Evening star., 1894-11-03

ber will enjoy the right next year. This is
mainly a new departure, due to compara-
lively recent legislation in Congress- max
ing the red man an individual citizen and
property owner. At first thought, one
would suppose that these Indian voters are
located almost entirely in the new states
of the far west, but out of the 1900 who
can vote this fall at least 5000 live in the
older states east of the Mississippi river.
But this year over 5000 more Indians will
vote in the west than voted there at the
last congressional elections and the num-
Der is bound to increase still further. both
in the east and west, so that TO people of
all sections the matter of Indian suffrage
becomes of special interest. A couple of
years hence, at the present rate OF in
erase, the Indian vote will have grown to
be quite an appreciable political factor in
many of the states.
In many of the newer western states the
striking scene will be witnessed on election
day OF hundreds of Indians. who, only
a year ago, were blanket braves, eXerciS-
ing the functions OF full citizenship at the
polls. Turning eastward first, however.
to the Oldest states OF all, those on the
Atlantic sedboard, one is surprised to learn
that there is considerable number of
Indian voters even in New England, from
which the Puritans and Pilgrims and their
descendants are popularity credited with
riginal tribes.
The Presidents Summer Neighbors.
In Massachusetts. for instance there are
about ,25 Indian voters, 10 belonging to
the Marshby tribe of Cape Cod. and fifteen
to the Herring river tribe, who live not far
from President Cleveland's summer cot
tage at Buzzard's Bay. The Marshbie5
numbering 375 souls in all, reside in lit
tie community or reservation about ten
miles square, Situated eight miles from
Sandwich, and, although the settlement is
only seventy miles from Boston, its eX-
istence is probably unknown TO the ma
jOrity of even the well-informed Boston,
ians, and the place itself is in fact sort
of terra incoSnita to most citizens of the
bay state.
These Indians are the progeny Of Elliots
colonial praying bands, and while NOM
inally free for some generations back, they
never had the right of suffrage until the
year lSGl, when it was granted them by
the state at the Instance of Marshal Wat
son Freeman ana Gov. Andrew. They are
thrifty and respectable, they wear white
mems clothes Of modern fashion, they live
In comfortable houses OF their own, send
their children 10 school, and follow farming
for living. Most of the grown males of
the little remnant tribe on the Herring
river are employed on whoiing vessels
shipping from ProYincetown and New Bed
ford.
Down east further, also, in the state of
Maiue - the child of Massachusetts
there are living in Mr.. BOutelle'S congress
sionaI district at least 100 eligible Indian
voters, chiefly Of the PenObscOt and Pas
samaquOddy tribes, of the old Algonquin
stock. The PenObscots mostly live in Old
town, on an island in the river above Ban
gor. while the Passamaquoddies live in
Washington county. Both tribes. compris-
ing together about $50 persons, men, wo-
men and children, receive snug annuities
from the state of Maine. and with these
they manage to exc out a more or less sat
isfactory livelihood in connection with
basket making, fishing, acting as guides,
and kindred occupations. Then there are
fifty citizen Indian voters scattered through
the state of Connecticut, and about forty in
Rhode Island.
Middle and Southern States.
Throughout New York state there are
22O Indian voters, who have practically as
simulated with the surrounding population
Twenty Of these are Oneidas, who recently
divided their reservation into shares and
became citizens. Except by tradition,
blood and friendship. none of these New
York voting Indians are any longer con-
nected with the Six Nations of New York.
who live on their reservations under state
laws and do not vote
The old Keystone sCate. likewise. con-
tains over 100 Indian voters here and
there, thirty of them being what are known
as Cornplanter SeneCas, a branch of the
Seneca tribe of New York, occupying prop
critics in severalty in Warren county, Pa,
fifteen miles above the city of Warren,
originally donated to the celebrated Seneca
chief. Gyantwahai THE Cornplanter," by
the state of Pennsylvania, in recognition of
his services in preventing the Six Nations
from joining the war cOnfederacy of west
ern Indians in the outbreak of 1870. The
old deed TO the planters Field bears the
signature OF Gov. Miffiin. The Cornplanter
Indians now number n!nety-eight and they
havTa inf az in ha M TAT
taraugus lands OF the Senecas of New
York. and draw annuities with them.
Down in Virginia there are seventy-flve
Indian voters, relics Of the old Powhattans,
who are trying to keep themselves together
In James City county, not far from the
site of Capt. John Smiths historic settle
ment of jamestown. In the southwestern
part of North Carolina also there are 100
Indian voters, members of the eastern
band Of CherOkees, favored race, residing
in Cherokee, Graham, Jackson and Swain
counties. In Georgia, too, there are 300
Indian voters, of whom 80 are eastern
Cherokees; in Tennessee there are eighty
of the same tribe, and in Alabama there
are thirty, besides 22O other voters OF va
rious tribal extractiOns, while In Louisiana
there are 100 Indians who are eligible TO
vote. and in Mississippi. 500.
Due To the severaIfy Law.
In addition to all these. there is quite
considerable sprinkling of regular Indian
voters in states OF later erection. like Ohio
Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and
Oregon, who secured citizenship years ago,
either through cid treaties or by abandon
Ing their tribes and becoming naturalized
In Ohio there are fifty such Indian voters.
In Indians 100 in Kansas 300, besides
newly created allottees in Michigan LOO.
In Wisconsin 500 and in Oregon 300.
Still the bulk OF our new Indian voters
have secured the ballot under the recent
severalty law In southern and northwest
ern California, 25D Mission. Tule river,
Yuma and Desert Indians will be able to
vote this year for the first time the re-
suit OF the new policy. together with fifty
Rincons. Palas. Potreros and klamath
river Indians. Besides these are 5000 Mis-
sion Indians. who were eligible to vote be-
fore - the tribes whose hardships and
wrongs a generation back were SO touch
ingly portrayed by Helen Hunt Jackson in
her beautiful novel "Ramona"-making IN
all $500 California Indians entitled to vote
next Tuesday.
In the state OF Oregon 40 new voters
have been created recently at the Grand
Ronde agency, 800 at the Siletz agency.
BOO more at the Umatilla agency from
among the Cayuse. Walla Wallas and Una
tillas and 22J at the Warm Springs agency
from the Wascos, Tenipos, Warm Springs
and Pi CITES. Up in the state of Wash
ington still larger crop OF voters has