The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-03-29
WHAT WILLTHEYDO?
All Eyes on the Cherokee Council
at Tahlequah.
NO DIRECT IMPORTATION OBTAINED.
II the Cherokees Can Get the Money in
Some Way Ratification VIII Be
Sure-A Chiefs Sug-
gestion.

TAHLEQUAH. l. T., March es.-Mem-
bers of the Cherokee council were ar
irving all yesterday. The hotels are
filed to overhowing, while the lodging
houses have all they can handle Con.
gresham Field, chairman of the Indian
committee in the last congress, has not
yet arrived Advices from Chief Har.
ris says he will be here to-day Some
seventy members of the legislature
were interviewed, but so far as getting
any direct information concerning their
opinion as to the disposition to be made
of the strip the interviews were fail.
ure. 1t can be said, however, that a
large majority is in favor of the amend.
ment as passed by congress, but no.
body seems able to offer any plan by
which the money may be made avail
able after the land is taken.
That all of the money must be forth
coming Immediately after the sale is
ratified is no longer question. The
people have believed that if the whole
amount of the price is not at once avail
able the trade will be postponed They
do not care where the money comes
from nor what shape it comes in, just
SO 1t comes in form of a payment, so
each member gets all his share and
thus ends the matter. The Indians
seemed to be pleased with that part of
the agreement which provides that the
council may negotiate loans of the S.
500, 900, but insist that the United States
must arrange the details for such loans
before they will acquiesce in accepting
from the government
There is another element of the tribe
which insists it will be a dangerous
thing to longer prolong the opening of
the strip upon the grounds that the
government will not tolerate such
move. Unfortunately this element ia
weak from the fact that they have long
since been shelved in political way,
ex-Chief Bushyhead, of this class, hav-
ing been sat down upon by the Indians
Dick Wolf, full-blood, the leader of
the National party. has been reported
from Washington as being opposed to
the treaty. This, however, is a mis-
take Wolf. will use his influence in
the direction of agreeing to the amend
ment. He said the Indians made a
good trade when they sold the land,
and he is in favor of the deal at once.
He says the strip is overrated and
outside of small part in the eastern
part is only fit for cattle graz
ing. Summed up in a nutshell no one
can tell what the fate of the bill will
be. So far as Chief Harris is concerned
he will pursue a conservative course,
recommending, among other things,
the ratification and final cession.
The whole thing is left with the coun-
ell, and unless handicapped by outside
influence it will agree in a few days.
One new feature in the matter is
plan by Full Blood Counciling. This
member proposes to introduce bill to
ratify the treaty as it now stands with
the exception of the section related to
the matter of procuring the money up
on the proposed agreement instead of
a loan. He will offer
substitute asking the United States to
authorize the issue to every head of
the family of United States bonds
for his or her share of the proceeds,
to bear the same interest as proposed in
the amendment The proposition meets
with favor, but majority think it i'm
practicable. Such a course would ne
cessitate the sending of the matter back
to congress and would delay for another
year the opening of the strip The
who have been selling
goods for the past year on the prospects
of getting the strip money. are work
ing hard to defeat the original agree