Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-09-09
AGENT MISDOM,S ANNUAL REPORT.
A Few Extracts from Advance Sheets
of the Agents Farewell Paper.
Muskogee Phoenix.

fOur years has been the Little big
Father over all the warriors,
braves and chiefs of five great
tribes, has just completed his fifth
annual report to the Commissioner
of Indain affairs. The agent
touches upon many of the current
questions of interest in this coun-
try and he touches them up with
an ease, grace and force that is all
his own. We have stolen a few
extracts from this report and print
them below without comment.
INTRUDERs.
In regard to the order to eject
certain intruders from the Chero-
kee domain, the Agent says:
At the date of this writing Aug.
26, 1890, it appears that all of
said parties except five or six in
number have either abandoned
their improvements or have per-
fected their appeals as above in
dicated; under your instructions
these will be dispossessed early in
September-about the Sth or 10th
of said month-as the volume of
business before this agency will
not allow me to be absent from the
office at an earlier date. The de-
cided stand taken by the depart
ment to remove the above class of
intruders has had a salutary effect
upon the Cherokee public senti-
ment, and has tended in a large
measure to assure the Cherokees
that treaty stipulations and other
agreements will be enforced, and
that the government of the United
States, having plighted its faith,
will redeem its pledge.
| have so often elaborated the
question of intrusion in previous
annual reports that / do not think
it incumbent on me at this time to
repeat at length a "thrice-told
tale" An intruder, whether he
be an honest claimant to citizen
ship or a naked trespasser on In
dian lands, has proven a menace
to society, and his residence in the
Indian country has produced more
or less friction. 1t has pade the
Indian doubt the good faith of the
government; and, being by nature
suspicious of the white man, it
has been difficult to treat with him
upon the more important issues of
allotment an the breaking up of
tribal autonomy in the nation TO
which he belongs. A sound public
policy demands the eviction Of all
declared intruders; and any meas
ures of expediency on the part of
the department that temporises
with the intruder, or postpones
his removal upon mere technical
tiles, is fallacious and misleading.
Let all the treaties be enforced,
and all the safeguards secured to
the Indians be upheld in letter
and in spirit, and then the In
dians will make liberal conces-
sions, and accept without muir
muring that changed condition of
affairs which already confronts
them and whose realization in
the near future is the consumation
of the best hopes of the philan-
thropist and the true friend of the
red man.
Nearing the end of my official
career and standing ready to begin
my voyage up salt river" and
ultimately to land in that dump
ing ground" of patriots, to which
my i'll starred political fortunes
have consigned me, | still say
"the intruder must 60"
RECOMMENDATIONS TO CONGRESS.
AS remedial measures adapted
to the conditions which surround
this agency, l would respectfully
represent Gin the event negotia-
tons between the Indians and the
Dawes commission prove fruitless)
that appropriate Legislation be had
on the townsite question SO as to
protect non-citizens in their equit-
able rights in the improvements
purchased by them from individ-
ual Indians and made valuable by
their money and labor. Our towns
have been built mainly by non
citizens, living here under per-
mits, that is to say lawfully,
and they are in no sense tres
and, to prevent a confsca-
ton of their holdings, there must
be either remedial legislation by
or some agreement must
be made between the Dawes COM
and the several tribes
which will adjust the problem OF
lot holding before it becomes one Of
greater magnitude and a tempta-
ton to Cypress non-citizens too
strong for the Indian authorities
to resist. A nominal price fixed |
m TOWN lots nnodifed and re0n