Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1893-12-14
TIME TO Aor WITH RnAsoN

UlicnlOn bndt 10 rCbe hOAO w hOSN~
tiate with the FIVE tribes with a
view to inducing the Indians to
take their lands in severalty. Thus
far those who have seen fit to os-
pouse the negative side of the
question have done so in a very ar
bitrary, senseless and unreasonable
manner. This is not ssid with
haste or passion, nor with undue
Difference to the opinions Of others,
but after mature reflection. More
than once have newspapers in this
nation that take issue with The
CHIEFTAIN on this particular sub
ect taken the position that all who
favored allotment of the lands of
the nation were traitors and were
seeking the overthrow of the Cher
okee government and the ruin of
its people. THE CHIEFTAGN has
never seen fit nor deemed it neces-
sary to notice such vain vaporings
or senseless charges, but has bided
its time, and believed and still be-
lieves that its utterances on this
particular question will yet prove
prophetic. Heretofore all argu-
ments pro and con have been only
aimed at public sentiment, but now
that the United States has seen fit
to send its representatives here to
discuss this very identical proposi.
ton it is not a bad time to argue
the question in all its bearings and
to present to this committee that
which we believe to be the true
condition Of affairs here.
If we were to go to Messrs.
Dawes, Kidd and McKennon and
tell them that our affairs were in
excellent condition, that we were
not suffering from the effects of
having our lands monopolized to an
alarming extent by the richer class
es and that soon many of our clti-
zens would not have to go homeless
on account of this same monopoly,
or that our country was not over
run with claimants to citizenship
who increase as land becomes
scarcer in the states and are being
admitted continually, thus lessen
ing the shares of each, or that we
did not have seven thousand out
and out intruders without a shadow
of a right, but in possession oi
much of the most valuable land in
the country, we would certainly
misrepresent the real state Of af.
fairs and do great violence TO the
truth.
The constant cry of The monop.
olists and Indians for revenue, thai
1--WE are all right" is getting to be
a chestnut"
Investigation will prove that oul
revenues are no longer sufficient
to run the government under oui
present system; and that we are
getting deep and hopelessly il
debt, and that some means will
have to be devised for raising NOR,
revenue.
If anti-sllotment people will
confine themselves to the truth
and present their reasons for want
ing no change in system OF gov
eminent that affords no protection
to present or future generations
and was designed for wild aud no
madic tribes, they would certainly
be very interesting and furnish
food for reflection. These peopl,
will have the very remarkable tasl
of convincing the commission tha
the Cherokee nation is composed
of Indians, and is not ready for &
more advanced system of govern
ment. They will have the task 0
showing that all classes are equally
protected in the enjoyments of thu
privileges of citizenship. The
spectacle of community of whit,
men claiming to be full blood In
dians incapable of civilized gov
ernment and clinging to aborigina
customs NJ. approach close ontC
the border Of the ridiculous. In
gersoll III one of his politica
speeches compares the democratic
party to an old mill that hai
ceased grinding for years; in fac
it was only a building that haC
once been used for a mill; all the
clapboards nearly were gone anC
the roof leaked. Though there wal
sign hanging by one nail, Cash
for wheat" not a grain had beer
ground there for twenty years; the
old mill wheel had fallen off III
gudgeons into the street; the dan
was gone; nobody had built new
dam; in fact the mill was not worth
a dam. This is a fair illustration
| of The arpnmenl of fhnse uhn he.