Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1891-01-15
A sCORCHINa LETTER.
Judge Clingan Warns up the
Council and other Officials.
CnELsnA. |. ~. Jan. l2lh, ls0l.

CHELSEA, 1. T., Jan. l2th, fo91.
EDITOR CHIEFTAIN: - When a
person gets full he then has some
thing to spare. That being my
condition, by your kindness |
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 monDpolizing
public domain; and getting worse;
and with per cent. delegates to
Washington. Oh, where, mighty
brain, are we drifting? Do not
all answer at once; it would cause
such a profound shock as to check
the progress of the Sioux war. l
as a lover of my country and peo-
pie, but exclaim aloud-halt for a
period. What is our late cattle
law, adopted Dec. 2nd, 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
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 inn
ported into the Cherokee nation
east Of the Arkansas river, inciud.
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 inn
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
it 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 contsnd 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 5000 per head investment,
making a difference Of $50 per
cent on taxable proportions. Next,
the revenue law making eight new
ofiicers-as Canadian district can
not have one and does not belong
10 the Cherokee nation under the
COW law-with bonds OF SIS, 900
each: From good authority it is
estimated that 2OO, 600 head will
be located in this district under
the present COW law, making a
revenue Of $4,000. The officer
to take charge Of all revenues CON-
ing into the hands Of other district
officers, making a considerable
amount, for a bond OF $1,000
Said revenue collector is to have
as pay FIVE per cent. Of all revenue
collected on cattle, making the
nice little sum or 5000 in this
district and 5000 extra per an
mum. We estimate the number Of
cattle nov in -Cooweescoowee dis