Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-01-14

Some Of the salient Points Made b.
Judge siuartin Ills Speech.
Yesterday.

Yesterday.
.
No man who listened to Judge
Stuart's speech yesterday on the
meaning Of the Dawes -Choctaw
treaty can doubt that he is very
much IN earnest in Ills opposition
to that document. He said In part:
"Af,er carefully considering the
provisions of this remarkable
treaty / say the Dawes commits
sion have made no agreement.
they have simply submitted to
terms In this country every man
carries his sovereignty under his
hat, and while at times some OF
them may go wrong still in the
main they are right, and can never
sanction such an outrageous meas
ure. II has been said that have
an AK to grind. This is a mistake,
for my ak is sharpened. The
Choctaw road which 1 represent
is protected by the treaty in their
working coal leases, and have the
right under the treaty to release
the eleven unworked properties in
their control. There is nothing
ambiguous in the meaning of the
townsite clause referring to the
value of lots, for | tell you as a
man and as a lawyer. and from fire.
quent conversation with those who
signed the document that as sure
as | stand here IL means present
market value. II q lot is apprais.
ed at 81 900 and the improvements
thereon are worth 81 900 the own
er has preference right of purchase.
If he fails within thirty days to
pay one half Of the appraised val.
ne Of the lot the entire property
is put up and sold. If it brings
81, 200 the nation gets the 81 900
first and the loss occasioned from
the forced sale falls on the owner
of the improvements.
"lf you own lot or lots upon
which you have orchards, flower
gardens, fences and shrubbery,
even though it join your home,
you must go into competition with
the world and get your title by be.
ing the highest bidder. And
when2 Whenever it suits the
commission TO force the sale. If
this treaty is ratified by congress
there is no appeal to the courts;
this action is final and 1t means
hopeless bankruptcy to the terri
tory. 1t will draw every dollar
from this country and sink il at
the subtreasury in st. Louis. Col.
Ainsworth was asked in my pres
ence by a man who had just paid
81 600 for a lot if he would have
to buy it again, and replied:
"Yes, il you gave 81 900 without
receiving a title, certainly you
should be willing to give that
much more to get a title," and
Col. Ainsworth is the head and
shoulders of the Choctaw COM
mission that signed the treaty.
"Senator Dawes and Major Nc.
Kennon recognized the injustice of
it all, and said they would protest
against the townsite feature of the
bill, aud they did protest, but with
out avail. Does this mean to any
reasonable man to leave a doubt
as to the meaning of the treaty2
The Creeks have made n Just and
fair agreement for their townsites,
and | believe, knowing the Chick.
asaws as do, that an agreement
can also be made with them on
somewhat the same basis.
"And the farmer, God help him.
He is wiped out as though from
a prairie fire, and 100000 people
in this nation are pauperized and
rendered homeless. | talked with
Bishop Brooke about the matter,
and though not a resident of the
territory he has interests in his
hospitals and churches here, and
he will oppose the ratification with
all his power, and if the signers Of
The treaty contemplate an equit.
able and just settlement of these
questions and fair appraisement of
the town property let them put it
in the bond and then the matter
is settled. What should the peo-
pie do? Actl act at once like men,
not rashly but seriously and con-
seTvatively, and petition congress
aud the Indians to rectify the in.
justice that has crept upon the
treaty, before it is too late You
cannot afford TO lie down and quit.
If you do you deserve no better
fate than this ruin which threatens
you.
"The mining provision is as
manifestly unfair as the other fea-
lures, as it gives any man who
finds coal or mineral the right to
burrow under the home and come
out with an exposition Of dynamite
and hollow coal mine and take
your place.
"The ground hog scars above
the eagle in this remarkable doc
ument, which is unfair, unjust
and means ruin complete and
swift to the non-citizens OF the ter.
ritory .-Ardmoreite.