Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1899-10-12

ton for the privilege OF doing bus
mess. Extortionate? OF course
it was, but the firm, as first-class
business institution could not af-
ford to do otherwise, even if this
tax is a species of robbery. The
attorneys here paid their tax, even
while doing so recognizing that it
was unjust; the physicians of the
Choctaw nation were compelled to
pay the tax, and thousands of dol
lars are annually paid by the coal
operators into the Choctaw treas
ury-a hundred to one perhaps,
that is paid into the Cherokee
treasury by the hay men. These
big railroad and coal companies,
the big merchants, and others,
have recognized these as laws
made for the protection of the In
dian; they have recognized that
these conditions existed before
they came here, and that if they
went into business they either had
to pay the taxes, or in some man
ner defraud the different tribes of
the revenue. We are not consid-
ering the exaction, nor the extor-
ton; that has nothing to do with
the aspect of the case under con-
sideration. Smith knew it was
the law of the tribe; or if it were
not the law, there has been no ex-
plicit judgment rendered against
1t; he knew that other people paid
the royalty; he knew that he was
not obeying the law when he at
tempted to ship hay out without
paying the royalty-he must have
known there was some question
about it, and if he be the honest
man his friends would have peo-
pie believe, be would have COM
piled with the requirements of
that law, and then tested its legal
ity, its cOnstitutionality, after
wards.-Muskogee Times.
Isparhecher, principal chief of
the Muskogee nation, in his fare
well address to the council CT his
nation, says it is a well known
fact that no correct and well au-
thenticated roll of the Creek peo-
pie has ever been made. He then
adds: "In the absence of a well
authenticated census roll a number
of persons are having their names
enrolled before the Dawes COM
mission and are filing on land,
when it is a well known fact that
many of them have no rights what
ever in this nation. 1t is of the
utmost importance that your hon.
orable body take some action that
will secure a correct census roll of
our citizens, duly approved by
council. SO. McAlester Capital.
The jury at VInita has just one
of two things to do in the Smith
case: Was ne taken out of the
territory and did he come back?
Smith was there to testify that he
was back. Captain Ellis and Bud
kell were there to testify what
happened to Smith, and that's all
there is to it. The other part will
come later-Muskogee Times.
Popularity may be either a tri-
butte TO worth OF character, or it
may be an indictment strong and
unmistakable of time-serving du-
plicity, and untaithfulness to any
body or any cause. The man who
stands for truth has the enmity of
those who stand for the false to
start with, and the man who stands
for neither stands indicted before
the world, both friend and foe
standing for nothing.
Tulsa despaired last week of be-
ing given a court by the territory
court Of appeals and now a dis
patch from Ardmore says that Sa-
pulpa is to be the fortunate town.
Senator c. V. Rogers has re-
turned from Colorado Springs to
be here in good time for council. !
His wife's health has improved |
IN that climate and she remained. |
The interior department has
done all that it started out to do
namely, TO collect the revenue on
hay. 1t will collect the other rev.
enues just as fast as it goes after
them.
The Lake Mohonk Indian con-
ference, of which Henry l.. Dawes
is member, convenes this week
at Lake Mohonk, New York, and