Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1901-03-07
THE GOVERNMENT
Is Robert l. Owen, so he States in
Communication to The Chief
tain, in which he Ridicules
the Intelligence OF the Chero.
kee Council.


ing misled by the various unjust
on the Eeaslern Chero.
KEGS and their attorneys, think it
my duty to present in plain,
straightforward manner the po
silion of the Eastern Cherokees.
The Slade Bender report found
due with interest 81, Ill ,2S4.70 un.
der the 10th article of the treaty
Of 1885 as the balance Of the five
fund. Under article 10
the money is payable per capita to
the Eistern CherUkees. Under
article 8, treaty 1916, it is payable
per capita to the Eastern Chero.
KEGS. Under The Halsell Turner
bill the Cherokee National coun.
Gil enacted that when collected it
should be paid out to The persons
entitled thereto under article 9.
treaty 1916, that is to the Eastern
Cherokees These eastern Chero-
KEGS are resident in Chero.
kee nation, in North Carolina and
elsewhere in the union. The
Eastern Chernkees" Of North
Carolina are duly organized and
have employed their own altOrn.
eys. The Eastern Cnerukees
of the Chrokee nation at first
organized under the auspices Of
the Keetoowhah society, an asso-
citation which comprises from
1900 to 1900 Eastern Chero
KEGS. The organization Vas regu.
lar in every respect aud have the
full proof in my possession. They
had a right to organize. Their
first council was called and organ.
lied without my advice, after that
| did advise and help thom. be.
cause they were right. II was
their duty to organic because of
The incOmpetency of the Cherokee
National government, which for
live years made no proper effort TO
collect the money, which allowed
the Dockery amendment without
attention to pass March 2, 1895,
sending the Slade. Bender account
ing to the attorney general with
instruction 20 allow no comDula.
lion of interest; which allowed At.
torney General Judsou Hartman to
give an adverse opinion Decem.
Der ? 1895, without any appear
ance in behalf of he Eistefn Cher
okees, and then spent five years
squabbling over who should aud
who should not represent the pay.
ment Of the claim.
The Curtis act forbade the pres.
snt Cherokee nation to receive any
Of her own public money even in
small amounts aud why should
The + sstern Cherokees hope that
The discredited Cherokee nation
would be permitted to receive as
trustee for The Eastern Cherokees,
or in any other capacity, the huge
sum Of 81, 500, 600.
The Eastern Cterokees saw
what the Cherokee National coun.
Gil could not realize and that was
that the national council vas not
able to defend itself u.uch less to
defend the Eastern Cnerokees.
The act appointing Halsell aud
Turner was ridiculous If these
gentlemen had known anything
about conditions, they would not
have accepted such an act They
should have known that the act
would be vetoed by the president,
but the council thought II was
doing right and go perhaps did
Halsell and Turner. and the East
ern Cherokees have no quarrel
with them but are trying, ia a sen
sible way, to att,nd 10 their owD
business
When We engaged in the contest
the first step was 10 establish har.
monious relations with the attora.
eys OF the Eastern Cherokees Of
North Carolina, with General NJ.
O. Butler aud bis associates, 70 as
TO ayuid friction in management.
The case was pressed with vigor.
Five different memorials were sub.
mitted TO congress and thousands
of copies distributed among Ike
Cherokee people for their informa.
tion as well as ia Washington
City. BY letters, interviews in-
Vulnerable, by newspaper articles,
by arguments before committees,
ct cetera, every effort was made.
The memorials made a volume Of
two hundred and twenty eight
pages Of very closely printed mat.
ter. We were confident and full
OF hope until the Cherokee Ma.
lional council, in answer to our
prayer for support, submitted TO
them Immediately after they met