Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1901-190?, 1902-11-18
WANTS UNITED ACTION
Principal chief Burlington Insists on IL
for Estnblishing Home Rule

Principal chief Burlington Insists on it
for Estnbiishing Home Rule
Chief Bunington's message to the
Cherokee council was replete with much
good advice and common sense. Among
the things he said is the following:
"The cycle of time has added another
year to our existence as a people, and
stamped the unmistakable marks Of de-
cline and defamation upon our tribal
government. One by one the attributes
Of Indian sovereignty have been wrested
from us and the exercise of that su-
preme power 10y the great and powerful
government of the United States has
been introduced in its stead. Every po-
itical innovation affects most power
fully our property rights and when the
.wo are intimately connected, entwined
and inseperable, conditions will ever be
complicated, serious and perpleXing.
Owing to the state of affairs and the
resultant pecuniary loss to every citizun
by further delay, our consent to II
,hango became apparent to II majority
IF the Cherokee people, and this abso-
lutte necessity was consummated on
Aug. last, by the ratification of the
"Iime Is the prime requisite for the
application of its provisions. By its
terms our communal interests will be
ndividualized. The system of land
tenure goes from national to person
al ownership. The result of this method
makes every Cherokee citizen land
lord. Under such an arrangement vir
gin soil will be placed in "A state of cul-
tivation and lands already III farms
will be improved by more careful till
age. The produce of the land is the
principal if not the sole source of pri-
vate accumulation, revenue and wealth
Of every country. In the past laad has
been priced by our people principally
for the pasturage 1t afforded their herds
and have valued our domain ON account
Of its natural growth. Now the Chero-
KEGS are rapidly turning from IA pastoral
to an agricultural people and are pro
1uclng an abundance of wheat, corn,
cotton, fruits and vegetables.
"By the adoption of the act of con-
gress approved July last, every citizen
receives lands equal in valuation to ITO
his or her allotment, forty acres of
which is "a homestead, inalienable for
twenty one years, and the remainder in
alienable for five years. There are ex-
ceptional cases and conditions OH
which such restrictions are burdensome,
for which it might be wise to make pro-
vision for removal by supplemental
agreement, but land being the chief
source of sustenance to mankind-the
main support and stay of governments,
for the safety of the present generation
and security to posterity, our people
should not, even If restrictions are re-
moved part with the soil soon to be IL
1ividualized and thereby render them
selves homeless.
"The proper course to pursue in order
90 have some weight and prestige i'll
moulding the government of this coun-
try after ours is gone, is a subject OF
the greatest vital concern to every Cher
Dkee citizen. The Indians occupy pc
ouiiar and trying attitude i'll the present
governmental conditions, and will con-
tinue in such position for some years at
least. Being the owners of the land,
their interests must necessarily vary to
q noticeable degree from that of citi-
zen of the United States and non-citl-
zens, whose rights must be respected, e,
and whose concern for the future vel
fare of the country deserves considera-
tion. 1t can safely be said without fear
of contradiction, that citizens and non
citizens unite in the recognition of the
| difference between federal and state
government, usually called "home rule, +"
which they desire to secure with all its
accruing benefits, and hand it down to
posterity Red, white and black must
acknowledge that a smouldering hatred
and racial alleniations are a menace to
the strength and happiness of any peo-
| Pile. In order to obtain and establish Il
government in that high minded pro-
portion that characterizes the states
surrounding us, the inhabitants of this
country must put aside all race preju-
dices, be one people and strive for a
common cause. No great political re-
form or innovation can be successful
without united effort and concerted
action. If there ever was time i'll the
history of our country that demands a
grand, harmonious movement to the
end that government be st cured for
the people and by the people at the
earliest practical moment, that time is