Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-10-08
UNDER WHICH KING
ARE AMERICAN SUBJECTS OF THE
INDIAN TRIBEss
Question That Has Arisen Mt Chick
ASIA over the Acts OF Drunken
Indian PoIice-Native Indians.

lied tribes to make American citizens
pay taxes to support an almost
defunct tribe OF civilized Indians
has taken a new turn.
The citizens of Chlckasha charg-
ed that the policemen were drunk and
insulted u lady at Chickasha. In a
two column article in the State Herald
Agent Wisdom seeks to defend himself
FIRST: BY publishing his orders from
the Indian department Second, by
quoting the lieutenant of police and
also his (Wisdoms) son as denying that
the police We're drunk and dlsorderly.
Under the late custom that IL supposed
to end the matter, but "A new deal 10
on. a new deal in which American
citizens sit ON juries. and late judges
and deputy marshals are indicted and
skipping the country. Let the grand
jury Investigate the matter and then,
and not till then, win we accept the
agents son and the officers version of
the affairs, The question in contro-
versary was, whether an indian tribe
can levy and collect taxes or an Amerl-
can citizen, simply because the Ameri-
can citizen resides upon Indian lands.
The proposition is So absurd and re-
pugnant to our rights as American
citizens that It scarce requires discuss
sion, A gang of political boodlers have
yelled poor Indian" and treaty
rights" until we wonder II America is
subject OF an Indian tribe, or vice
versa. The agent says, Il do not deem
1t necessary to discuss the legality Of
the tax question. That has been de-
cided by the highest authority In the
land and II Gays substantially that the
Indians may require permits TO reside
in these several nations and levy
pecuniury eXact.On therefor Why did
a
of levy a pecuniary eNaCtlOn there
for" except to mitigate the reasonable
effort of the United States officials to
give Indians the right and power to tax
American citizens. Now let us look at
the treaty OF 1866 and see whore any
right was ever granted the Indians to
tax Americans. In 4 treaty containing
40 articles, the following words in artl-
Gle SO Is all the boodlers have to base
their claim on, towit: No person shall
expose goods or other articles for sale
as trader without q permit. but no
license shall be required to authorize
any member OF the ChOctaw or Chicka-
saw country" etc. Not one word about
any cost or taxation. The government
alone pcrmltted and licensed traders.
And yet, both the letters and spirit of
the trenty have been violated for nearly
thirty years with impunity by the In
dlans themselves. What was the
the land In common and take i60-acre
homesteads. Why was not that treaty
carried out In good fair by the United
States and the Indians? Simply be-
cause some shrewd white men saw
their opportunity married into the
tribe without right, money or price,
wired up the entire Chiokasaw domain
and In addition to their claim as land
lords, set up the right 70 tax any
American citizen who sat down ON that
land longer than fifteen days. Let us
read the agent little more OF the
treaty Of 1866. commencing ut article
10, at the expiration of the ninety
days noiice aforesaid, the selection
which Is to change the tenure of the
land In Choctaw and Chickasuw ma
lions from q holding In common to n
holding In severalty" and continuing
for "a articles ON the subject Of taking
homesteads and becoming American
citizens, and II was ON that subject
when the question Of permit was in
vested the agent cannot, or will not see
the "a articles respecting allotments,
but can hardly construe q permit To
trade with Indians Cfrom the govern
menO Into right of the Indian tribe
to levy taxes ON American citizens.
The agent boldly assumes that "the
Indians may require permit to reside
In their several nations" and 'leyy a
pecuniary eNaction therefor" and vet
he cannot ind one word or hint in the
treaty on the subject, except to traders.
While on this subject We might Non
ti0n the experiment was started by
taxing 20 cents for heads. permit) and
II worked 50 nice, and the money came
so easy that the next year 1t was rails
ed to 325, and Agent Wisdom is right
why not mike the poll tax (permits)
$500, aud skin the crowd at once? II
1t Is legal the settlers can be taken uD
and sold out for debt In the United
states courts?
Does not the agent know that in ar
tiele OF that same treaty the Indians
agreed With the government that mo
law shall he enacted Inconsistent with
the constitution OF the United States,
or the laws OF cOngress?" But why
discuss the matter further II is an
outrage and fraud and Is n deliberate
game OF doodle In open treason to the
United states government The In
dams own the lands and settlers shonid
huy II, rent II or let Il alone, but In
dams right to levy poll tax on the
heads OF white men because the word
permit" Is found IN the treaty should
he settled In the United States courts
at once.
The agents opposition, however. is best
shown In hls own words when he saws.
VI understand fully why this sonseIess
elamor has been raised against the In
dlan policemen Who We're present nj
IlhVhlfhl, ~ " due to the fact that
they have Indian blood In their veins
Il Is the old war-cry of the boomer and
lA9d-grabhors who have lntruJed upon
indian soil and appropriated il 10 their
own use either by violence or fraudu.
lent leases and dishonest devices. The
continuance and repetition OF such folly
WIN ,emhilier the Indians and postpone
the doy OF allotment and ultimate STATE
mood until the crack az doom I,
toreshadows a policy which means the
overthrow and destruction OF tribal
laws ana tribal governments. and fron,
such subiNgation may God IN his ina.
pie" peo-
AS a business proposition the Indian
uRent should be retired The Dawes,
committee laborihs with TIE Indinns
70 get them to carry ont III mood faitb
ihesr treaty OF 1865 on one hand ami
agent Wisdom as their guardian treat'
ing with contempt the rights OF his avn
c9quntYmen and trying to arouse nrein'
aige against indian by hlood' on fhe
qthsr, there + M prejudice between
.1al indians by blood" nnd actual saf, |
lrts Is the white hoodlers Thai ars |
roppinE both, that both are preiudiccd |
""s'Hs' "hH --'.te-- - ti'ie 49,, |