Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1891-07-09

dams Tor my associates | am neces-
sarily ignorant and therefore IN.
competent to live and support my
family in the event the allotment
issue carries. | would say in the
event If allotment carries ! could
not be placed in worse condition
than most of us are to-day, ] have
land and grass but no money to
assist me in utalizing its benefits
and therefore had as we'll not own
il as to be powerless so far as using
it's concornen, and sec il used and
speculated upon by those Of less
Cherokee blood, and worse than all
to see it leased and given away to
their kindred and friends.
! say again the remedy is in al
lotment. Give me my land in my
separate right and say to me, now
go your way rejoicing, and when
your kinfolks come and wanthomes
set them up upon your own lands;
accommodate them at your own
expense and not the expense of the
Cherokee tribe. When Texas COW
men want their cattle grazed turn
them upon your grass, and if you
haven't enough, say to them, my
neighbors have and among us we
can Craze your stock, but don't go
to Texas to get stock to Craze your
grass, and presume that your neigh
bors will be free; he wants 1t, he
needs it for the support of himself
and family; the jerking of a line
over a mules back is as hard upon
him as it is upon you, and his grass,
well managed, will tend to protect
him from the many hardships it is
to-day protecting you against.
Understand me now, ! don't blame
any citizen for using this grass and
monopolizing the land at present
where he does so for his own ben.
eft because our laws don't prohibit
such. It's the law | blame, but in
order to reach its evils, the acts of
the people allowed by said law
must be mentioned.
We have laws enacted long since
which at the time of passing suited
the demand ofthe people; but times
have changed; we have changed.
our demands for protection as
against each other have become
even greater, and it therefore fol.
lows that our laws be changed, a
new code furnished which will
guarantee to the citizens equal ben.
efits from our estate, and a protec-
ton sufficient to prevent few of
us from so largely prospering at
the expense OF the many.
That law which prohibits the
introduction OF cattle into the coun-
try by non-citizens reminds me
very much of a law enacted by the
legislature of the state OF Alabama
prohibiting the sale of Intoxicating
liquors in the town OF Guntersville
In obedience to the law the whisky
men removed their decanters, ship
ped out, will call it, all whisky
on hand; opened up, which was
best they could do, what you term
a peanut stand, still they had what
we call few gubers, a box of 1.-TWO
fors, some light weight oysters,
and a hole in the wall; this honor
airy little business, apparently in
sufficient TO support Chinaman,
supported the proprietor and his
family elegantly and also furnished
the prosecuting attorneys and
others who were in the legal fra
ternity their supplies free ofcharge.
1t was proclaimed from the pull
pit, Jones is selling whisky" it
was shouted by the mothers and
wives, Jones is selling whisky
and don't you deny it," But Jones
in his genteel dress still watched
his base, and shouted in response,
chow do you know"
Turn your eyes upon the beauti-
full prairies to see them dotted with
Texas COW men, their presence
among us is not offensive; they
have the appearance of honorable
men, gentlemen of culture, aud no
doubt they are No set of men are
more accommodating; no set of
men have bigger hearts; in fact,
gentlemen, such is natural pro.
duct of the grand and glorious
state of Texas. Yet, fellow citi-
zens, it's whispered what's these
tello,os 'ioing herc' they certainly are
not hired to run cattle; they look
too toney, handle too much stuff,
and don't seem to be subject To any
body's order. The answer is
whispered: why, fellow, they are
the men who own certain brands
OF cattle and are here to see after
their interests; after shipping sea-
son is over they will return TO
Texas.
But in reply to such theories as
to their business, they, like the
blind tiger man, ask the question
'how do goa knouY" You can't
prove it," etc, neither can you
prove it; men who are able to
actually own as they do these large .
herds are bound TO be men Of more
than ordinary brains and can in
few minutes put up a job on YOU
in the shape of a "Jim Grow"
trade with SEINE citizen sufficient
to evade a law which cost the
Cherokee people thousands to en-
act. Did you know, iellowcitizens,
that the stockmen from the states
take more interest in your pohti-
cal affairs than many of you? Did
YOU know the beautiful Indian Ter
ritory was the home for state cattle
and that an allotment of our lands
would be murder To Texas stock
men? Did you know the great OPP
position to allotment manifested
by white lnjuns like we was moth
ing more nor less than state capt
tai welding its influence in the