Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-01-28

erly, will be likely to meet with Z
stout resistance on part Of thii
/ powerful city population Hence
there is aud will be, y serious is
sue between our town people ant
our country people which is dos
tined badly TO hinder and retarC
the work of adjustment.
Again, here are what we call oui
mineral leases ~ How many o
these leases are still existing in
full force, is not generally known
the writer % this article does no
know Nor is that material
The thing about them which mos
concerns the people at large il
this, or something like il: they
give the lessees exclusive contro
of large tracts upon the public do
main, and for long periods of tune
periods extending far beyond tn,
day at which allotment will prob
ably take place. Now It'll obvious
that no allotment can be feasibl,
without u conflict with the right,
and privileges vested by those
leases IN the lessees. These les
sees, too, arc in general, moneyed
men, capitalists, men very power
ful in politics, lobbies, and with.
all, molders Of legislation. Here
then is another issue between the
poor people of this country and
the more powerful class. Suppose
the allotment Of lands should take
place today, and suppose your lot
should happen to fall upon the
ground covered by one of these
leases; how would you and the
lessee get along with your con.
flicting iitles2 The lessee would
have the prior and paramount
right Of use and occupancy. He
could keep you out Of your prop.
erty for an indefinite number OF
years, perhaps for a long time
after you have gone hence to your
eternal home.
Again, our national council has
from time to time granted to the
various churches and missionary
societies the right to use and occu
py large tracts Of very valuable
land belonging to the public do
main These church authorities
have been in the occupation of
these tracts for long period of
years, and upon some they have
made valuable improvements;
other portions however, are still
lying, in manner, unimproved,
and seem to be simply held down
as a claim against the final day Of
distribution.
Now what disposition is to be
made of these church claims will,
Tor more reasons than one, consli
tute very interesting verse in the
general chapter of allotment.
Wha: will these religious societies
do2 viii they admit that these
lands were only loaned to them for
time, and, when wanted again by
the real owners, surrender them to
be allotted along with the rest of
the national estate7 Or will they
adopt tn 4, argument ofthe common
squatter and say that they have
made valuable improvements and
have by that means acquired inn
pregnable equities in the soil2 and,
on the principle OF taking an ell
when only an inch is given, claim
that their title has ripened into an
actual fee simple, or some other
kind that may be sufficient to beat
the Indians out of so much of their
property Or will they adopt the
plan which they are accustomed to
pursue in other quarters Of the
civilized world in such cases, that
is to say, concede that the property
is not their own until they have
secured from the rightful owners a
perfection Of their title either by
actual purchase, or solicitation ?
Railroad companies, moro than
one, commanding all the power
represented by millions of dollars,
constitute another important factor
in the general problem Of allot.
ment Early after the late war,
these corporations pushed chart
or, or two, through the forms Of
legislation in congress which gives
the company every odd section of
land within strip twenty miles
wide and extending across the en-
tire width Of the Cherokee coun-
try; this grant to take effect just as
soon as the Cherokee national title
ceases to exist. These corpora
tions, therefore, look upon the
crisis OF allotment not so much as
a distribution among the Indians,
but rather as the time when they
are to come into the absolute
ownership and possession Of the
lands in question; and that they
will do all in their mighty power
to shape the allotment according
to this their own conception ia the
case, there can be no doubt
And yet there is still another
cause Of obstruction which will
tend seriously to delay and hinder
an early and easy solution of this
our national problem. There are
men in our midst, not few OF
them, who have, for long time in
the past, been endeavoring to
speculate in our public lands.
They have laid numerous claims
upon the common domain, and
upon many they have made val
liable Improvements; and all this
with view to intrenching them
selves in defense of what they
hope to successfully hold to them
selves on the final day ofa!lotmeni.
This too is numerous, opulent,
and influential class of neOUle