Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1900-03-08
RADICAL OPPOSITION.
Congress Will Not Subscribe
to the ExaCtionS of the
Indians.
Muskogee Times.

NAi-Ng 49,
represented at the national capital
during the past week. Special
Agent Wright. United States At
torney Pliny Soper, Special Agent
Zevely. Chief Burlington of The
Cherokees and Gov. Porter of the
Creeks, accompanied by delega-
tions, as well as a large delegation
from the Choctaw nation, have
been in the city.
Mr. Soper's visit to Washington
related to matters pending before
the department of justice and fed
eral appointments in the territory.
From the appointments recently
announced it is evident that ma
tional committeeman Leo Bennett
and Mr.. Soper still retain their
control of government appoint
ments in the Indian Territory.
Special Agent Wright is here at
the request of the secretary of the
interior to furnish information for
the benefit of the department in
matters pertaining to the territory,
as we'll as to give the Indian CON-
mittees of the two houses the bene-
fit of his knowledge OF affairs in the
territory with relation to the pend
ing Cherokee and Greek treaties.
1t is now evident that these treat
les will not have clear sailing in
congress. There will be opposi-
ton to them all along the line.
The members of the committee on
Indian affairs of the house, who
have been devoting considerable
time to the consideration of the
two treaties, have demanded cer-
tain notifications which the rep
resentaiives of the tribes refuse to
accede to. One of the knotty
problems in connection with the
Creek treaty is the question OF
control of school funds. Hereto
fore the nation has had complete
control of this matter, but now
congress proposes to take it out of
their hands and place it under the
control of the general government.
Gov. Porter is resisting this at
every point. He insists that the
Creek nation is better qualified to
control its school system than is
the federal government through its
officials in the territory. He says
that TO turn this over to the gov
ernment would be an admission of
weakness on the part of the people
of the Creek nation of incompe-
tency, which he repudiates in the
strongest language.
Another embarrassing question
which is not included in the treaty,
but which is now being discussed,
is the proposition of inserting a
proviso which will enable the cat
tie men to continue for a period
the pasturing of large herds of cat
tie in the nation without going to
the necessity of making individual
with all OF the citizens
who have made application for
This is being pressed
by representatives OF the cattle
men and is meeting some favor.
Another demand OF the COM
mittee which relates to both treat
les and which is being bitterly |
fought by the representatives of
the two nations is that relating to
the construction of public high
ways around each section of land.
The committee insist that there
should be public highways around
each $40 acre tract. The delega-
tions are opposing this upon the
ground that these highways are
not necessary at the present time
and will consume a great deal of
land which will not re-
suit in any real benefit to the peo-
pie. 1t is contended, on the 9th
er hand, that sooner or latter, as
Indian Territory increases in pop
ulation these highways must be
opened up and the proper time to
DO this is now.
Another question which is being
strongly opposed by the Cherokees
is the demand of the committee
hat a provision be inserted in the
Cherokee treaty making it manda-
Tory that as soon as the treaty is
ratified Chief Burlington must sign
and deliver 10 those citizens of the
nation, who have made application
for land, deeds to their allOtments.