Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1898-09-08

NOW the largest guaranteed rent
tai that the lessee is required t
pay, is $500 per annum. This, a
the act provides is to be paid int
the treasury of the United State
to be, at some day in the colder
future, distributed per capt.
among the Cherokee people. Now
assuming that the Cherokee pee
pie number $4,000, it can be easil
shown by the simple rule of divis
ion, that each individuals shar
would amount to about one an,
one-half cents.
Let US now take case; out her,
west of Vinita few miles, there
coal mine. Wood for fuel in thi
prairie country cannot be had bu
at great expense; it is a luxur
which none but the rich can enjoy
But in this coal mine there is al
abundance of fuel, and it is com
mon property, (but for this out
rageous mineral law among tn,
Cherokee people. Every man cal
60 there and get as much fuel a
will keep himself, wife. and child
rem warm during the winter an,
that too, at a mere nominal out
lay.
But now the secretary of the in
terror leases, or sells as it were
this coal bank to one of Charli
Curtis mineral lessees. The in
habitants of Vinita get the promis,
of one cent and a half apiece to b,
paid some time in the distant fu
ture as per capita for their inter
est in this coal bank. Let it b.
noticed, too, that this is trade il
which the Indians, owners of tn,
mine, are not consulted; it is mad,
in spite of them, and without thei
consent. This lessee is now mas
ter of the mine. He is an absolut,
monopolist. He makes the In
dians stand off. He says to them
"If you don't pay me my price
you may freeze to DEATH" H,
puts up the price of coal, and how
high? Why, the measure of tha
height will, of course, be the ut
most ability of the Indian to pay
1t is always natural for monopoly
to do just that mean thing Il
sucks the life blood out of the peo
pie, especially the poor people.
But We can not dwell on thi;
point; let us epitomize the picture
The upshot of the transaction i:
this: This Curtis law has, in {
most arbitrary and conscienles:
way, cut off from these Indians al
rightful access to one of their owl
indispensable necessaries of lif,
and put it beyond their reach into
the hands of this governmentpara
site simply that he may fatten anC
fill his pockets with the pennies
extorted from these poor suriac,
inhabiting "sons of the forest.
This Is an illustration on a small
scale, of the whole mineral specu
lation set up by this Curtis Law
upon the Indian people through
out this territory. The hardihoo,
that could have labeled such al
act with that captivating caption
"For the protection of the peopl
OF the Indian territory" mus
have been enormous.
But the people of this territor
are too familiar with the COW bus
ness to be deceived by SO simple
device as a mere brand. When
maverick appears in the herd wit
a new figure scorched into its Skin
the good people at once begin
look up the matter; for they kno
something wrong has been goin
on in the neighborhood; and the
seldom fail to know soon th
straight of the matter. AccorC
ingly they have looked CAREFUL
into the spirit of this beautiful il
scription, and also the practici
bearing of the act itself, and the
find that the two are in irreconci
able conflict with each other; thi
while the former is insincere an
deceptive, the latter, instead
protecting these Indians is Ell
gagged in fleeing them systemat
cally and most numerically.
In the fifth article Of the const
tuition of the United States, l lin
these words: "No person shall
deprived of life, liberty, or pro-
erty without due process of law.
But what is a "due process
lawW In Is Howard, 296, Il
supreme court OF the United Stat,
answers this question; it is ar
formal proceeding in a court
competent jurisdiction, accordir
to the established rules OF pra
l