Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-07-01


they made their petition and got
in on time, and that in two hours
af erwards, as l understand, tho
bill was signed. The fullbloods
are represented on this commits
sion. IL they want to act for them
they understand what their mean
ins is, and if half of your commits
sion are against treating at all we
ought to know it. If you are will
ing to have the full-bloods deter
mine as to the terms, these FULL
bloods ought to 60 on and do it
and they are just as ready now as
they could be If they waited six
months.
Now suppose down in the Choc-
taw nation we had exactly the
same thing arise (Which we did).
The full bloods came in there and
made the same fight before that
commission, and the commission
said: 1--WE were sent here to treat.
The law reserved the right OF the
people OF this nation by votes, and
the council, to pass upon the treaty
and adopt it or not as they choose,
and therefore will make the treaty
we were sent to make, and then it
will be determined by vote
whether the people of the nation
want il or not" Now-that is the
the only thing to do in this case.
There is a repetition of their pro-
ceedings here. Do you want to
make a treaty2 | am satisfied
some Of you want to, and a major
ity want il in fact. Down there
one of the commissioners refused
to sign it after it was settled, but
we only wanted a majority. Now
the only question is whether this
commission has the courage to take
the responsibility which your leg
islature devolved upon you or not;
whether you will make the treaty
and then let the people determine
afterwards as to whether they want
it or not. But the idea seems to
be that you want TO go out in the
woods and get the treaty endorsed
even before it is made. Now /
think we ought to go TO the Creeks
and give them an opportunity as
they have waited so long upon this
matter. That is all have to say
about it. There can be nothing
accomplished by waiting ten days |
or a week longer. II will be Just |
exactly the same. Look at this |
land matter. We have explained |
that thoroughly to you aud your
people, and you know there is
nothing in the world in this claim
Of the railroad; yet the newspapers
are still being flooded with that, |
with the idea i'm view of dissatisfy- !
ing the Indians, stating that there
is danger Of the railroad taking
that land away. If you can't con. |
vince your people that there is no |
danger (and in the second place if |
there was any danger delay could |
not possibly help ~ then | think |
it is perfectly useless for you to |
try to convince anybody of any.
thing. The only thing for you to |
do is to sit down here and make |
the best treaty you can for them,
and throw the responsibility on
them az to whether they accept
the terms you make or not. That
is what you should do instead of
going back and saying: "The leg.
lature appointed US to treat but we |
were afraid somebody back in the
country would not like it and we
were just afraid" That is all | |
have say about it. | will say one
more thing if you will bear with
me, and that is the government
has no interest now in making
treaty with your people; that the
interest is all on your side and
confined strictly thereto, because
with this legislation which goes
into effect in January the govern
menthas accomplished all it wanted
to accomplish or asked to accom-.
plish by treaty, except to divide
your lands among you and fix
your townsites More than half
the matter that we were sent here
TO treat with you about is settled by
legislation in that bill and you
have got the part that you didn't
want, too. TIE majority of your
people want their land (I think
there is no question about that
separated and set apart, and all
that there is LETT TO treat about,
so far as the government at least
is concerned or interested in, il to
provide for the division Of your
lands and dispose of your town.
sites. On the other hand you are
wanting TO relieve yourselves of
the hardships imposed upon you
by certain provisions in that bill
Congress can, and in my judgment
will, by less legislation and occu-
patton of less space than in the
present bill, finish the entire mat
ter by providing that the uses of
these lands shall be allotted to
each Indian in way so as not to
effect or change the character of
the title, but so that each man
shall have use Of a part OF this
land which is just as good a title
as fee simple title would be. /
would not give a snap Of my finger
for the difference; and when a man
Mr.. Mayes or Mr.. Pann-gets
the use Of this land, or congress
sional division, set apart TO him
would regard his title just as little
likely Of being subject to inter
ruption as il he had a patent from