The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1893-03-03
HE CHEROKEE BILL.
MT Peel Tells Congress of the Hard Fight
He Has Made TO Pass the Bill. Which He
Is Afraid VIII Fail.

Mr.. Peel Tells Congress of the Hard Fight
He Has Made TO Pass the Bin, Which He
Is Afraid VIII Fail.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 23.-When the In
dian appropriation bill was reached in
the house yesterday Chairman Peel, in
speaking on the bill, took advantage
of an opportunity to get in a few very
plain statements concerning the Cher
olSee strip bill, the condition of which
is becoming more and more critical He
went over the entire history of the
claim the Cherokees have to the strip
and the negotiations on the part of the
government and the Cherokees leading
up to the present agreement He then
referred to the question as follows:
Early in the beginning Of this congress 1 in
troduccd bill to ratify that contract. II pro-
yides, rs have shown. for the cessiOn OF this
land to the United States government at the
price specified. but limits the option 10
speak, OF the government until the 18th of NJ ;rch
next. introduced ! bill r,tifying the contract
TO open these lands to millions OF people for
settlement
Il was promptly referred to the committee
on Indian affairs at the last sessil Of congress
did not press its consideration particularly,
neither WAS il the desire OF the committee
Indian affairs to press it then 1t carried n
/ large appropriation. and as is wei Known 70
this house, IL not the policy OF ibe majority
Of the house during the last session TO increase
the appropriation bills beyond what was abso-
! lutely necessary to defray the public expenses.
conferred freely with the authorities thatl
thought had control OF the appropriations, and
while IL was not an expressed agree Ucut, yet
it was formally implied and Unders TODD That (
the bill was not pressed for the ratification of
that session there would be no b,sction 10 its
enactment at the present session Believing
this, Mr. ChlirmGn-for I believed it AID be
lieysd il and believed it frmlv-I yielded my
views temporarily
when cauvlssin- my district which borders
almost on this country, this being g-eli queJ-
tion before the people there l assure them
there would b. 40 opposition TO the rC -a'ion
Of the contract a. this session OF congress and
that before spriuytime comes we Won have
the LANDS opened 10 the honest hOmeSecSer
who desired TO obtain before It WAS evrrltst-
inrlv too late a little land h-ch Re could call
his OWE and on which to rear his iImil. in his
. own way. 1 fully believed that this would be
the result
Little did I believe, Mr. Chairman. when
came back to tnis short session If cOn-re- and
an agreement was made TO ratify this agree
ment to give homes to 80, 90 people, clrryiug
with it, notwithstanding that il involved a
large appropriation, provisions IN the bill that
these lands should be sold 70 the settlers at
500. / So or 81 an acre. according 10 quality,
which would bring into the treasury about 80
O0O,0JO in return for the purchase money reim-
bursting the government in u short time, that
there was to be persistent opposition, but
to nv astonishment. sir, 1 am met with stern
opposition in consequence OF the appropriation.
When the committee on rules gave this COM
'uittee dlv we went into committee Of the
whole on this bill We had to accept the nOdi-
ficatiOus from the distinguished gentleman
from Indiana (Holman), chairman of the COM
priatiOns for some six yealS, paying some D per
cent interest on the same 1t passed the house
and felt much gratiiied and believed then that
we would be able to succeed
1t promptly passed the senate but the senate
saw proper to place certain amendments upon
that bill ratifyiug agreements concerning two
or three small reservations which lie in the
northeast corner Of this large piece OF country.
which increased the appropriation They asked
for a conference. and when the bill came to the
speakers table Of this house. where l hoped TO
get q vote to nOn-cOncur in the senate amend
mcnts and agree to the conference, 10 make it
possible that this legislation should be con
clUded before the contract was forfeited, and
save this country Tor the people who desire il
for homes. 1 was met with the ruling that il had
to 60 to the committee OF the whole.
IL went to the committee OF the whole. and I
am sorry 10 say it is in the committee Of the
whole yes and win possibly remain there until
the close Of this congress. II 50, this contract
is gone. When We viii get another contract
with these CherOkees if they are triHed With
in this way, am not prepared to say. Il Is
true the government can take the land Oy force.
They are not strong enough TO make Us fear
their guns nor have they any ballot by which
they make afraid OF their votes. I hope.
however, Ar, Chairman, that the time VIII
never come when the congress Of the United
States will pass measure to lay its strong
hand upon that territory that belongs to help
less people, who have a patentirOm the govern