The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-04-16
THE CHEROKEE OF TODAY.
sOME REASONS WHY MS LoT rs ONE
TO he ENFTED.
Almost wifhout Effort IIIs Nation Will ne
Rich and Prosperous ns Long ms This
Republic t;uhures-Tho Une Danger.

him rich Tor all time to come. IL he has n care
In the world 1t is not apparent on tho surface.
He is not so highly civilized that 1t becomes
oppressive to sustain tho strain. Ho knows
nothing OF high AMI low tarin. and tho money
question has been reduced to n discussion OF
the Government annuity. Thore are only two
questions upon which no fcels deeply. and
those arc tho distribution OF the money which
will make the nation rich and the preservation
Of tho nations sovereignty.
The lilo Of tho Cherokee Indian will be ideal
II tho American nation does not force bim
from his present territory. and his white
irother rob him OF tho money which Justly
belongs to him. Since tho beginning Of this
century the Cherokecs have ownod the most
valuable lands of the South and Southwest
In all. thor possessions 10y tho various grants
from tho Government. aggregate Sl.000.000
acres. Now they have boon reduced to
less than 5.o00.O0O acres. BY tho sale OF the
cherokee Outlet tho last dollar which will ever
como 20 tho nation by the REIMBURSEMENT OF
lands VIII be received. and until the white has
absorbed tho Indian blood the Cherokees will
continue to i've as u tribe and own the land In
common, This is the nght which the nation
h,encelorth must make; and as II ncople they are
order 10 preserve their Individuality that Prin.
ciral ,.hiet Harris, and the National Council
rfthe Two friendly tribes. Tie. Therokee alone
does not feel atlr to make tho hight for the
l lie ill.,. r5m "r nns . ,,s'S nn, Of Mi Iii. t nn5 i, L tb %p Tst
dian has n friend it will he within the next
,iIscalc that he must como forward to show it.
The laws against intrudcrs must be enforced
TO the lister. and the territory which rcmuinS
must to ze.lonsly guardrd. IN the complied
sovereignty which tho five tribes now enjoy
there is absolute safety save from the, con-
slant tendcn"y to pt"rmarry With the whites;
ton ot 2s,Go0. Tho whites who are hero as
acquiring wealth. and the mixture OF Cherokee
aud whit. blooi makes u thrifty people.
almost equal to that which, tho United States
Government unid for tho Louisiana purchase
as Il exists ' to.lav: a nn,p very ie we ei ns.'on of t nh,s. Sas
ton. bn he white, fmll-blooh. a lf,broed. or
high wall about tho small territory which re-
mains. Their" ar" II few in tn. nation. like
ltasse'ns in Tho ,lanpy Valley. who are discon.
ways and frowns ,uron those who come to
establish new religions and Introduce new
tons existing will not lind fault. These only
sdsrs. nnia progression which is forced by
the outside world means ultimate bankruptcy
ciyilizing influences already at work will
bring AL these things In good time. There are
far from illiterat.... Talla9tian. old ana nimsint'
nnd EDUCATED and refined poople when the
70, The Gutraloes. There were only n lew OF "
these families. to be true; hut now the nation
to be let alone. They recognize their h.ipiess-
ness. and it is tho earnest wish OF every man
show Of progress that the Congress Of the
United States vii! assist thom..
in the nation. These are tho Methodist. Bap-
fist. nnc Presbyterian. The Cherokee is not
and the enthusiasm is largely confined to the
female population, lie is too easy;going in his
done too much Tor him to give his religion any
intensity. but the moral standard is high for
S way sh Of con Ana i any Y Wifi e @ors i i aSns n ,b tn:
three, Churches, Catholics and ,EpiscopaIians
h i,tX been barred. and the other denomminations
t.is Unfortunate fact the EpissopaIians can
-! $s' u; s'' t t%s to . iassn9 sls t 1S",ssrP sS.
tuniIy for 'ni foot i"5HHi Some twenty isst or 1 thiGsy
years ngn there was an Episcopal eyangeiist
Guah. Before any aliens can come into the
nation 1t Is necessary tor many forms to- be. OBJ.
e estiaf; f hs t saH siH md ohisct was IN o %Gmns' 20 a 70
ianpril Tbs who nord n r turn was to inform the
Ho""s.; in n" the sc Ghe rn'sto tons s@.n %nd Il tRep f iO-
terpretsr gravsly Informed the council that, Il
had done any good or could do any would have
been given a name. and tho Clergyman was
the nation. Tho Catholics were excluded bo-
cnuse Of the prejudice which the Protestant
spiritual guidance Of tho Cherokees has been
left to three denominations, P,
their two political parties. The wisest man in
81 the nation cannot eTpiain, lust now how !
by tho name of Jones is held responsible. This
man Jones will ALWAYS be remem bered. for he
was the only white man who could ever mas
inaIies. and had "a hold on the people which
made him a power in the nation. As the story
Being a. white man he could not be chief, and !,
he had been unable 70 John tKoss. who
this time there had been only one party for
blood. lSnos saw his opportunity. jones !
." "H' tho s''% che re an' B sSNaHasrai lad ei sspssd
ths Union army. and had dis
1,nsnissfd to h ma / hi %s chief soi Idle poJ yOnss
took with him many OF, tho, full-blood Chero-
KEGS ! who served in the Union army. a1ds
1873 e. chief Since that time one Of the po.
dead: his psrtyyis still in s"ntroi Of the GOV.
the nation eligible to the onlco. to be. CHIEF
popularity counts for much. There
Il n sl eSsr The ss AVER Of 19p Is * s%n,itl ESs e. . W Vuss.
ana 4, rs there .S, is no poth.nG to make 2 permansnt
to the strongest man In the tribe.
their, legislator closely. If he. makes a mia.
tako he is called to account. and 1t frequently 4
occurs that the same Senatorial district elects
ono Nationalist and one Downing man to rep-
resent it. Dan smith. a full.blood Cherokee. )
there were some hlunders from which a legis- /
lator could never recover. Smith WINS one Of i
tho brightest men in tho Senate. and when q i
private com pnny asked for the privilege OF \
building u telephone line from Fort Gibson to Il
TahleGuah. he was enthusiastically In favor
OF granting, the franchise. He took 1t upon 4
himself 10 champion the measure. ana made
ward connecting the nations CAPITAL with CIV
@,izati3n. The hili passed. aud the work on
the telephone line WAS commenced.
But the Il ouLles of the Cherokee legislator I
had Iust begun. He represented the Saline
10. tho Senate. and his people were !
he found himself accused OF conspiring to de- 1
stroy the nations individuality. Tho tele- \
phone was den as AN Internal machine 4
Tor intoxicating the perniciouS practices OF the
whites. and a candidate was brought forth <