Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1894-11-22
rHnRn's oAusn FOR ALARM.

year vi bWO hdb WituOub uOuDb luI-
nished congress with abundant
reasons for abrogating all tre aties
and making short work of the Five
Tribes this winter. There is no
subject that will take precedence
over the Indian question at the
coming session. The tariff nor
free silver will stand in the way
this year, and the chances are that
we will get very much more atten-
ton than we want. There is a
feeling of great uneasiness in the
minds of the thinking portion of
the citizens of all these Indian ma
tions, and the signs of the times
point plainly to some very radical
egislation--legislation that will
affect us and our children for all
time to come.
There is no doubt in the world
but that the Dawes commission
will use Bill Cook and his gang of
cutthroats for all they are worth
in their report to congress that is
now probably ready to be submit
ted. Our people may, as they do,
justly feel sore on this point be-
cause they are not to blame for the
presence Of outlaws here and are
greater sufferers than anyone else
on account of the frequent robberies
and murders that occur far too Of
ten, and with such disastrous re-
suits to the business interests of
the country. But this is a strong
argument with which to approach
congress, which is already anxious
and willing to legislate the five ma
tions out of existence.
The bullet riddled engines and
coaches, the dynamite shattered
express cars that are to be seen any
day on any single road that nav
erses this territory are silent wit
nesses that an awful state of affairs
does exist down here in this beau
tiful Indian Territory.
A few years ago those Of us who
favored allotment of the lands OF
the Cherokee nation did so because
our country was overrun with in
truders and few men were mo-
nopolizing the country. But these
matters were local and affected us
only, and the chances are that con.
gress would have let us alone for
an indefinite time to work out
our own salvation by regulating
these matters among ourselves, in
our own way and in our own good
time. This reign of terror, how.
ever, that has been growing worse
and worse continually concerns the
whole country, and the fact that il
cannot be suppressed is becoming
national disgrace. No one who
knows anything about this country
can lay any blame on the citizens
of the Five Tribes, taken as q
whole, but it is the conditions that
exist here-the thinly settled coun.
try, the great conflict Of jurisdiction
of tie courts and the consequent
non-enforcement OF law-that make
the Indian country a refuge foi
criminals with better facilities fol
hiding than in any other quarter
of the whole United States. These
with many other reasons, are the
primary causes of the presence o
the Dawes commission in this
country.
Under all these circumstances il
it any wonder that our people are
becoming restless and suspicious
and are looking anxiously towarC
congress this winter with the teal
and the belief that our destiny hai
passed out Of our keeping and il
now a subject OF legislation by {
foreign power? While we arr
hawked at and torn from without
we are carrying on an internescin'
war within. Is it any wonder thai
some Of our people cry out occa
sionally for a change of govern
ment?
The drunken cry that eve arr
all right" that is heard from on,
end of the country to the other
will, ere long, be answered b,
Kisses of contempt, for every in
telligent person in the countr,
knows that we are standing on tn,
verge of a volcano that will sooi
break forth in such DESTRUCTIVE
force that as a nation we will b,
swept from the face of the earth.
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Claremore Progress: Three mei