Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-06-24
PAYING OFF THE FREEDMES.
Unenyiablc Actiylty-Much Crooked
ness-R0lls.

Fort Gibson, /. r., June 15.--
The payment to the negro Chero-
kee freedmen of their share of the
strip money was resumed last
Wednesday and has been in prog.
ress uninterruptedly up to this
time. The situation is such, how
ever, that it may be stopped any
moment in the same manner that
that it was before.
Between 1000 and 800 negroes
are camped in the immediate vi
cinity. Thirty or forty bill col.
lectors hug the dead line which is
paced by the sentries, ready to
jump upon the freedman the mo-
ment he may cross into neutral
territory with his check in his
pocket and persuade him to lift
the accumulated "dead horse of
several years past.
A hundred canvas booths line
the road from the old town to the
new town. presided over by those
who cry their wares and cater to
the trade of the freedmen flush
with unusual wealth. Fort Gibson
can rightly claim to being the live
liest place of its size in the United
States, but it is an activity which
would soon cease under a strict Ad.
ministration of law and order, de-
cency and morality. At present
it is an ugly scar upon the face of
as fair a country as lies under the
protection of the American flag.
When the Cherokee Indians fol.
lowed the example of the whites
in early days and bought negro
slaves they reckoned not the full
consequences OF their act. The
white man set his slaves free, be-
slowed upon them the inestimable
privilege of the ballot and told
them to go hustle for themselves.
The Cherokees did more. BY the
treaty of 1866 they also set their
negro slaves free and adopted them
as citizens. But 10 be a citizen Of
the Cherokee nation is more than
to be merely a citizen of great
and civilized 90 commonwealth, for it
carries with it an undivided inter-
est in the land and money belong
ing to the nation.
The Cherokees did not fully
realizs this until they sold the
Cherokee strip. Then they di.
vided the money among themselves
ignoring the negroes. The latter
found lawyers who were TOO keen
to allow such a chance to slip
by. They brought suit in the
court of claims and the court de.
cided that the negroes were enti-
tied to the same per capita share
of the money of the nation as the
Indians.
CLAIMS RECKLEssLY DISPOSED OF.
The Cherokees had sS5S, ,9Sl left
in the United States treasury
which could be devoted to the pur-
pose and the Cherokee council ap-
propriated about 100000 more,
one provision of the bill being that
the lawyers should receive about
Sl26, 900 for their services in bring
ing about the payment Of the claim
II was decided to pay the money
out of the United States treasury
in the first payment, each negro
man, woman, child or heir of the
same, receiving slSS 10 IL is es.
timated that the second payment
will be about $40 each.
Many of the negroes are now
selling their claims on the second
payment for s25 and if report /,
correct they do not stop at one
sale, but repeat it as many times
as they can, one instance being OF
record of three Implications Of the
original
A strange fact, however i tha
about 400 names which were OF
the old roll have been left off tn,
new one. Agent Dickson, his sue
cessor, Major Wisdom, and olheri
we'll informed, say that these 40C
negroes undoubtedly are entitled L
their money and can get judgmen
for the same. How they are to bl
paid, however. so long as Cherokee
legislation is necessary for an ap
preparation, is another question
The attorneys of the nation an'
elsewhere who are concerned il
securing the addition Of names L
the rolls appear to have made
good thing. They charged sl0-
some claim as much as half Of th
amount secured-for getting maj
on the new roll, and II IS ourrentl,
charged that many bona fde name
were dropped from the rolls Il
make room for those put on b,
manufactured testimony.
When Agent Dickson began tn
payment TO the negroes at Hayden
II was found there was going to b
trouble The negroes owed mon
ey. The collectors were aite
them hot foot. One merchant 0
the Creek nation, + ii. Sever
lhad power Of attorney to collec