Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-02-07

OF accepting cluzenshlp was nlml- |
cal to our institutions and oral
izing TO labor, congress pa the |
"Geary law" which in eff Jct an
nulled part of the treaty with the
Chinese. There is no question
about the congress Of the United
States having the power to abro-
crate a treaty with a foreign ma.
tion, much less a treaty with the
Indians, a majority of whom are
American citizens, and all of
whom are under the jurisdiction of
the United States.
The supreme court said hat con-
gress had the right to do it. The
point was made that the Geary act
was in violation Of our treaty, and
if you will refer to the case you
will find that the court decided
that congress had the same power
to abrogate a treaty that it has to
repeal law, and supported it with
an unbroken line of cases. Now,
then, il we can annul a treaty with
a foreign nation, we can certainly
do it with the Indian tribes. Here
we are dealing mainly with the
people who are under the protec-
ton of our flag, for whom we are
carrying the mails free of cost to
over 300 postoffces, 60 Of them be.
ing large enough to issue money
orders. Assuming, then, that you
agree with me that congress has
the power to act without the con-
sent of the Indian tribes notwith-
standing the treaties, | will show
you that it is the part of wisdom
and Justice to act and that what.
ever we intend to do toward fixing
the permanent status of the Indian
country should be done before we
surrender jurisdiction and control
over Oklahoma by admitting it in
to the Union as u state.
The treaties were made many
years ago for the purpose OF separ-
aiing the Indians from the whites.
Then the Indian country was re-
mote from white settlement. Now
it is surrounded by states contain
ing an active, aggressive, enter
prising population whose future
to great extent depends upon a
different form of government from
the residents of the Indian coun-
try. Then there were no full. blood
whites in the Territory; now there
are but few, if any, full-blood In
dians. Then the residents were
members of the tribes; now there
are five white non citizens for
every Indian citizen. Tn n the
Indians had but few houses and
lived principally by the chase;now
many of them have magnificent
residences and cultivate their land
or have it done by their white ten.
ants. Then they had no schools
except those furnished by the gov.
ernment; now they have a good
system of public Indian schools
with high schools and colleges fol
the children of their tribes, foi
which they spend annually nearly
100000.
Then there were no churches ex
cept missions; now they have il
every town aud community com
Portable churches, representing
the different Christian denomina
tiops. Then they had no charit
able institutions; now they have
homes for the old and decrepit
asylums for the insane, and in
stitutions for the education
and maintenance of or
phans. Then there were no news
papers; now there are over fifty
, Then there were no towns; nov
there are many containing iron
800 to 5000 population with i'm
= provements worth over So, 900, ,0OC
Then the coal and other mine
| had not been discovered; now the
] areadmitted to be the richest in tn
E west, and are practically ineS
? haustable Then thero was not
r mile of railroad; now there are l
8 200 miles in operation and as man
more in contemplation. Then bU
7 few whites had intermarried wit
4 the Indians; now there is scarcel
| a family to be found among theI
Q without a preponderance Of whit
9 blood. Then the country wa
e used and ruled by the real II
: dians to whom it was patented
s now large part of all the farms
# mines and towns, under the usl
3, iruct system, which allows men
g bers OF the tribes all the land the
4 can fence, are practically owne
D by whites and mixed breeds VIII
have become members of the tribe
s by marriage and the manipulate
of Indian conncils. Then no Ian
t monopoly had been attempted
a now per cent of the owners i
common control 80 per cent of tn
4 common inheritance, while ther
= are at least one-third of the men
= bers of the tribes who have no Ian
at all. They have an undivide
3 interest in the richest part Of tn
D great west, and theoretically ar
. the richest people in the Unite
+ States, and yet they have no spo
that they can call home.
. Mr.. Chairman, whatever W
: may think about the wisdom q
those treaties, considering the pur
: poses for which they were made
, the time when made and the Gil
cumstances surrounding the treat
= making power at that time, ther
is absolutely nothing in the pres
ent condition of that country tina
f will justify US in continuing ther
} longer.
Why should we hesitate a nc