Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1891-06-11
MR. nusHYHmAp,s vInws.
He States his Platform to be AL
lotmOnt.

DR. Nj. FRAzEE, Dear Sir.-As
you rightly surmise in your letter
Of the Goth ult., there can be
but one meaning placed upon the
clause ofthe Liberal Party platform
which endorses our present system
Of government, and upon my re-
marks thereon in my letter of ac-
ceptance. That meaning is that
the system provides for an allot-
ment of the Cherokee domain, in
every respect tair and just TO the
owners OF the soil, while all proper
latitude and chance is given to in
dustry and enterprise.
1t is unnecessary for me 30 call
your attention to the fact that a
system of frame work OF govern
ment is not to be disapproved or
condemned by the way it is carried
on. The system is complete when
ever the constitution is made and
the officials selected and empow-
cred, The latter may carry on the
government foolishly to the hurt Of
the people, or wisely TO their ben
eft. The system is no more re-
sponsible for the mistakes, igno-
rance or negligence of the opera
tives in office, than is the system
of medicine for the shortcomings
of the quack, or a system of law
for silly judges and biased jurors.
1t is only when o system of govern
ment, Of medicine, law or religion
is carried on, and not as it can be
and should be pursuant, to its sown
requirements, that it should be
approved or condemned by the re-
suits attending it.
This is all perfectly plain, but
necessary for me TO mention ia ex-
PLANTATION Of my hearty approval
of our system OF National govern
ment, while | as heartily condemn
the manner of its administration
in the past in many respects. The
Cherokee constitution, which de-
fines our system of government,
contains provisions, which, If they
had been timely acted upon, would
have secured to each individual
citizen a fair, ample home; would
have made intrusion difficult, and
TO half the extent we now see it,
utterly impossible, and would have
made the Cherokee people one of
the most wealthy, prosperous
and intelligent on earth. Assured
of this as am, can it be surprising
that | would perpetuate, if possible,
the source of so much possible
good to the Cherokee people. All
of this good might have been
accomplished by fair and intelli-
gent allotment Of the common do
main of the nation among citizens,
in place Of allotting all of the best
and most fertile land to whosoever
is best enabled to grab it, as the
law now provides. One citizen, |
owns in your district,
excellent improve
ments, which, allowing to each the
dimensions of a lawful improve
ment in this nation, { quarter of
a mile each way }, makes that oiti-
zen the exclusive possessor Of at
least forty-.hree hundred acres OF
the best land of a country that is
not large enough, east of $50, to
afford sixty acres of such land to
each citizen. The law of this ma
ton as il stands allots TO that grasp.
ing citizen that much of the COM
mon domain, for the law provides
that any citizen may settle as many
improvements as he pleases, and
gives him an exclusive right in
every direction to quarter of
mile ESQ that no other citizen Is en-
croached upon.)
The same constitution that au-
Lhorized the council to make so
unjust and ruinous an allotment of
Cherokee lands among Cherokee
citizens. authorizes the same coun-
ell to provide by law against mon
opoly of improvements. Such pro-
visions against monopoly cannot
be made except by and through a
fair and equal allotment OF all of
the domain for the use and occu-
pancy ofthe members ofthe nation.
The almost total neglect of the
council to provide for such an allot-
ment IN time has lost the nation,
individually and collectively, a
great amount of land and money,
and if the neglect is persisted in,
will utterly ruin the nation as
surely as the sun shines, The
sign is on the wall l am there
fore in favor of such an allotment
Of the lands as the constitution pro
vides shall be made, as the only re-
iuge and resort against their mon
Dpoly, and such allotment should
be, and is designed by the same
to be so directed and
arranged as not only to prevent
monopoly in times present but for
the future also, allowing at tho same
time for natural differences among
men in the fields of industry and
enterprise, while holding stead
fastly to the cardinal doctrine of
Il equal rights" before the law, and
to the common bounties OF Provi-
1ence.
/ am aware that law providing
for such am allotment viii be dilli.
cult to frame, and at the same tinre
adjust the many adverse cnmpli-
cations which ihe past negligence
of our national lcOuncil has supposed
to surround the subject. But the
work can be done, and in my opin-
ion must be done to avoid exten-
sion now impending and certain to
come without the passage of such
a law.
tits proper however that ishould
state that the question Of passing
the fee simple title of the nation to