Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-04
National Cherokee Council.

National Cherokee Council.
Special TO the Gazette.
TAHLEQUAH, l. T., Nov. 3-The national
council of the Cherokee nation convened in
annual session at this place this morning at
8 O'Clock, with nearly all of the eighteen
senators and forty cOuncilmen in attend
ance. No session of the Cherokee .legis-
lature in the history of the nation has ever
been awaited with so much anxiety as the
present one and no session has ever had so
much and such important business to attend
to. Nor has the capital of the Cherokees
ever before contained such large crowd of
interested and excited Indians as is now
here. Every hotel in the city is full of
guests and many cannot get accommoda-
tons of this kind at all. Not only are the
Cherokees here in great numbers, but there
are white men and negroes, citizens and
non-citizens, who are throngiug the streets
and crowdlng the red mems legislative
halls, eager to see what is to be done.
Chief Mayes has not delivered his mes
sage yet, but probably will do so tomorrow
as soon as both houses get fully organized
and ready for business. Indians and white
men alike are anXiously awaiting to hear
what the big chief thinks of the present
situation, and what he will advise in regard
to a sale of the Strip, allotment and state
hood of the Indian Territory. and other i'm
portant questions that must be attended to
at this session of the council.
The Cherokee Indians now number about
$1,000, with 1900 adopted citizens, including
whites, negroes. Shawnees and Delawares.
They are a sovereign nation, make their
own laws, till their own soil and boast of
having attained a higher degree of civiliza-
ton than any other tribe of American
Indians. or even higher than many OF their
pale-face brethren just east of them in Ar
kansas. Forty-seven years ago they insti-
tuted Self-government by framing consti-
tuition in imitation of that of the United
States, and have successfully conducted
their affairs of state since that time with
out the assistance of Uncle Sam AS ma
ton they are now prosperous and highly
civilized people. The have 100 public free
schools, with teachers and books furnished
and paid for by the nation; three high
schools, an insane and an orphan asylum,
all of which are maintained in like man
ner. These latter institutions have been
built in the last few years at a cost of over
$3o0, 900 each, and stand as monuments to
their advancement and civilization.
The Cherokees are not burdened with
system of taxation and are allowed all the
land they can cultivate, or have cultivated.
Many of them have grown very wealthy,
live in costly residences of the latest style
Of architecture and own thousands of acres
of fine land in single farm.
The capitol, or Council House." Stu
brick structure 125x200 feet. The first
floor is divided into three distinct depart
mentS-the senate chamber, the council
room and the treasury department. On
the second is located the principal chiefs /
private Office, the executive Office, supreme
court room and Office of the superintendent
of education.
The present chief of the Cherokees, ]. B.
MayeS, does not speak the language of his
countrymen and resembles a Pennsylvania
Dutchman great deal more than he does
an Indian, though he claims to be half
breed Cherokee. He exercises pretty
nearly the same prerogatives as does the
president or governor of a state; is pro-
vided with an assistant chief to act in his
absence, and seven private secretaries.
The principal and assistant chief.
of the legislature, circuit judges |
and district or county officers are elected by |
q popular vote OF the people, while |
the offices of treasurer supreme |
judges, superintendent of education |
and national medical superintendent |
are filled by appointment of the chief and |
confirmed by the senate branch of the |
council
Legislative proceedings of the Cherokee
nation are conducted, in a great measure, I
similarly to those of a state legislature, |
though sadly deficient in discipline and |
rules. The members smoke |
during the session continuously when they |
are not chewing, and think ii nothing amiss |
to prop their feet up on top of the clerks
desk or swapping joke with the speaker.
bloods, who do not speak the English Ian
guage. A fourth speak both the Cherokee
and she English languages, and fourth