Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-03-03
1T POINTS A MORAL
DOES run TRAGEDY IN WICHITA
FALLS.
The Fort Sill Country VIII lie Bct-
tered BY the Advent OF the Man
with the uoc.s-


To the Gazette:
While our work Tor some time has
been devoted to organizing and es-
tabishing base of supplies FOR q
Fort Sill man, and as we feel sure that
thcsc arrangements are nearly COM
pleted. and will be published In the
Gazctte in the near future, we can be-
gin to look at the farmers part in this
enterprise and see what there IL In 1t
for him The late tragedy at Wichita
Falls should satisfy any thinking man
that there is limit to human patience
among the most loyal and peaceable
and even pious people. For ten long
years the settlements around the boz
der OF the Fort SIN country have been
hurdssed. insultcd. and their rights as
American citizens treated with COM
tempt Stealing was popular unless
some poor "nester" dared go on to
government land and get a load Of old.
dead sticks to keep his family from
freezing, when 10! the strong arm of
the law, enforced by the boodlers who
were holding down the country in de-
fnncc OF amy law Except corruption
and might. was enforced "in court"
two or three hundred miles away
against the trespassers. Is 1t any Won
der that the people are getting tired?
Not so very long ago, we are Informed
new marshal who was up to snuff
arrested a stockman for cutting wood
In the Fort sill country ON the side adj
joining the Chickasaw Nation. hut
some miles west of the wire fence
which the cattlomen built and estab-
Hshed as "A lin" between the Indian
ami Oklahoma Territories. OF COURSE
the reader must no. ask by what
authority the Cattlnmcn located the
line between these two territories and
claimed the Fort Sill country as their
share OF the country. Eut the arrest
OF the stocltmnn for cutting wood and
U1gu pT M GUILTY. I'm, tl.,
lis discharge on the ground that he
wls not in the Fort sill country. but In
the "ChiCltusaW Nation" pats a new
face on the situation Since that time
the Chickasaw Indians have rented to
our union tha' tract OF land which was
hold by tic court 10 be In tho Chic!ia-
saw Nation OF course. the cattlcmcn
may change front and try to establish
their line fence as the territory line.
but as the Chickasnws and Chactaws
We're authorized to file suit In tho
United states court for the entire
lenscd district G'ort SIN country. and
the treaty of 1861 clearly proves that
that land docs belong To- the United
states government in Zee simple or else
ia the Choctaws and ChlskasaWs In fee
simple, aud II is question whether
tile line cuts any figure az to rights ot
possession For our part "" shall take
the position that the Fort sill country
is government land and cannot be
leased to cattlemcn except In defiance
OF law, or 1t Is the property of the
Chostaws and Chcllasaws. because
the terms Of the treaty We're wilrullv
violated by the United States in CON
vcrtlng the lands to the use of the
cattle bnrons instead of using II in the
interest OF Ciyill2lrg tho lndians.
Every effort OF the settlers AMI In liaus
20 open UP farming interests with their
natural ucCOmp1nlmcnts ot schools and
G1IlTNnHg have hTnn with q va
fusal by the officials acting In the in
tcrcst Of the cattle barons. But that
If not all, The government paid the
Choctnws and Chickasaws, By the
treaty of 1866. 5000 for the Fort sill
country. Now. will some man, over his
signature, explain why tho United
states now propose to pay the EioWas
and Commences 81, O0O. 900 FOR tho same
tract of land? The KlowUs and Com
anches were put in that land to use
for their reservation for term of
years That Is about expired and they
have been Kept there virtually as prs-
oners Of VAR and never hal any more
fee simple right or value In those lands
than the tiottCntots | submit To the
settlers around the border If this IL not
Il good year TO SHOW IN the real situu-
tiun as regards the Fort Snl country.
In my opiailn the settlers backed by
the tHCctaw and ChickaRnW Indians
standing on their legal rights can
send the Fort sill ring up salt creek he
fore the presidential election. Let mo
join hands with the ChoctGws and
Chicknsaws. We have the legal and
moral right to demand that tn, Kiowns
ard Com1nches can have farmers with
them IL they chose. and tho a. 00o 0Ol
OF money TO be paid for the Fort SIN
country shall go to the Indians who
owned 1t in fee simple or not at ALL
J. s WORKS