Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-20
INDIANS AS POLITICIANS
sTATECRAFT AMONG TRIBES IN
OKLAHOMA AND ELSEWHERE.
Methods of Conducting Campaigns
backs of the AboriEines.
Wichita Correspondence New York Tribune.

Endowed with shrewdness and q strong
personality, the Indian makes a good poli,-
zeal leader. But of course, among them
selves they cannot all become bosses, so
the game Of politics often becomes exceed
ingly swift and dangerous. Their cam
paigns are continued story Of intrigue,
sharp moves and deeply laid plans. Not
even Congress committee appointed for
the purpose can lay these arrangements
bare. The greater part of the 267 600 In
dams in the United States have their own
government They are subservient to the
United States Congress, but, in a way, their
tribal government LIS to them what the
state legislature is to the state, and their
chief is governor to them, exercising just
as much power. Each Of the five civilized
tribes has separate council, while the
Kiowa. Comanche and Apache Indians OF
Oklahoma allows one chief to rule them.
The rule Of the Cherokee chieftain is al
most equal to that Of the car. The orders
Of a Choctaw ruler fall on needless ears
for his people are in open rebellion against
him, and have been for years.
Autonomy of Cherokees.
The Indians began to rule themselves ftf-
ty years ago, when the Cherokees came to
their present home in Indian Territory,
leaving a good tract Of land in Georgia.
Joshua Ross, who had long been their chief
in name, then became their real ruler. His
word was law. He surrounded himself
with cabinet, he organized a legislature
and he divided the Cherokee country into
legislative districts. Ross ruled with an
iron hand, yet he was beloved. He guided
his people as best he knew, and he was a
wise man. For forty years he reigned
Then came Bushyhead, a noted politician
ceeded in disposing of the famous Cherokee
strip In Oklahoma and getting 100000 for
1t, which money was distributed pro rata
among the Indians of the tribe.
Indian politics is a game of grab most of
the time. Men are placed in office by the
chief executive to fulfill campaign promises,
and these men feel it their duty to steal
everything they can get their hands on.
They seem to think that their government
owes them that privilege. AS in Kentucky,
feuds have entered into the politics Of many
of the tribes notably the Apaches Of the
new Oklahoma country. These Indians lie
In wait for each other, and stabbing Is al
most as common as eating. The Apaches
are under the rule of an Indian agent now,
although they have a chief, who is sup
posed to administer law to them-when he is
not In Jail himself. This is Naiche, the son
| Of a noted warrior. Geronimo, the famous
Apache warrior now a war prisoner at Fort
Sill, claims to be the real chief of the tribe,
but in reality he is nothing more than a
common medicine man.
Authority of Lone Wolf.
Lone Wolf is the deposed chief Of the
Kiowas, but his word is law. He directs
what the tribe shall do, and performs all
legal acts for his people. The Kiowas and
Comanches as well as the Poncas have no
written laws. Their chief and his three
sub-chiefs are elected by vote of the
people. The voting is carried on by word
| of mouth, the whole tribe assembling at a
designated place some time every third
summer, where the new chief Is chosen.
hor 10 h rr 1n,,I In.1 - n
| shortly following the chiefs election, of
course competition for the office is fierce.
| Often many are killed in the campaign.
The Osages the richest tribe in the south
| west, have their own council, cabinet Of
| fcer, chief and assistant. Their council
house is located at Pawhuska, which is in
the center Of a deep wood on the banks OF
crooked stream-Beayer Creek Here is
| where Black Dog and Peter Big Heart ri.
walls, have for years fought their campaigns.
| The big battle occurs every two years
| when one or the other wins the chieftancy
| One year Big Heart showed strategy and
knowledge OF Indian politics by buying up
| all the fat dogs in the country, which on
| election day he gave free to the people In
| the form Of a dog feast No meat So de-
| lights the Osages as dog meat and OF
| fairs Of the government fairly well, manag-
| ing to fill his own Golfers and those of his
own household.
| Tactics of the Canvass
Electioneering is carried on in a rather
unique manner by all the Indians. They
| give big picnics in the back woods. Here
| the candidates meet and debate on certain
subjects. II their temper gets the better
Of them, and it generally does, they fight
| 1t out. At a picnic given by the Chero-
| KEGS some five years ago three men were
| killed because Of the accusation by one
| that the other two were guilty Of stealing
| horses. Big feasts are held at these gath
erings the expenses being borne by the
| candidate who is elected. The bills are
never paid until after election; then the
winner takes them all into his office and
| gives vouchers on the government. So II
| is generally understood that the expenses
| Of the campaign are borne out Of the pub
lie funds. There is no such thing as taxa
| ton among the Indians, all Of their money
| coming from invested funds in the treas
| ury at Washington. 1t is the aim of the
! whole Indian populace not to keep this
money there, but to get hold Of as much
Of it possible. With that aim in view.
| they are apt to elect men who lay stress
on their ability as diplomats at Washing
| ton. An attorney in Tahlequah won q
100000 fee for securing big sum OF
money as an appropriation to the Indians.
| The Cherokees, Choctaws Chickasaws
Creeks and Seminoles each have their own
written laws. They each have their own
| council Of from fifteen to seventy members
| The Cherokees have sixty members to
| both the upper and lower house. There
| Is also supreme ana circuit court &c
each nation. often the Judge not being able
| to write his own name Politics counted
in these courts. district judge once con-
| victed an enemy of treason and sentenced
him to be hanged because the judge had
| a grudge against him. The mans crime
was nothing. He appealed to the United
States and was released. A favorite canard
| issued by each Of the parties in hot In.
| dian campaign Is to accuse some Of the
candidates Of favoring the sale Of their
country to the white men or the repeal OF
| the intermarriage law, which would allow
| all classes of white men to marry their
girls. Nothing is so likely to bring a can
| didate into disfavor as proof that he is at
heart a sympathizer with progress. The
fullbloods in a way dominate the election
| and shrewd bosses seek the favor of the
| fullbloods rather than the halfbreeds. All
| Of the Indian governments will have been
| abolished within three or four years, and a
unique class Of politicians have faded from
| view.
BOyd's and Vicinity.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
BOYD'S, Nd. November 10, 1901.
A couple Of car loads of steel have ar
rived here from the Nelson Buchanan Com