Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1901-05-30
Wants No Agreement.

tninB, IN nhlufal Ofder, 10 Rl
ways antecedent TO the thing IL
self If you do not need thing
YOU he'd better let it alone. Fire
find out whether you need an ar
licle, or not; and il you do, ther
Ego for it,"
There was q man in story once
like lhi-: He was an inveterat,
palronizer of public auctions Tn,
ohtapness at which the thing,
generally went always tempted
him to buy, and he bought, and
bought, as long as he had a cent
to spend, and without regard Ia
the utility OF his purohases. Ia
reply to any question on that
point, he would simply ,"well,
it will be OF use sometime. His
wife had no patience with that
kind of speculation, and objected
to it frequently and sometimes
very empbatically.
This man, one day, brought
home an old dIngy wig which he
had bought at the auction. "See
here, wife" said he, "what I've
golj | gave only a shilling for IT,.
twill be Of USE" Before he
had time to fioish his usual apol.
ogy, the woman, infuriated NJ the
folly of her foolish husband,
shrieked out, "Usel" "ussli
"You wbelpl" and, flying at him
with both hands, was no time in
spreading The badness Of his fore
head all over the top of his skull.
Ar'r the furry was over, the poor
fellow picked up the old wig aud,
drawing it down over his naked
pate, muuered subouedly, II was
just going to tell you it would be
OF use sometime The wife,
whose wrath was still at white
heat, retorted cJntemptuously,
Eyes; you will find it Of some use
now, bat you could have got along
much better without il, il you
hadn't been looll"
This story illustrates first rate
the practice Of our treaty men.
They are always great for treaties;
but, when asked what need there
is for treaty they can give none,
none at present; they only hope
that it will De of use sometime 10
the future. And it is pretty Ger.
tain that, if we DO make treaty,
it will serve very good purpose
to meet The new conditions
brought in upon ms by the very
making Of the treaty itself; that is
to say. the old wig will be a useful
article when our heads have been
peeled as the result OF our own
folly; aud not before.
NJ; there is no visible need of
treaty; none, mean to say, that
reason aud good conscience can en-.
dorse. A treaty simply means
concession; that is a voluntary re.
of a large portion OF
our oil guaranteed rights for no
other consideration than a similar
precarious guarantee for the bal.
anoe. This concession is ostensi.
bly, made to the government Of the
United States; but in fact, though
indirectly, 10 II few powerful pri.
vate powers whose good will it is
deemed to be good policy to court
The government takes her stand |
between US and those private pow
ers She tells us, speaking
through the Curtis law aud her
organs at Washington,
that We may have the privilege, il
we choose, Of making these con.
cessions voluntary by means Of an
agreement; bni, If we fail to do 80,
these same concessions will be ex-
.orted from Us by tbs slrong arm
Of executive power.
As we have said, there is no
rational call for an agreement;
here is no disputed point in the
problem requiring a settlement, OF
A resort to a compromise. Our
title to our lands, (every inch of
.hem,) u as clear as sunbeam.
There il nothing needed in the
but simply an executive
lot Of divisional fair allotment of
he property. This is what the
Curtis law professes to do; and we
1aye nothing TO do but stand still
md note the work as it goes on
Il the property is all divided, Civ.
ng every citizen an equal share
Without distinction, that wi,l be
IN everlasting end of the matter.
But il the government should, as
threatened by the Curtis law take,
without our consent, a few mil
ions worth Of cur lands al d SCI
/ apart for townsites, or any other
peculalive purpose. we can not,