced and made
the most eloquent speech of the day.
He handled the question of Indian lands
without socks and assured all that
when in Congress he would always be
found worA ing for the homesteader and
settler.
Hon. B. III. Clover, Of Cambridge,
made short address
A strong memorial 70 Congress, a
part of which is as follows, was pre-
scented to the committee and unanimous
ly adopted by the convention:
Whereas, The lands commonly known as
the Cherokee Outlet, lying Immediately
south of the State of Kansas, comprising
over 5000, COO acres of unoccupied land, are
needed by the people of the United States
f or homes; and
Whereas, Said lands are no longer used by
the Cherokee Nation an outlet, but have
been abandoned and by treaty stipulation
have reverted to the use of the United States /,
and
Whereas, These lands have been Illegally
leased and never officially approved for sew
eral years to gigantic non -taXpaying syn
dictates of cattle kings by the Cherokee Ma
ton. thus destroying the home industry of
cattle raising by the taxpaying farmers Of
the Western States; and
Whereas, The United States Govern
ment has appropriated many millions OF
acres of public land to railroads and other
corporations, justice demands that this rem
nant of land should be given to actual set
tiers whereon to build American homes; and
Whereas. The American Congress has ap-
propriated millions of dollars to improve the
deep harbors of the gulf the withholding OF
this large domain of public lands for civil
LIKED and white settlement viii detract
largely from the benefit of said apprOpYia-
tions; therefore, be it
Resolved First-That we heartily fndorse
the Mansur and Perkins bill.
SecOnd-That we request the Kansas and
Oklahoma delegation and our friends in
Congress to make determined fight and
| use every honorable effort to have this Out
let opened.
Third-Thas unless the Cherokee Nation
Immediately accepts the offer of the Com
missioners appointed under the act of March
| z, 1889, or that Congress fails to pass the
| Mansur bill or a similar one, then we call
upon the President of the United States, il
| it be found legal to do SO, to proclaim the
| Outlet open to settlement and thus relieve
| the distress of thousands of homeseekers
who are camped upon the borders and il
| permitted to enter now would be able &c
make a crop this year.
| 'Fourth-That We protest against an organ
| lied raid upon said lands and call upon all
law abiding people now waiting upon the
borders to not forfeit their homestead right.
| by joining an unlawful organization to take
possession of these lands.
Fifth-That We earnestly urge Congress to
ratify and confirm the agreements made
with the citizen band of Pottawatomie Indi-
ans, the absentee Shawnee Indians, she
Cheyenne and Arapahoe Indians, the Sac and
Fox Indians and the Iowa Indians in Okla
homa Territory, and to make appropriation.
for carrying the same into effect and for
other purposes
Sixth-That it is the sense of this mass meet
ing that the immediate passage of the Man
sur or Perkins bill, viii, by connecting us
with civilization in the Territory, cement the
bond of friendship between the Southern
and Western States and turn commerce to
it's proper channel upon the Southern sea
coast.
Seventh-That copy OF these resolutions
be transm itted by the secretary of this meet
ing to the President of the United States, the
Secretary of the Interior, Hon. G. H Mansu
and the Kansas and Oklahoma deleg ations
to Congress.