Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1900-10-18
A FULLBL0OD'S VIEW.
Is Afraid of the COWmen and
the Railroads.

EDITOR CBiEFTAIN:-I will tr
and give the views Of the fullbloo
Cherokee people. They do no
want any changes made in lhei
local affairs; they would rather re
tain their former government
they could. If any changes hav,
to he made they would prefer tn,
government OF the United State
to settle their affairs for them a.
they are in the minority when i
comes to vote in election. TAX,
the statutes Of the members of tn,
so-called Cherokee tribe-ther,
are seven different classes, includ
ing the fullblood Cherokees. Tb,
following are the six who are o.
the different classes aud who gen.
orally vote together io.wil: Della.
wares, Snawnees, colored, the in.
termarried white adopted citizens,
the people admitted to citizenship
since the late war. The seventh
class are the fuiibioods, with a few
mixed blood Chero' es who emf.
grated here from Georgia in the
years Of lS37.lS39. They say un-
der the present state of affairs il
would be useless for them to think
about asking for change. If any
changes have to be made in their
common way Of holding land let
the government make it for them.
OF coulse they would be compelled
10 submit; they say they could not
ask for anything that they are not
IN favor OF, aud furthermore say if
they even wanted to make a
change they could not do so on ac-
count of some kind of an agree.
ment that was made with the NJ. .,
X. d T. railroad in the year OF
1869 when it was granted the right.
oi-way through the Cherokee ma.
ton to build the road, with the
understanding that this railroad
company was TO have every other
alternate section of land on each
side of the road for ten miles
whenever they become extinct or
made a change of their form of
government by or with their own
voluntary act; and it is further.
more believed by them that this
land monopoly and the COW kings
are connected with some kind of
well planned scheme to hold their
grass land as long as they can.
Well, now We will come to the 80.
much'talked.of treaty pending
they are afraid Of it, they think
there must be some we'll planned,
deep scheme IN it. ftatified by
the votes OF the Cherokee people
it would develop in a long, weary.
some law suit in the high courts
OF the United States, which would
make a confusion for tue next ten
years to come before a judgment
could be rendered However. a
move of this kind would not hurt
the cattle men nor the land mo.
nopolisis, but at the same time
would prove a hardship to the
class of Cherokees who are back
in the hills, and the majority of
them without any lands, and they
would be compelled to remain
back into the hills.
Well, l will wind up and say
one word for myself. am salts.
fed with the Curtis act, and don't
see but one thing wrong with il
and that is this-why they don't
put II in force. The Curtis act
would settle the townlot question
and gives US an equal division of
our lands and money. | don't see
what more we could want. five
did we could only ask for the gov.
ernment Of the United States TO
make some amendments to the
Curtis act which act became a law
in June 1898, and which act has
the controlling power over the In.
dian Territory in settling up our
affairs in land and money in full.
The law gives each Indian his pro.
rata share Of land and money and
that's good enough for me. Twill
take no chances on the treaty. /
can't see no end TO the treaty, and
do see my way out under the
Curtis law. Don LA NEE TER.
Couldn't Tranalata IA