Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-05-19
A BAD MISTAKE.
THE ACTION OF ASSISTANT At
loRNeY-oENERAL HALL


Tahlequah. l. n, May 1S.-(Specinl)
The action of Assistant AttOrncy-Gen-
ern Hall IN referring the seventy aliot-
inpnts IN the Strip back To the Chcrpkres
10 determine who are entitled TO share III
the seventy nllOtments To be made by
James Duncan, the allotting agent. IL
looked upon here rs being n had mistake
on the part of the interior department.
The Chcr0kees believe that this action
has been brought about by an under
current, manipulated by Robert l.. owen
and others IN the interest of those who
are moi bona-tde settlers on the Strip.
II Is evident that the assistant attorney
general did not know that matters would
be much more complicated here than If
the interior department had gone ahead
and used Its best judgment in settling
with che persons who are entitled 10 al
lotments under the laws.
The principal theory here for such nc
zion on The part Of the assistant attorney
general is given In the fact that three
different factions were represented be-
fore the interior department, each claim
ing to have q correct list Of those coming
under the head OF the original seventy
settlers. Robert l.. owen as stated in
these dispatches night before last. repre-
scented one Of the three factions but
large proportion Of his claims can never
come IN under the agreement from the
fact that no Improvements were ever
made on the Strip by such persons.
W. y, Phillips, formerly attorney for
the nation, represents anotncr faction,
who have many just claims.
The other crowd * represented by
Chief Harris, aud is known here as be-
ing composed principally Of the Cherokee
political pull" aud ring" The grCn:
advantage gained by the chief in getting
the matter of selecting claims referred
back 10 the nation Is apparent TO tn.
shrcwdnesS OF the trust, and none OF
the Indians are IN the least backward
about expressing themselves upOn the
subject
They claim that II means another pro-
longed session of the legislature on the
eve of the Cherokee general election.
with u inal result In favor Of the chiefs
special political friends who have claims
in the Strip. Many of the claimants com
posing the original seventy have given up
all hopes of obtaining recognition OF
account Of their expressed views antago
nizinE the chief politically. One redeem.
ing feature Of the new Arrangement the
ChcrokerS say, comes in tn" belief that
1t will snow Owen under completely, be
cause Owen will not come TO Tuhlequuh
and attempt any underhund work. He
has explicit orders from every member
of the legislature to give the capital II
Nluf ufIAIF anu ne MS lulluuleu llIouEu
correspondence that he will do so.
In the opinion Of everybody with whom
your correspondent has talked the outlook
for an early opening Of the strip is in
deed gloomy. The Cherokecs viii wrnn-
gle indefinitely over the allotment ques
tion. and oven then there is chance of
their failing to agree, In which case the
whole matter will have to go back TO
congress,
The entire nation Is indignant ut the
odious manner In which the Strip matter
has been handled from the start. and
unless some means hrc devised TO check
mate the persons contemplating a gougc.
there will. b. no end to future complica-
lions.