The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-11-17
THE caERoKEE's WEALTH.
The Nation Once the Richest on the
 American Continent
,dian Territnrvl Democrat.


 Tusla Qndian Territory) Democrat.
 Until 1899 the Cherokees occupied a arge tract of land in the State Of Geor- sia. In that year the younger ana more progressive members of the tribe peutioh-
 President Jefferson to allow them 10
 emove west of the Mississippi River, to which territory they were attracted py illuring stories of the prevalence or BuI- ,alo. antelope and other wild game. m
 february, 1909, President Jenerson gave ais assent and considerable number moved across the Mississippi into Arkan- sas and made a settlement. The migratlon
 continued year after year until lsld one third of the tribe had crossed the rlVsr. In that year a treaty was made with tA Western Chsrokees whereby they were given a reservation in the Territory or rrkansas and their trihal annuities were .iYide proportionately between the East- yrn and Western bands. In 1928 those west of the Mississippi River pushed on froms their Western homes into the in- dian Territory, and succeeded in making q treaty with the Federal government,
 yhereby they were given a reservation consisting of seven million acres Of lana and an outlet to their hunting grounds ? far as the Jurisdiction of the United States existed The outlet comprised ra tract of land amounting to between SIX and seven million acres. In lS3o another treaty was made between the government and those Cherokees residing in the State If Georgia, whereby they were to move
 
 upon the reservation provided sfprsin the
 reaty of 1S2S They were also tp receive m additional compensation for ther Eastern land of $3 GOO. GOO which was paid hem and formed a trust fund which is low held by the Federal government.
 Not content with their landed rights, the Cherokee nation, in 1855, purchased a tract of land in Kansas. which included the territory partially embraced in Craw- ford county. amounting to 3O0,0W acres and known as the Cherokee neutral lands in Kansas For this they paid S50O.0OO from the proceeds of their lands in Georgia.
 In 1896 the Cherokees owned approxi- mately H,000,0 900 acres of land. They had In the treasury a trust fund of A.5OO.OoO At that time the membership of the tribe was estimated at 10000 people, which would have been about 800 acres of the finest land in the West and $225 in money ger capita.
 The dissipation of this vast property has occurred since 1866. In that year treaty was neg )tiated with the tribe by representatives of the Federal govern ment for the sale of the outlet embrac- ing 7.000.n00 acres of land for the purpose of enabling the government to lecate thereon neutral tribes of Indians. Under that treaty they sold 1. 100000 acres to the Osages for 75 cents per acre (the land in rluded in the present Osage reservation). 11A O00 acres to the Raw tribe for 75 cents per acre. and the remainder to the gov erument at H. per acre.
 In 1868 another treaty was negotiated under which they gold neutral lands Tn Kansas consisting of S00,GOO acres for VI per acre. In 1890 another treaty was ne- gotiated whe -eby they sold 100000 to the reueraI Severnr1eut which was known as the Cherokee outlet at $1.50 per acre.
 The tota, s'lm of these sales aggregates % 2'5 n0O Where has this money gone? It has been squandered pillaged and stolen hy dishonest officers and the people of The tribes have never received one dollar in benefit The landed rights of the individual .s-I.. FN.nrN SOO per capits to approXims tely 12O acres Their trust fund established in 1885. afpaunt!rR to S5.0O0,000 which has been | hcaring interest at per cent per an. | runi bnS becn encrOs chF1 upcn untl todag there are but S. 3oO.OoO left There are outstanding in the cherok % nation S1o0.06n in wlrracts and no funds in the | tribal treasury -I liquidate this indebt- edr"ss This reduces their actual cash holdings to $},70o.OOO
 The dsnosiN " c: tn" Ch~r'E"s IFn'd 1 Is incomprehensihle. It seems almost mi- 1 raculaus that Sl0.000,0O0 could have been | squa ndered by the officials of the tribe | in twenty-five years without the people | of the nation understanding what was going on. In addition to these funds the tribe has been receiving annual revenue far ir excess of its actual expendltures s; l had the government been administered | upon au economic al basis. It was this | prpaliing condition of affairs that com pelIcd the Federal government in lSsh to enact what IS known as the CuIllS INV | and which deprived the Cherokee nation of practically all the power of self-gev- ernment. Tn 10 that time the leg!s 'atlve | councils held at Tahlequah. were probably | the most corrupt legislative meetings eyer held upon the American continent | The simplest bill had to he accompanied | by adeouatc funds in order to secure it's | enactment into law. Bills were passed l adopting people into the tribe, no matter whether they had ever been residents of l the nation or not, provided a suitable com | Ter sation was handed out to the leGisat ors. In this way thousands of names were | admitted to the tribal rolls, and when l subsequent efforts were made to l&'ge tho | rolls of these ihterlOrers, it resulted in | still greater scandals. Appropriations were made to pay what was known as the Cherokee Freedmen for their rights | in the tribe and get rid of them. The | money thus appropriated was divided | among tho corrupt fl1iala and attorneys, and only a minority portion was ever
 paid over to those for whom it fas in 1 tended.
 Had the Cherokea people needed the advice and counsel of ex-Governor sam uel T. Crawford of Kansas they would
 own today the 7ooo, GSr acres of land in- | Cluded in the outlet. In that year the
 memhers of the tribe came and consulted | Mir. Crawford In regard to the disposi-
 tor of their lands. which was being
 str' ngly urged by th% white people of that
 section who were ci<morous to securA
 rAssession of than. Governor Crawford advised against the sale of the lands, and l recommended to the members of the tribe l Tn the city that they return home and | pass an act through their council pro- l viding for the allotment of the land in tho l Cherokee outlet to their own citizens. pnd | the issuance of the patents by the tribe | to the individual members. The deleRa- l tion returned home, but again the cor rUntiorists. who Swarmed down upon l 'FahleCuah like a flock of buzzards around Carcas7. nnrceivirq that the only way in which they could enhance their t0diyidUal fCrtupe was bv the negotia a- 'iors of sale, secure he defeat of tha legislation sought and later succeed in of the nrn0ertv The fact that not one dollar of this money now remains to the credit of the tribe will illustrate the req son for th air opposition
 It is this condition of affairs that has existed in the nation that has disgusted the Federal government with the Cher0- koe representatives, and strengthened tho dterm'n tiOn of the ScrJearv O1 the Tn tcrior to not only enforce the Curtis act but also to divest the local officers of all power which they have in the past exercised. Secretary Hitchcock realizes that unless the Federal government in terferes the people of the nation will soon become p9Ipers dependent upon the gov ernmnt for their sustenance. It is this that has caused him to inaugurate a ne'v policy against which the Cherokee ofi- ciAls are not ente"ug vigorous protests
 THE BIoGRAPH FAD.
 London Society Women Find a New