Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1894-05-19
,ull lzEp INDIAN Tribes.
fntruders Among Them lem an" free'-

.-uaers Among Them Tho FREED
men-yarious Needs.
,rns Joint memorial OF the Cherokees,
~ earys Chickasaws, aud Creeks
81 both statehood and seyeralty
.'.ssnt forwarded to congress, will
~ - relieve the Indian territory of
f,rtber attempts just now to
"a "a Y noe its political status Yet it is
question of time when this
sange must come.
- 49, assertions of the Indian tribes
y, 10. 10 memorial regarding their inn
IN .,a,,,art and their prospects are to a
ss;dera BILE degree borne out by the
n III Of their government agent, Mr..
Wisdom. "a genuine full
od Indian will soon be curiosity
Z: the Indian territory" says that re-
i II further appears that the pop
t,oySof what is called the Indian
*srritory, as distinguished from what
"a been added to oklahoma, consisted
year of about seventy-five thou.
~ citizens of the tribes and one
,ndred and fifty thousand non-eiti-
~ The latter are expected to IN
&c rapidly during the present year.
Yhey are mostly ttnants OF the
IN and. as the rents are not
7arge. they find it for their inter
- 10 hold lands under their
isases there and cultivate them. OF
s. ! citizens the Cherokees by blood
"a the intermarried white and the
IA onted citizens are estimated at &c, 500;
the Chiekasaws, exclusive of negroes,
Il 200: the Choctaws, those by blood:
s tArmarried whites and the negroes, at
u 0O0. the Creeks, by blood and the
6ecroes, at $4,000: the Selninoles at
a0a The land owned by these tribes
a September 30 last aggregated, in
lauud numbers, 2O,OoO,0 600 acres, of
Which about one-half was considered
mscepible of remunerative cultivation
rhe agency for all the tribes is at Mus
,oeee, in the Creek nation, on the line
Il the Missouri, Kansas & Texas rail-
Kay, which goes through the heart of.
he Indian country
There are several important problems
j be solved in the Indian territory.
Prominent among these is that of the.
Intrusion of non-oitizens upon the
ribal domains. This is especially true
81 the Cherokee and Ghickasaw nations.
ia the former Mr.. Wisdom estimates
he intruders at 5000, divided into two
Masses. The first are those who en-.
cred before August II, 1886, and have
nade valuable improvements; the
econd are those who entered
liter that date, claim citizenship
through alleged Cherokee blood, and
refuse to take out permits
Il comply with the residence law. 1t
s of the latter class that the CherokeeS
Mostly complain. Under an act of con-
,ress passed about year ago board
4 appraisers is dealing with the first
lass. When the Cherokee strip was
purchased one of the agreements was
hat the United States government
hould remove the intruders In order
hat this might be done without in
ustice it became necessary to put a
'alue on all improvements made in
-ood faith by the intruders. These the
'herokee nation must pay for; but, as
N Offset, fair value for the use and
occupation of the lands is deducted
rom the improvements, and these lat
,er become the property of the nation,
This seems to be as good a way as could
De expected for disposing of this quesj
ion.
But it is the second-class of intruders
hat creates the most difficulty. It is
well organized and deter
mined to stay. In some cases the claim
0 Cherokee blood is honestly made
nd Mr.. Wisdom thinks their exclusion
would be unjust; but this is not true,
Ie believes, of the majority of claim
nts, and the Cherokee nation, in res
isting their Incorporation into the
ribe, is simply acting on it's ad:
nitted rights for the preserva-
ion of it's autonomy A decis-
on of the United States supreme
curt has recognized the exclusive right
+ the Cherokee nation to determine
Who are its citizens. Many of the
have had hearing on this
question, and their cases have been de-
ided adversely; yet they have refused
o go, alleging that the trial was un-
air. members of the court being inter,
sted in the result Thus it is seen
hat there is constant source of trou.
lie there, as the intruders of this class
efuse to abide by the decision against
hem, and the Indian police force is
ot strong enough to remove them,
Ehile the organization is so powerful
hat the Cherokee ration cannot get
i'd OF them, at least in any peaceful
gay.
In the Chickasaw nation the case
gainst the intruders is still stronger
Iov. Jonas Wolf estimates their num-
ers at about 5000, and they are so
owerful in one county. that they call
the free state of Pickens, and treat
is authority with contempt. Unlike
he Cherokee intruders, just spoken of,
hey do not make claim to citizenship
y blood, but are herding cattle in
he name of natives, aud nominally
nder leases, but fraudulently, accord
lg to the agent Gov. Wolf has APP,
ealed to the government through the
after for military force to eject these
atruders, on account of their strength
nd avowed determination to remain
he agent says that s'the whole situa-.
ion is a messwork of fraud and cum
ing evasion of the law that will re-
uire heroic treatment"
Another question is presented by the
tatus of the freedmen among the
and Cherokees. The for
ner do not allow the negroes to vote,
lold office, or enjoy the school funds
'ince according to MFR. Wisdom, they
xceed In number the native popula.