Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1894-02-15

omy would be succeeded by ter
ritorial government created by
congress.
In this there would bo gov
ernor, secretary. and superior
judges appointed by the president.
The legislature-similar to those
you now have-and the county and
township officers would be elected
by the qualified voters. The gov
ernment usually pays the governor,
the secretary, the judges and the
members Of the Legislature, and the
expenses TO be borne by taxation
would be light.
The annuities already set apart
for educational purposes, to which
might be added the money arising
from the sale of the 10th and 32nd
sections of land, would make a
common school fund, the interest
on which would place schools in
the reach of all.
The money coming from the
government might be divided up,
and enable each allottee to estab-
lish himself IN a good home on his
In the allotment of lands a share
of the best land would fall to the
now secluded iullblood and would
bring him, if he wished, from the
hills into contact with those who
are educated and more progressive
and his children within reach Of
the common schools, and insure a
homogeneous and progressive peo-
Pile, all OF whom would in short
time be well qualified to exercise
the duties of citizenship. AS mat
ters now are, the masses of full
blood Indians are making little or
no progress in education or oivili-
cation. Surely these desirable re-
suits ought to appeal strongly to
the justice, wisdom and humanity
of all the more advanced of the va
rious tribes and induce them to
forego their superior advantages
for accumulating money arising
from their holdings of the best
land.
Under such a government, with
the opportunities of education
within the reach of all, with the
spurs to industry and effort arising
from individual ownership of land +,
your beautiful and fertile country
would soon be transformed to a
state of high cultivation and peo.
pied with happy, prosperous and
progressive communities, and dem :
onstrate to your friends that their
confidence in you has been well
founded, and that the Indian is the
equal of any race in all that per-
tains to civilization aud enlighten-
ment.
Contrast all this with the pres
ent situation and deliberately re-
solve that the government of the
United States is your wisest and
best friend, and that it is your duty
to cooperate with it in reaching
this desirable end.
We come to you as friends and
if we know our hearts with the
single purpose to help you to
better life.
But if you shall refuse to enter
into agreements with us to volun-
tarily allot your lands and accept
citizenship in the republic, we are
convinced it will come through an
enactment of congress, in shaping
which you will have little to do,
and in which you would probably
be denied many advantages which
may now be secured by agreement.
Some lawyers among you-prob-
ably in the pay OF large landhold-
ers-are telling you congress has
no power to annul treaty. This
question ought to be regarded as
settled by the repeated decisions
of the supreme court of the United
States. In the Cherokee tobacco
case that court held that a treaty
may suspend a prior act of con.
gress. and an act of congress may
suspend a prior treaty. This case
is reported in 11th, Wallace, page
621 To the same effect is Eays
VS.. Robertson, 112 U. s. Reports,
page $50.
Another question Of great mo-
ment to the Indian is, who is to
decide what persons are entitled 10
allotment. There are many thous-
ands who are claiming this right
and if congress shall make provis.
ion by law to divide your lands, II
will also make provision for trib.
unal to settle the question who are
allottees, wholly independent OF
your tribal governments.
Some among you are claiming
that this right belongs exclusively
to the different tribes and that il
has been so decided by the supreme
court in the case OF Eastern Band
of Cherokee Indians VS.. United
States ct. al. 107 u. S. supreme
court reports, page ocO, upon ex-
animation it will be seen that the
question there decided was, that
as the Eastern Cherokees had
abandoned their membership in
the Cherokee nation and voluntar-
lily ceased to be members Of it, and
become citizens of the United
States, that they had lost all their
tribal rights, which could not be
restored except by the Cherokee
nation admitting them again to
membership. But it is not there
decided that the Cherokee nation
has the sole right TO determine the
question as TO membership in the
tribe Of a person Of Cherokee blood
who claims as a matter of fact that
ha hos nauar abandoned noannhar