The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-02-06
THE CHEROKEE STRIP.

| .<--.
THE CHEROKEE STRIP.
Scores and hundreds of people wht
have been long and patiently waitin;
for the government to arrive at a salts
factory understanding with the Chero
kee Indians touching the latters' CLAIM
upon the great strip of country along
the southern border of Kansas bearine
their name, hailed with delight the an
nouncement that the United States com
mlssi0ners and representatives of The
Cherokees had agreed upon basis O
settlement of the long veXed question
and naturally hoped for the early open
! ing Of the said lands to settlement
| seems, however, that the matter is hung
up in an unexpected quarter and seriou:
doubts are entertained by some thai
| decisive action will be taken by the gov.
eminent in the near future, such as will
! formally admit settlers to enter upor
and occupy these lands.
In view of the present situation, there
fore, plan of campaign seems to have
been agreed upon by the large numbers
of intending settlers who have been
camping upon the borders of the ''prom-
ised'' land which contemplates the set
Element of the strip without further GER
emony or delay. The plan is without
legal authority, to be sure, but it is not
in violation of any law, and will assist
the government to a final and definite
conclusion of problem over which it
has higgled and halted for months and
years. The plan is set out in the follow
ing article which is taken from the
Saltwater ok Gazette:
anticipating, from the tenor Of re-
cent dispatches form Washington, re-
garding the disapproval of Secretary
Noble of certain provisions of the Chero-
kee agreement, that congress, probably,
will refuse to ratify the same, a move
ment, apparently sprung simultaneous
ly on all sides of the strip, is now on foot
to settle those lands without the aid of
congress.
Settlers are going in from the north,
south, east and west, and their numbers
are rapidly augmenting. At the present
rate of settlement-if all reports are true
ten days hence there will be at least
$4,000 settlers upon the strip lands,
building houses, making dug-outs, and
preparing ground for spring planting.
"This movement has been organizing,
it is now believed by those without the
organ ization-for many months past,
and 1t is their determination, now that
congress will doubtless delay in. the
to quietly proceed to invade the strip
simultar eously from all sides, select
good lands and commence their improve
ments as bona fide settlers upon public
domain. If they remain unmolested, all
we'll and good, but if their removal by
troops is undertaken, they propose to
bring an action in the United States
court for the territory of Oklahoma, re-
straining the military authorities from
interfering with quiet, peaceable settlers
upon public lands of the United States
government, and thereby secure another
decision testing the title to the strip.
Judges Green and Seay-the former
chief justice of the supreme court, and
the latter then an associate justice, now
governor of Oklahoma-haveb both deCid-
ed that the Cherokees have no title to the
strip; that all the right they ever had
was an Easement" to pass over the lands,
and that this right they long since for
feited by non usage. Therefore, those
lands belong to the United States govern
ment. In view of these two decisions. it
is not difficult matter to foretell what
the third decision will be-'that the
strip lands are public domain, and that
settlers have a right to settle upon gov
land wherever found.
"The argument IS advanced by some
that, notwithstanding the fact that the
strip may be government land, the
sooner law will operate as barrier to
its legal settlement, until such time rs is
fixed by proclamation of the president.
This is wrong impression. The sooner
clause is imperative as against settlers
upon the strip under Judge Green's de-
cision. The sooner law was passed in
March, 1889. and applied to Oklahoma
proper, aud any other Indian lands
purchased after that date. Hence. rs
Judge Green has decided that the strip
was government land long before that
date, the sooner law cannot operate 10
prohibit settlement at any time upon the
strip.
IF congress will not act in the interest
of the honest and needy homeseeker, on
to the strip, say the people, and we VIII
for ourselves.
THAT the most gigantic strip move
ment ever inaugurated Is now fairly
under Roadway there can b. no doubt,
and every man that wants a home,
member of the organization
or not, should Join in the movement, go
and select his claim and contribute his
mite and influence 20 the noble object in
view. Let all 90 this. and within thirty
days the yexed strip question wI!l be
practically settled for ali time IN favor OF
the honest settler.
''On 10 the strip and claim your
home:"