Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1892-10-27
A DIFFERENT VIEW
On the Subject Of Dividing the
Strip Money.

Mr.. EDIToR:-As chairman OF
the committee that reported the
Vinita resolutions of Oct. 9th |
took up those resolutions with a
view of discussing them seridtim
in THE CHIEFTAIN. In your last
issue I discussed our system of
taxation and demonstrated its in
justice and inequality in its practi-
eel &c J operation Ee By showing that the
rich had seized all of our best agri-
cultural and grazing lands and still
made the poor man pay his taxes,
which often amounted to more
than ne was worth. | now pro-
ceed to discuss the second resolu-
tion of the series, which petitions
council to pass an act requesting
the United States to pay the pro-
ceeds of the sale Of our lands west
&c as daaraas IL case the agree-
ment is ratified, direct to those le-
gally entitled to receive the same
per capita; but find that | have
Deen preceded in the discussion Of
this resolution by Prot. Mccarthy,
of Worcester academy. am glad
of this; | anu glad that he has tax
en- the other side of this question
and has given us his ideas fully
and freely on the subject. This
will enable me to bring out all the
facts in the case and enable us to
see things in their true light He
takes the position that this vast
sum of money should be dedicated
to the education of our posterity
and opposes what he is pleased to
term the foolish idea of paying it
out per capita. am free to ad-
NIT that we owe much to posterity
but we don't owe it any more than
we are already doing for it. All
the labor of our lives is dedicated
to posterity-it goes to feed, clothe
and educate our children and after
our deaths they inherit the balance.
Now what more could we do2
The people of the nutmeg" state,
who he would have US initiate and
model after have done no more for
the cause of education than the
Cherokees, when we consider the
circumstances of the two common
wealths ard the different degrees
of civilization nor has she done
as much She may have INDUCED
in the manufacture and sale of
wooden nutmegs and other frauds
on honest commerce until the pri-
vate fortunes of individuals reared
Yale college and other institu-
tions that were dedicated to the
rich. but she has done no more
and perhaps not so much as the
Cherokees for the advancement
and education of the masses.
When Yale college was reared to
perpetuate the unpleasant memory
of wooden nutmegs, wooden hams
and other dishonest frauds on hon
est commerce which have given
her the Sobriquet of the "nut-
meg" state, our people were run
ming wild among the mountains of
Virginia, Tennessee, North Caro-
lima, Georgia and Alabama. After
the United States gained her inde-
pendence we entered into treaty
stipulations with her and placed
ourselves under her protection,
and agreed to become civilized
and adopt the manners, customs.
habits and religion Of the white
man. In order to provide the
means necessary to defray the ex-
penses OF our government and ed
ucate our people we agreed to sell
our lands and invest the funds in
United States bonds ; 35 per cent.
OF the interest was to 90 to the
school fund, 10 to the orphan fund