Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-03-09
THEY WILL ACCEPT.
No Other Course Possible For the
Cherokees
TERMS As GOOD As CASH DOWN.
They Can Easily Sell the Bouds-The For
NAL Opening WIN Not Take Place
This spring Probably
Next Fall.

WASHINGTON, March 1.-THE general
view here as to the probable action OF
the Cherokees in accepting or rejecting
the terms offered by the government
for the purchase and opening the strip
Is that the Cherokees will unhesitating-
ly accept This is Col. Mansur's belief
"They cannot well reject them" said
Col. Mansur, land do thcms lives JUS
tice. The strip now pays them nothing
and is of no practical use to the Chero-
kees 1t is so much dead capital and
no prospect of reviving IT. The per
cent on the $500, 600, which is TO go
TO the Indians as interest each year, is
great deal more, almost twice as
much in fact, as they ever gov and will
be good thing for the Indians They
will take the offer, never fear"
Simpson, Peel and others near to the
strip and interested in the matter have
received letters and assurances from
people in the Cherokee nation to the eff
feet that deferring the payment of the
money would not be a bar to the deal
and that the Cherokees would agree TO
II. "The fact is" said Peel, that the
Indians cannot avoid acquiesceuce
They need the money TO run their gov
eminent This interest will easily do
that. Then, the bill providing for the
opening arrauges 1t so that the Chero-
KEGS can hypothecate the claim of s., 3OO,-
900 and borrow money on 1t and the Uni
ted States guarantee the payment This
makes the claim as good as United
States bond, and anybody would loan
them money on it IL they asked. There
is literally no more reason for the In
dams to decline the governments prop
osition than II 1t was to pay them so
much money. l am going home now.
live within twenty-five miles of the
Cherokees They are my neighbors,
and | know them well. AS soon as |
get home / am going amoi Z them and
see how they feel. I've received a
bushel Of letters from there, and they
all go 10 show there will be no holding
back by the Cherokees
Another strong reason why the In
dams will accept is because of the thou
sands Of people who are camped about
tie strip awaiting to go on. The Cher.
okees know they cannot keep them oil
and that this government dare not do II
and that, law or no law, acceptance or
no acceptance, the signs OF the hour all
point to the certainty Of the outlet
being opened and that this offer Is alb
solutely the best they can do. So there
Is no fear but they will close with it,
1t is not to be forctold just how soon
the CherolSees will formal Y accept ano
forward the informant to Washing
ton. he bill provides that IL the Cher
KEGS accept the S295,OO or any part O
It, being the cash payment, that THU
action shall be held an acceptance
and it is possible that without
any formal ratification or acceptanc,
the deal may be closed up tina
way Peel, Mansur and the rest how
ever, from all their letters and advicc
and the Cherolkees now here, also stat,
that the tribal council will at once TAX,
the matter under consideration an,
will be able to return a formal auswe
by April /. After that the interior de
partment would be busy two full
months, plating, laying out tow
sites and county seats, so that al
possible push and energy would no
bring about an opening before June /
As this Is too late aud, in fact, as any
thing after April 10 is too late TO per
init crop this year, no hurry will b.
made, but the question of opening b.
laid over until fall when all will b,
ready.
Representative Harvey has worked
hard to open the strip and should hav,
more credit for 1t than he gets Speak
ing of the probable time OF opening, he
too, put 1t as late us next fall, and said
II again renew my advice to the peopl
camped about the strip to rent land IL
Kansas for this season 10 support them
selves and their families on until mex
spring. 1t is their wiser course, and
In fact their only course. No on
must attempt TO locate on the strip un
til II is legally declared open for settle
ment II they do they forfeit all chanc
OF taking up land there"