Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1899-06-15
NATIONAL VS.. DOWNING.
TOO-qua-Stee" Lines Them
Up to His Liking.

buitor Chleitalu:-ln my last
article | spoke of that questionable
method employed by the Downing
men TO induce the adopted citizen
to vote their ticket; it is my pur-
pose now TO submit one good and
sufficient reason why they had
better not do so, but vote the Ma
tional ticket instead.
In the first place, there is no
politics in the present campaign.
In order that there should be any
thing like politics, there must
needs be body-politic, or nation
ality; but our Cherokee nation is
now extinct. The only question
of any interest to us now, is what
shall be done with our common
property, our lands and invested
funds; how, in case of allotment,
they are to be shared among the
people; equally or unequally.
Neither party has, as yet, pub
lished any platform; but this
makes no difference. No platform
is needed. The history of the two
parties, (their recent history, } is
platform enough TOR them, respect
lively. The difference between the
two parties is clearly enough ex-
planned in the text of the Musko-
gee agreement. The Downing
members Of the commission made
that agreement; the National men,
bers opposed 1t, and refused to
sign It. That agreement shows
what the Downing policy is in ref
erence TO the allotment of our
lands. The Downing party~are in
favor Of reserving townsi,es, and
so provided in their agreement
with the Dawes commission. The
National party objected to that
provision, with others, as unjust
to the common people. The
Downing men said it was right;
they were in the majority, and
forced it through over the heads
of the National members, and. as
far as they were concerned, made
it binding bargain.
The reason why the National
party is opposed to this townsite
measure is good and plain enough.
These town lots, included in
those vast bodies of land called
towRsites, are the common prop
erty Of the Cherokee people, and,
in case OF allotment, the National
party insist that they should be
allotted among the people just as
the country lands are allotted.
But the Downing men say no;
these town lands shall not he al
lotted, but must be reserved from
allotment and divided up among
the town-men at half price; and
them they say, these same town
men, after getting this big grab
out of the common property, must
be allowed to go out into the coun-
try and take an allotment out there
equal with the poor man who lives
in the woods. Now the National
party say this is not fair. Wolf
Coon objects to it; is not the Coon's |
head level on this point?
Take a case and see for yourself |
how it works. The lands within |
these townsites are now being sold, !
even to non-citizens who are by |
law incompetent to take title, at |
prices averaging o thousand dol |
lars per acre: they are worth that |
in the market; and some business
lots, without the Improvements,
would doubtless bring as much as
1000. Now the Downing men
maintain that the man who owns
.he occupancy Of this sort of lot
shall be allowed to take it and own
t as his own property by simply
paying $1,000. But in that case,
what becomes of the other s., 600?
lie puts that little sum of the peo-
Dle's property down into his
pocket.
Now that National party objects
% that; they say 1t is not fair.
What say you, reader2
81 ~. q. Z