Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1891-05-14

cient languages in Wheaton coli
lege, How very appropos, how
we'll IL fits our case, as we are try
ing to commit suicide as fast as we
can Prof Lumry's prevention
would not suit our case, therefore
to be brief nothing but allotment
Of our lands IN severalty will The
Arguments used heretofore against
allotment by conservative and well
meaning patriotic citizens were to
save a home for their children and
grand children, but they now see
that as things are going it is evil
dent they cannot even save a home
for themselves. This accounts for
allotment becoming so very popu-
lar, even by those who opposed it
so strenuously.
As ! promised in a former letter
to show how allotment can be OBJ
tanned without waiting for a pow
WOW at Tahlequah, for | am per
fectly satisfied the people viii
never get it by the acts or consent
Of either chief or representatives,
not SO long as there is anything to
be made by holding office. Well,
in order to explain my plan ! will
first state that the law knows no
difference between civilized In
dians and those who are not--they
are all classified as wards That
being SO it is evident the govern
ment would allol the lands Of the
Cherokees if they would ask for it
individually. They did so with
the Sioux, Crows and other IN
dians. The u. s. commissioners
did not ask the Sioux or any 9TH
ers to call council to get their con
sent, but on the contrary they sim
ply asked each individual Indian
to sign a petition in favor Of allot-
ment and when they got a MAORI
ty to sign that was sufficient to
consummate and legalize the trans
acton. Now, if the people here
really desire allotment of their
lands they can get petitions print
ed so they can put about fifty in
an envelope and send through the
mails to each district or they could
be printed in your paper in the
form of a coupon, to be cut out by
the signer. BY these methods
many thousands could be placed
in the hands Of the people. The
cooperation Of merchants, post
masters and all others who are in
favor Of allotment and would work
for signers should be secured. In
structions should be furnished to
allow no one to sign but bona6de
citizens; the petitions when signed
to be forwarded to an enrolment
committee, say at Vinita, and
whenever majority of the citizen
signatures were obtained the petit
tions could be bound in book form
and forwarded to Washington.
would suggest this form of petition:
To the honorable the house OF representatives
OF the United States;
me AuhelhiHAtl ttNiAeu OF the Cherokee ma
tion and ward Of the United states govern.
mcni respectfully asks that your honorable
body VIII pass special act of congress for
the purpose OF allottng our lands in severhlty,
thereby freeing rs from our farcical and fraud
ulenl system Of government aud Tahleqnah
rings, and clothe rs with the great preroga-
tive Of American citizenship, and your petit
uonef VIII ever pray, pliyl..d. &C.
In this way the voice of the peo-
pie could be got with but little cost
and without the aid of such as old
Soggy, the Immortal Fourteen"
or any other humbug.
Before concluding this article |
will say emphatically l have no
confidence in any party which
may get into power, whether it is
first, second or third party, as ac.
cording to my experience the par
ty that succeeds is the one that is
best able to expose the others ras-
cality and at the same time giving
the people tatiy and false promises.
When the people in Kansas got
with their political
frauds they made a change last
November, but we have not got
the material they had to fall back
on The great and lamented Lin
coin once said, you can tool part Of |
the people part of the time but |
you cannot fool all the people all |
the time. As the people Of this
nation are about disgusted with |
the stealing Of the last administra-
tion, the COW and mining laws of /
the present one, besides the blar- |
ney and false promises, they have |
about concluded it is not prudent /
10 stay on board of rotten old |
hulk that is past being repaired, /
lntil she takes her final tlounder,
particularly when a life boat is
within hailing distance.
Respectfully, Tom HOWE.