Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1898-01-13

courts have been given jurisdiction
over them the Indians feel safe in
their life and rights of property
and | doubt greatly, if it were put
to a direct vote, if one-third of
them would be willing to repeal
the law which took away the juris.
diction of their own courts"
There has just been transmitted
to congress from the commissions r
of Indian affairs a communication
asking for an increased appropria-
ton for the Dawes commission.
The estimate of the chairman OF
the commission, Senator Dawes, is
S4S, 900. The amount inserted in
the Indian appropriation bill by
the house committee is s42 600.
The commissioner states that the
chairman of the commission is in a
position to know what funds the
commission will need to prosecute
the work they now have in hand,
and suggests that the request for
an increase in the appropriation
be submitted to congress.
Something has been said, fro m
time to time, about attaching the
Indian Territory to Oklahoma.
That idea meets with no favor here
among those who come from the
Indian Territory. The proposition
to give the Indian Territory a ter
ritorial government has not been
pressed, as expressed by a promi-
nent member, for fear the move
ment would result in joining that
county to Oklahoma. In dis-
cussing that question, Judge Little
recently said:
Il believe it would be unneces-
sary and unwise to annex the In
dian Territory to Oklahoma. The
country occupied by the five civil
lied tribes is large enough and rich
enough in its resources to make a
great state. x * 4 Give the country
fair government, allot the agri-
cultural lands, open up the towns,
afford men with means a safe
basis for investm ent, and in the
near future the Indian Territory
will be in line with the most pro-
gressive parts of our common
country, and / believe in two years
it will have half a million popu-
lation, and be ready to take its
place among the states of the
union"
1t is not at all likely that either
state or territorial government
will be seriously considered at this
session, however, as it is thought
best to settle all preliminary mat
ters of allotment and townsite in
terests first.
Many of the townsite delegates,
when asked about the matter,
state that if they must become a
part of some other state or terri
tory they would prefer annexation
to Arkansas. While this is not to
be thought of seriously, it is gati-
flying to their neighbors on the
east to know that such a union
would not be altogether undesir-
able. When asked by a congress-
man how 1t would suit the people
of the Indian Territory 10 be at
tached to some other state or ter
ritory, say Oklahoma or Kansas,
for instance, prominent townsite
delegate promptly replied: For
Gods sake give Oklahoma to Kan
sas, and annex US TO Arkansas"
The secretary of the interior has
handed Captain McKennon's IS resig
nation back to him. This means
that he will continue as a member
of the Dawes commission, and all |
doubts on that score are at rest. |
The story is interesting and will |
be appreciated by the people of the
territory, who have watched with |
eagerness and qualification the
public acts of Captain McKennon
since be has been among them.
After the election of President Nc
Kinley it was taken for granted
that Captain McKennon would be
superseded by a republican. Some
time in October, as was expected,
he was requested to send in his
resignation. He did SO, without
delay, and prepared to surrender
to such successor as the president
might be please d to name. When
it was learned, however, that he
had resigned, those who knew him
and were aware of the earnest work
he had accomplished and of his es-
pecial fitness for the peculiar and
difficult work of the commission,
with one accord urged the presi-
dent to reappoint him. Demo
Gratis, republicans and Indians
urged that he be retained on the
Some days ago when
Captain McKennOn was in Secre-
tary Bliss office discussing the In
dian situation the secretary handed
him a paper with the remark:
''This is for you. l have no fur
ther use for it," Captain McKen-
non opened the paper. 1t was his
letter of resignation sent to the de-
partment some months ago. Cap
tain McKennpn will continue as a
member of the Dawes commission.
Many letters are being received
from people who have townsite in
terests in Fort Gibson and other
Cherokee towns, asking as to what
extent the Cherokee townsite law
will be recognized, in forthcoming
legislation. While the matter has
not yet received consideration, it
is the opinion of those with whom
have talked that all townsites in
the Indian Territory will be re-
Jarded and dealt with in the same