Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-11-18
TOINVOKE CONGRESS
Members Of the Five Tribes WIN
Ask for Special Legislation.
10 INVADE TIE WICHITA COUNTRY.
Plan 10 Get Twenty Thousand "Boomsss''
10 Locate In the Territorial Aormos
says Porsany Il Not Dssd-Na.
tionsi Grange OncerA

WASHINGTON, Nov l7.--Represents,
tives Of the Chickasaw and Choctsw
tribes are here to ask congress for
special legislation exempting them
from the operations Of the law which
goes into effect January l. This law
takes away tribal jurisdiction over the
courts Of the Indian territory and places
It in the hands Of the federal judiciary.
1t also requires the president TO up.
prove all legislation enacted by the y.
semblies Of the five tribes before II may
become effective and binding. The
intent Of this law, which was passed
by congress June 10, was to abolish
tribal law and TO demonstrate TO the
Indians that holding sloof from the
Dawes commission would not help
them. The representatives Of the
Choctaws and Chickassws will argue
before the Indian committee OF the
house that inasmuch as these two
tribes promptly agreed with the Dawes
commission TO the allotment Of their
lands, and have In every way tried 10
aid the commission, they should be ex.
empted from the operations Of the
obnoxious statute and be permitted
to retain their courts until the
Dawes commission had completed Its
work. They will present - . part Of
their plea for exemption the fact that
after congress ratifes the treaties with
the Choctaws and Chickasaws they
must then be ratified again by the In
dams. To arbitrarily insist that they
shall be subject to the harsh law,
along with the recalcitrants, who have
refused to treat with the Dawes com.
mission and are making the govern
ment all the trouble possible, they
argue would be TO show, bad faith,
and would undoubtedly tend to pro.
woke opposition among the Chickasaws
and Choctaws, up to this time the most
tractable Of the five tribes. Any legis-
lation 10 be effective must be passed
by both houses before January l.
TO INVADE THE WICHITA COUNTRY.
WICHITA, Kan, Nov. 17.-George M.
Hughes, of Anadarko, l. T., arrived in
Wichita yesterday on trip to secure
10000 colonists for the Wichita coun.
try, who are to settle in and about the
Wichita mountains before the first OF
January and by sheer persistency
and force Of numbers compel
congress to open the country to
settlement Hughes Is one Of 20 men
who are now making systematic can
vass in Oklahoma, Kansas and Arkan-
sas for "boomers" to locate in the new
country. The plan is to inaugurate a
promiscuous immigration into the In
dian country at once and begin ohunt
for gold, demanding Of congress, at
the same time the opening Of the
Wichita reservation. The movement
promises to surpass the famous colony
into Oklahoma by Capt.
Payne.
SAYS POLYGAMY is NOT DEAD.
BOsTON, Nov. 17.-Rev Mr.. Charles
R. Bliss, financial agent Of Salt Lake
college, Utah, spoke last evening in
Franklin Street Congregational
church, Somerville, on the present
Attitude Of Mormonism" He said:
1.-THE American people msconceive the
nature and underrate the power of
The position taken by
many that polygamy is dead is not
true. 1t is still practiced by many j
prominent people in the church, and
is generally accepted bNthe Mormon
people as true in doctrine"
NATIONAL GRANGE OFFICERS.
HARRISBURG, Pa, Nov 17-The
Grange sessions yesterday afternoon
and evening were taken up by the cleo
ton of officers for 1898, Officers were
elected as follows: Worthy master,
Aaron Jones, Indiana; overseer, 0. II.
Hale, New York; lecturer, Alpha
Messer, Vermont; steward, John I.
Cox, New Jersey; assistant steward, j.
A. Newcombe, Colorado; chaplain, O.
). Bowen, Connecticut; treasurer, Mrs
Eva Mcdowell, Ohio; secretary, John
Trimble. Washington.