Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1894-02-01


States; crime is rampant; corrup
tion is rife. The courts exercis
ing criminal jurisdiction over III,
Indian Territory are the most .ex
pensive by far within the domain
Of our government, and the terri
tory is filled with. criminals who
have fed from justice in the states
and who laugh at the court which
cOsts us so much p"
"And on the 18th of Dece mber,
1892, | said in the senate:
81 do not disagree with the SEN
ator from Missouri as to the policy
of appointing a commi ssion with
the view of inducing the Indians,
composing what is known as the
five civilized tribes, to accept
homesteads in sevefal,y as pro.
posed by his joint resolution. On
the contrary during the last ses-
sion Of congress | introduced a bill
which is now pending before the
committee on Indian affairs, EN-
bodying precisely the same idea
as that contained in the joint
resolution of the senator from
Missouri, but my bill is much
fuller in detail, specifying their
duties in treating with those In
dians.
81 agree with the senator that
the quickest and most direct route
to the solution OF the Indian ques-
ton is to induce those Indians to
accept their land in soveralty and
to dispose Of the remainder of the
lands for their value, the In
dians Of course to receive the pro-
ceeds, and opening the lands to
immigrants from other states and
countries. If the Indians can be in
duced to do that the day is not dis
tant when those people can be
admitted as state and then
they can take charge of their local
and their domestic affairs and con-
troll them. In that way they will
best promote the happiness and
security of their people. am in
hearty accord with the senator
from Missouri on that proposition,
and | shall vote for any bill or
resolution which will accomplish
that purpose"
Thereafter in the course of the
debate | used the following Ian
guage:
"I am with him heart and soul,
in the appointment # this COM
mission. | trust these Indians
will agree to take the land in sew
crafty and sell all except such as
they desire for homes at its full
value and open it up to the world,
and that the territory will come in
as a state Of this union"
al think this sufficient to show
what my views were some two
years ago and | have not changed
them.
"On December 21st, 1892, the
committee on Indian affairs re.
ported back my bill with an
amendment asserting the abso
lutte sovereignty of the United
States over that territory. The
bill subsequently, passed the senate,
but failing TO pass the house it
was inserted in the Indian appro.
priation bill and in that way pass.
ed both houses and became a law
in March, 1893.
'The commissioners provided
for in the bill have recently been
appointed by the president of the
United States.
1.-The reason why it was thought
best to get the consent of the
Indians, if possible, before legis-
lalion was had in reference to the
territory, or at least to make an
effort to get their consent or refus.
al was on the account of treati es
made with the several tribes by
the United States.
THE following is a part of
article 5 of the treaty of the Unites
States with the Cherokees, pro-
claimed in May, 1886, and still in
force:
Article ). The United States
hereby covenant and agree that
the lands csded to the Cherokee
nation in the foregoing article shall
in no future time, without their
consent, be included within the
territorial limits or jurisdiction of
any state or territory. = +
"And the treaties with the other
tribes contain substantially the
same provision.
There is no question as to the
absolute sovereignty of the United
States over the territory or as to
the power Of the United States to
override and disregard these
treaties and place the Indian Ter
ritory upon the same footing as
other territories of the United
States; and if the Indians refuse
their consent, or refuse to accept
their lands in severalty, then
rather than let the present condi-
tion of affairs remain, | think
congress will legislate without
their consent, and for the good Of
the entire country, force them to
terms" "
"When we passed the bill in
1898 / was absolutely certain that
congress would not pass a law to
compel them to take their lands in
severalty and sell the remainder
without first giving them an
opportunity to consent or refuse,
and that Was the reason | intro
duced the bill in the form that l
did"
WIf the recent discussion of the