Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-09-06
SERIOUS TROUBLE BREWING.
President Harrisnu's Order Irritates the
White Mcn-TEey want Equal
Whack with the ChcrOkees
Special to inc Gazette.


Arkansas CITY, KAN, Sept. 5-Thcre 5
no doubt in the minds of the people Of this
section of thc state that there VIII be trou-
ole OF 4 very serious nature in the Cherokee
Strip, and HAT very soon, unless The ma
t.unu government takes very prompt action
10 undo the the mischief wrought by PrcSi-
dent Harrison in his recent order permit
ting ludidnS to occupy the Strip rs cattle
gra1ers. while white men are forbidden 10
20 in any capacity The CIerpkeeS have
taken advantage Of the permit and have
t!oclled to the Strip in large numbers, and
there are to-day more cattle on that vast
grazing ground than were there in the
palmy days of the Cherokee Strip livestock
association.
What makes The white men feel especially
bitter toward, the government in regard 10
tbs matter j. that the ana did not belong
10 The Indian any more than to the whites.
1t IS not 4 reservation IN the sense of reser-
vatiouS as used to describe Indian lands,
but was Simply L strip Of government land
which had never been thrown open 10 set
tlenrnt.
The Cherokces who formerly had title 10
this sand under government treaties gave
uD hat title Years ago UN regular sale, and
the title reverted 20 the United States II
became necessary fov the other people in
the great Indian Territory TO get access TO
and e@rcSS from their reservations, and as
the ChfrukCcs held all the land aud were
very Jealous of their rights. the government
was obliged 10 buy the land i'll order 10 give
4 passage way 10 the other tribes. In this
case there was no claim Of eminent do
main by the government, but in order to
settle AL question of right the land was
purchased ana the title remained IN the
government separate from THE Indians, and
was as much public land as was the GOV
erHmeut land in all the Western territories
which had been opened to settlement. the
had never declared that This strip should be
opcn 10 settlement by white men and they
had been kept off IL Just the same as the
Indians Gradually the cattlemcn ell
crOachcd upon the land until the country
was covered with stock and then the willy
Indians came to the front and. III Western
parlauCe run bluff on the cattlemen
and told them that if they did not pay them
So much money for the privilege OF grazing
on the lands they would raise row with
the government and have the cattle driven
of The cattlemeu knew wei! that they
had no right on the lands amt We're afraid
that if the Indians made omplaint they
would have 10 move their herds SO IN order
to keep the rod-lnen quiet they agreed IL
pay the sum of 81 per head per year for the
privilege of grazing. This was blacsmail,
pure and simple, ana all the parties 10 the
deal knew il. but the cattlcmcn felt that
they We're getting very cheap grazing and
me INDIANS KNEW lildL IitN were StlLlUp u
good round sum every year for nothing.
Things changed with the opening Of
Oklahoma, and the agitation became so
great that the cattlemen We're driven nH
and the indians lost their hush money.
Gradually, however, the cattle went back
until there were fully as many on the Strip
as were ;here before the famous order Of
eviction Was issued. Then the Indians
tried their Old tactics but this time they
failed, for the cattlemen saw that the 81 u
head did not give them any protection.
They refused 10 put UP the money Then
the indians worked" the president, and he
gave the order allowing Indians to herd
their cattle on the Strip. The white men
do no; rest easy under this PLAN evidence
of partially and they are preparing for IN
invasion which will either require the
entire army Of the United States 70 que!l
or they will have the Indians put out OF the
country and given no more rights than the
white men.
These Indians are not the red men Of
the Cooper type They are white and
educated. Their right comes from the fact
that some Of their ancestors had white and
Indian intermarriage. Constant interInar-
riage has almost Obliterated the Indian
blood, out their traits still remain as far AS
getting the best of the white man Is con-
cerned.