Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1896-04-09
WHAT MCKENN0N SAID.
EXTRACTS FROM THE ADDRESS BE.
FORE THE INDIAN COMMITTEE.
No Mincing of Matters But q Statement
or Our Affairs as They Appeared to
the Commission.

Kennon reach ed the appointment
of Senator Dawes, Maj. Kidd and
himself
We went to the territory about
January 10, 1894.
Afterwards, during that year, a
senate committee, composed Of
Senators Teller, Platt and Roach,
came 10 the territory to investigate
matters, and on their return Sen
ator Teller made report (senate
report No. SD. Gentlemen of the
committee, | invite your especial
attention to this report, because it
is in the line of the report which
we afterwards made, in substance
the same, reporting the same con-
dition of affairs that we found to
exist in that territory. | hope that
every member of this committee
will read that report. | will not
undertake TO go over the whole of
it; you can read it for yourselves.
That report stated conditions that
were startling. The congress of
the United States had not been
made acquainted with the condi-
tion of affairs existing in the terri
tory prior to that time, and | say
that it was a startling report when
it was made TO the senate of the
United States. That report under
takes TO review the situation, and
in conclusion states in substance
that the only thing that can be
done is 10 wipe out the existing
governments in the territory and
put in lieu thereof a government
capable of controlling affairs and
taking care of the lives of the peo
pie. | do not undertake to quote
the exact language, but that is the
substance of it.
| have another report here, made
by Senator Morgan (senate report
No. 2S1, Fiity-second congress,
first SESSION.. 1t undertakes to re-
view the whole question. | need
not call your attention to the char
acter of the man who took the mat
ter in hand. You know him; YOU
know his ability to investigate a
question like that and to determine
what ought to be done | assert,
in calling attention to that report,
that it will give you more informa-
ton than almost any other docu-
ment that can be presented to you,
as TO the real condition of affairs
IN that territory, and what may be
necessary to regulate conditions
there.
Before going TO the territory. the
honorable chairman of this com
mission gave notice to the heads of
the various Indian governments
that We were going to the territory
and that when there we should be
glad TO confer with them, and
asked that committees be appoint
ed 10 confer with US.
Just after we went there the
Cherokee council, then in session,
authorized the chief of that tribe to
appoint a committee to meet US,
but in the resolution for that pur-
pose expressly prohibited such
committee from doing anything
except to throw every possible OBJ
struction in our way in order to
prevent us from accomplishing the
purposes OF our mission. That
came before US, and it
was in that conference that the
fullblood declared himself in the
manner in which Senator Dawes
stated the other day. After others
had made their talks to the COM
mission he was called upon, and,
through an interpreter, said he was
10 any kind of change
there, but there was one thing he
did not understand, and that was
that while he had only a few acres
Of land others had boundless pos
sessions and many acres. He could
not understand that. He said he
that the lands were TO
be held in common. out here was
one feature he did not understand.
of course, was accomp-
lished then.
But Immediately afterwards
Chief Harris called an internation-
al convention, which met at Che
cotah, in the Creek nation, and
here it was agreed that nothing
should be done by any tribe, touch |
ing a change, without the coopera-
ion of all the tribes; that no con-
,essious would be made, and that
should be done in regard |
% the work we had in hand.
We had conferences after that
with the other tribes in that terri
ory in which we laid this matter
before them as pleasantly and as
kindly as we could.
Mr.. Pendleton. Did you go to
he capitals of those tribes?
Mr. McKenncn Yes; we first
'isited and addressed the Choctaw
council; afterwards we addressed |
he Chickasaw council, then the
Seminole council. At the request
If the chief of the Greek nation We
vent to their capital and addressed
800 or 1000 Indians, laying this
natter before them as clearly as
We could, to which | shall hereaf-
er refer.
During that year We visited the
Cherokee capital, and at the re-
luest of those people we visited
md addressed the nominating con-
'cntions of the two political par
les there, the Downing party and
he National party.
| understand that it has been
claimed that we were untriendly;
hat We went there with unfriendly
ceilings. We mad our instructions,
which this committee can see if
hey desire. Besides, the secretary
# the interior had said to us: "You
ro oninu Anu, ,Laro -, |