Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1901-09-26
The Commercial Club of
Purcell Present Strong
Petition,
100000 PEoPL E
Claim Protection Under the Con
stitution Of the United States
and Assert That They Are
Being Taxed Without Repre-
sentation.

Aho ObuhuutiOibi OluD Oi IuTCtll, 4,
Indian Territory, has broken si-
lenoe by an elaborate petition
asking congressional relief from
the untoward conditions that pre-.
vail in the Indian country. II
says in part;
"The right OF the people peace.
ably to assemble and petition the
government is declared aud war.
ranted by the FIRST amendment to
the constitution; to this sacred
document we appeal. II is inher.
ent within us to resist, by lawful
means, every attempt to encroach
upon our rights and liberties, and
we cannot but suppose that the
language Of men, Jealous of their
freedom, can possibly be unwel.
come to your ears. The flag of
the United States is hoisied over
our jails, yet, this far.famed signal
ot liberty to all, TO US alone, OK.
hibits a gloomy appearance and
makes us more sensible of the i'm.
measurable interval between us
and political happiness. May we
De no longer doomed, like the
prisoners OF Venice, to read liberty
on the walls Of prisons. We trust
to your wisdom and goodness; you
are the guardians Of our conslilu.
tional rights, aud we repose our
hopes in you, as in the sanctuary
of honor.
Taxation without Representa-.
ton, and obligation to obey laws.
without any voice in their forma.
tion; the undue influence of the
executive upon legislative pro.
ceeding and a dependent judiciary
formed, we believe, very promi.
nent artices in the list of griev.
ances complained of by the United
States at the commencement o. its
glorious contest for freedom. The
opposition to them, even by force,
was deemed meritorlous and pa.
triolic, and the rights upon which
that opposition was founded were
termed fundamental, indefeasible.
seii-evident and eternal; they
formed as your country then
unanimously asserted the only
rational basis on which govern.
ment could rest They were so
plain, it was elded, as to be
understood by the weakest under.
standing; not capable Of alienation.
they might be always reclaimed,
unacceptable Of change, they were
the same at all times, in all eli.
mates and under all circumstances;
and the fairest Inheritance lor
our posteriiy, should never, it was
firmly asserted, they should never
be abandoned, but with life.
"These were sentiments of your
predecessors; were they wronei
Were the patriots who composed
your councils mistaken in their
political principles? Did the he.
roes who died in their defense seal
false creed with their blood? No,
they were not wrong. The ad.
miration Of the world, the respect
still paid to the living, the vener,
alton accorded to the memory Of
the dead, attest the purity of theiI
principles aud proves the truth Of
those maxims which rendered
their lives blessing to Their
country, and their deaths glorious
in ils defense,
care truths, then, so well
f1unded, so universally aoknowl
eyed, inapplicable only to US? Do
political axioms on the Atlantic
become problems, when trans,
ferred to the shores Of The Missis
sippi (Indian Territory? ar,
the unfortunate Inhabitants o
these regions the only people whC
are excluded from those eaua
rights acknowledged 10 your Dec
laralion Of Independence, repeat
ed in The different state oonslitu
tions and ratified by that Of which
we claim to be a member2 Where
we ask, respectfully, where is In,
circumstance that is 10 exclude ue
from a participation in these
rlgbtHl'
Natural Resources Of the Territory
"The coal fields Of the Indiar
territory are unlimited in extent
and the coal, in quality, unsur
passed, but by reason Of the arbi
trary action Of the government o
the United States, are as yet, prac
tically undeveloped. In The Creel
nation, under the late treaty, th,
oil, coal and mineral rights follow
the land and belong to the allottee
who occupies and possesses III,
land, yet this alloitee is denied tn,
right TO lease his mineral. or ever