Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-05-30
TIE FAMOUS FORT SILL COUNTRY
ADVISING A MOVE ON THE LOVE
Ly LAND.
JOE WORKS GIVES HIS VIEWS ON
THE suBJEcr-A TREATY BE-
TWEEN THE INDIANS AND THE
GOVERNMENT WOULD BE
TREAsoN-THE SITUATION.
coMANcnr. May 2s. 1895.

@'ah' ~tt f'f"s
a number OF lettcrs have been re-
oeived advising move on the Fort
SIN country by the settlers. As my POI
sition is. and has been no secret on inst
subject, l am going to put a few facts
In print. and In order that no mistake
VIII be made as to responsibility, In
stead or saying I'VE" we will say ~"
Before me is the treaty OF 1866 between
the United States and the Choetaws
and the Chicasaws. Article Sd OF that
treaty conveys the title OF the Fort SIN
country to the United States In the
following words;
The chootaws and chiokasaws. in
consideration OF 100000, hereby cede
10 the United statea the territory west
or the 9Sth degree west longitude,
known as the LEASED district"
The only proviso was In reference to
the disposal OF the 100000. which was
settled long ago; 80 you see that that
country Is United States land without
question or cloud OF title. But you say
the United States IL about to buy IL
again from the Kiowas and Com.
anches. Nothing of the kind. Section
2O19 OF the Revised Statuten reads;
mo Indian nation or tribe within
the territory OF the United States shall
be acknowledged or recognized as an
independent nation, with whom the
United States may contract by treaty.
But no obligation OF any treaty law
fully made and ratified with any such
Indian Nation or Tribe prior to March
5. 1871, shall be hereby invalldnted"
have not been able to get a copy OF
the kiowa and Comanche treaty, but
that 1t expires within year IL not
questioned Then how about the
10 10. "a =
Comnnches besides giving every man,
woman and child 100 acres OF the
United States land2 II liz simply a
gigantic steal by tho same ring that
has called IL Indian lands" while us
Ing 1t 10 MI the pockets OF the ring.
That Is the situation, Now what Is
the remcdy3 That In another question,
One thing is certain--the boodlers have
held II down for ten years as COW pas
lures. The cattlcmen are the real mas
ters, as they can squeal on the interior
officials n molested, The fact that |
hold the proof In black and white over
the signature OF cowmen that caused
the gang TO all got ordered out In ten
days from the time tho secretary OF
the interior thought they had gone
back ON him Is what makes inc bold to
state the facts.
That Secretary Noble was responIl-
BILE for them IN a fact, but that Hoke
spillAH IN I'hDpnhlblt now. ana thn
same laws ON the statute books and
the same cattlemen IN unlawful pos-
session OF the country with public no
| tice that the interior department In
| trying 20 logallzc the outlawry with n
| pretended lease In n fnct. unless all re-
| ports are false. From what | cnn learn
| there II no lenses going TO be made.
Advances and pretensea In that dlrec-
ton VIII continue, while the fatening
season II ON and quiet chucklc among
| the ring about playing the public ns
| suckers which OF course we are, for
not having learned them that we were
American citizens and their equals
under the law long years ago. II In
| true that the grass was nil burned
Inst fall along the ChlckaaAw line. and
| judging from the temper OF the set
| tiers IL Us liable to go In that direction
again. but that at best In feeble rem
edy and smacks too strongly Of spite
work. 1t Is green grass that makes
beef.
Tho only remedy zee that will force
congress- to force the interior depart
mcnt TO do Its duty IN TO 80 on that
| land with plows and hoes. That Is the
only force the enemy " afraid Of. II IN
our land without question by law.
| But hold on there, says the interior
officials; It is United States land We
acknowledge since you have made
public tho proof that Il IL not INDIAN
land" as we have led the public to be-
| lieve, but 1t II now reserved for In
| dams, DO you not admit that2 No. II
| IL reserved for the cattle king only.
except for few thousand acres whore
the Indians have their farms. Wen,
| say the officers. It was reserved by law
| for the Indians, and we viii inforce II
against you with troops. But you can't
plead law. MIR. OfIlcer while living in
open violation of II yourself, Now,
look here, DO you mean to say that
you Will use troops 10 make Ms keep on
the government grass while you APP
proprlate II TO your own use2 10 do
30 would be an open, deliberate act OF
treason of any officer ms II would
be AN attempt to set up a military
despotlam. Whenever the settlers have
concluded that the time has arrived
when forbenrance ceases to be a virtue
they can count on me to be one who
meant what he said when he ratified
the platform that contained the fol-
lowing plank:
Until congress authorizes the In
terror department 10 lease the public
domain for a private cattle ranch we
will demand and maintain equal rights
with the cattlemed In the Fort Sill
country" j, s. WORKS.