Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-12-05

tion in Cherokee circles about the
coming report of the Dawes CON-
mission, and its probable effect
upon legislation in congress this
winter. A year ago the same
thing might have been said in a
more or less modified form, for the
first report of the commission was
known to be Qong before it was
ouD against Indian autonomy. 1t
is also a we'll known fact that the
Dawes commission were not a
little disappointed when congress
through the advice of the presi-
dent, did not see fit to act in ac-
cordance with the report. but 10
reorganize the commission and
send it back for another years
work. Our delegation felt like
they had scored a great victory
when they got the presidents ear,
and his confidence too. long enough
to have Major Kidd removed from
the commission. Uncle Watt Dun
can can recount no happier mo-
ment during all his stay in Wash
ington than when he was given the
assurance that Kidd would be re-
moved. But that victory, and its
fruits, however sweet they may
have been at the time are now
things of the past, and the new
delegation will be brought face to
face with report, and with a COM
mission a good deal sterner and
harder to cope with than was Ma
jor Kidd. All the leading Chero-
KEGS are a unit in reference to
treating with the United States.
They have fully decided that they
will never agree to give up their
government, and they are waiting
patiently to see whether the gov
eminent will force them into sub
mission. No act of the Dawes
commission since its existence has
done more to widen the breach
between themselves and the Cher
okees, and to engender bitterness,
than the simple little act a few
days ago of going over to the
Watts dinner given solely in honor
of the commission at the home of
one of the Watts The name of
"Watts" TO the average Cherokee
is like shaking a red rag at a bull
Whatever may have been good
intention, or fair dealing intention
of members of the commission,
they certainly committed an un-
pardonable sin in the sight of the
Cherokees when they went over to
the arch enemy to dine.
*s*
1t is quite remarkable how well
posted the average citizen of the
Cherokee nation is in matters that
directly concern the nation or the
people in the abstract There is
scarcely line printed in any of
the magazines or in the great
metropolitan dailies of the coun-
try pertaining TO the Indians of
this territory that has not some
how found its way into the hands
of some Cherokee who communi-
Gates it to his people. The utter
ances of members of congress
touching the Indian question for
years back are perfectly familiar
to every intelligent Indian, and
they know their friends in both
houses of congress to remarkable
degree.
*
A nation, like a chain, is Just as
strong as a whole as it is in its
weakest place, and the weakest
point in our system of government
is our judiciary. We have no in
tention in this reference to reflect
upon the courts OF the country or
do the men who wear the ermine
an injustice, but when we consider
the salaries We pay our judges it is
not hard to understand that first
class lawyer wouldn't have time to
be judge. The judges of our su-
preme court get the fabulous SAL
ary of $500 per annum, as slso do
our circuit judges, except the judge
of the southern district who only
gets 5000. Our district judges
salary is s400 per annum, and our
solicitors or prosecuting attorneys
get s400.
*m*
The indebtedness Of the Chero
kee nation is getting to be a mat
ter of alarm to the thoughtful por-
tion of the members of council and
the man who can devise some way
of paying the public debt and pro-
vide at the same time for keeping
it paid in the future will be hailed
as a statesman. The enormous
public debt of nearly or quite
half million dollars, and increas-
ing at a rapid rate, is telling in
81