The evening times., 1897-01-14
TROUBLES OF THE INDIAN
Chief Mayes' Interesting Talk
About the CherOkees.
THE DAWES COMMISSION
Proposes Individual Allotment of
Land, Which Is Now Held In Com
mon-The Question Now Before
Secretary Francis-A Settlement
Expected at an Early Day.

| cations is the same as last winter. The
! absence OF Chief Harris, OF the Cherokees,
is the most noticeable change He was d
| familiar figure about the Capitol during the
| last session of Congress.
Principal Chief Mayes is here, together
| with Delegates Benge and Hastings. They
| are located at the Metropolitan Hotel. Some
| OF the Choctaw delegates are stopping at
| the National, where are also quartered
delegates from tile Creek, Chickasaw and
| Seminole tribes.
For several winters past these Indian
ambassadors have sought to induce legisla-
| ton favorable to the red man. They have
opposed many of the reform movements
offered by tie Dawes commission, and one
feature of tie commissions recommenda-
tiOns forms the principal sub ject now being
discussed daily before Secretary Francis,
OF tlle Interior Department. The IndianoIa
bill introduced at the last session OF Con
gress las been a particular mark for the
opposing arrows OF the Indian They fought
It from tile beginning by a weIlregulated
Indian lobby, and now, as a result OF their
conferences with Secretary, Francis and
members of the Dawes commission, it is
believed that settlement satisfactory to
all hands will shortly be reached
Chief Mayes' Interesting Talk.
Speaking for the Cherokee delegation,
s. H. Mayes, their principal chief, said
to a Times representative: The history
OF the advancement OF the educational in
terest of the CheFokees for the last fifty
years cannot but please the mind and heart
of him who loves his follow-nan. Now.
with a population OF 80 900 Cherokees We
have over 100 common schools. All sup
plies and books are supplied by the Chero-
kee nation. There is male and female
college. We have an asylum for orphans
and also one for the infiTm.''
Chief Mayes denies the report OF the
Dawes commission that the half-breeds
and white men have assumed all of the
offices to the exclusion of the Indian or
full-biOod. The nation is governed prin-
cipaIly by a legislative body composed OF a
house and senate. They elect chief. Mr..
Mayes claims that the second chief of the
nation is a full blood, as is also the pTesi-
dent of the senate and the speaker OF the
house. One OF the supreme judges is full
blooded Cherokee. The nation is divided
into nine districts and the senate is COM
posed of two members from each district.
OF that body seven are fuiI-bloods. or
the forty members of the house twenty
two are full-blOods.
I'VE are charged by the Dawes commits
sion with the lax administration of law,
yet when we search for evidence OF the
truth of what they say, We find nome
The Land Question.
The principal matter now under consider
alton is proposition as to the disposition
OF the lands of the Cherokee and other
tribes
The report OF the commission recon
mended the laying off of town sites and
the sale of the lands for such purposes At
least that is the understanding oft prop
osition by the Indians. 1t is this phase of
the Indianola bill which received so much
opposition.
Ina pamphlet on the subject Chief Mayes
calls the attention of Congress to existing
laws goyerningthe holding ofIand. All land
is heliin common by the Indians. ItbelOngs
as much to one as to another President
Van Buren, in S3S, executed to the-tribe
a patent for their property. andin 839 the
red men adopted constitution, declaring
the same TO be common property. The
validity Of the title has been upheld in more
than one case in the United States Supreme
Court.
The proposition Of the Dawes commission
was for a town-site law and the allotment
OF lands TO each individual. 1t is under
stood that some trouble arose over the
leasing of property by some OF the Indians
to white settlers. 1t is claimed by the
delegates that an allotment would pro-
tectthesc squattersinthe epermanentholding
of their property against the Indian.
The Dawes Commission.
On the other hand, tie Dawes commits
sion claims that towns had been erected
and costly business houses built by non
residents. This Chief Mayes denies en-
phatically, and pronoUnces the statement |
as absolutely false He admits the exist
ence of the towns, but says it was all ac
complished by citizens of the ration, and
that the buildings mentioned are not in any
way owned by aliens.
During the past summer the Dawes COM
mission again visited the West, and partly
concluded an agreement withthe Choctaws.
One drawback to an early settlement is
said to be the Withholding from pa yment of
certain money now due the Indians as the
result of former treaty. Last winter this
sum was demanded before further proceed |
ings 1t is now said that an agreement is
being reached, and one which will allow
the allotment Of land, but with certain re-
strictions. One OF the proposed clauses
in the new agreement is for the annUlment
of existing agricultural leases by nOn-citi-
zen farmers. This will enable the Indian to
declare his white brethren intruders, but
at the same time will protect poor Lo from
any claims to full ownership, which the
settler might make. So far the Choctaws
is the only tribe which has really come to
an understanding with Secretary Francis,
but Delegate Hastings said last night that
the CherokeeS were willing TO treat, and
thought that it would not be long before
settlement was made.
Secretary Francis has assured the church
people that all the home religious organ
izations of the nations will be protected
in the occupancy of the land.
Baseball Meeting in Alexandria.
The annual meeting OF the National Base
ball Club of Washington viii be held to-
morrow at noon in Alexandria, Va, for
the transaction of important business It