River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-08-06
PASSING OF CREEK NATION.
enlightened and Progressive Indians
Agree to Abandon Self
Government.

government.
The union party of the Creek nation,
of the Indian territory, has adopted the
| following platform, which its candidates
| have pledged to support in the coming
election in the Creek nation, says a re-
cent report:
| I'VE recognize, not without something
| of sadness and regret, the fact that we
stand to-day face to face with the even
ing twilight of the day of our political
| identity, and so short is our future with
| in which we may exercise the little au-
| thority left us, that no matter who shall
| be elected to the chieftaincy he can
| but foster and promote an administra-
| ton which in turn can do little other
| than bring to as speedy conclusion as
possible just and equitable settlement
of the landed and moneyed interests OF
our citizens in line with the policy of
the government, the wishes of the peo-
| pie, and the terms of existing agree
ments.
"To the Creeks, who have always been
governing and possessed a govern
ment originating so far back in the dim
and misty past that memory of man
runneth not to the contrary, it appears
| hardly credible that they may meet as
| they have in council to-day, and find
| it not worth their while to think or plan
for their future welfare and growth as
a distinct, separate and continuing ma
ton of Indians. Yet it is so. The proph-
ecies of the seers of our forefathers are
upon us, and we can but bend to that
which we see must be, with all the grace
| that our natures can bring to bear.
| Tinged with much of the unpleasant,
as are the reflections forced upon us in
these times, we do not forget that we
are men long since Injured to hardship
| and misfortune, men who must not
waste any time in idle commiseration or
repining over unpleasant conditions;
men in whose calculations despair can
| find no place, but men who believe in
and advocate the policy of bravery in
| facing conditions as they find them, and
| taking hold of and utilizing every means
| found at hand in the effort to secure
| the greatest good to the greatest num-
Der of our citizens In the promotion
terests, we believe in a strict compli-
ance with all the stipulations negotiated
with the United States as modified,
amended and supplemented from the old
treaty of 1890, down to and including
that approved June 20, 1902
eve believe in and insist on just
distribution of all our lands to our cit
liens, in accordance with appraisement
thereof made with reference only to their
surface value for purposes of agriculture
and home building, and not in accord
ance with the suspected existence of
| minerals therein. We desire that the cit
| liens be informed as soon as possible of
| the appraisement made of their respect
| i've allotmentS, as well as those remain
| ing unalIotted, in order that they may
select from such unallotted lands the
amount necessary to equaliZe their
shares with the standard provided in
existing agreements. Notwithstanding
occasional accounts to the contrary, it
is a fact that since the change in our
school system our people have lost in
terest in the education of the young of
the nation to such a deplorable degree
that there is now ample cause for more
than mere suspicion that the liberalfu
provided by the nation for this impor
tant interest is productive of little good,
aside from providing salaries and sup
port for persons installed as teachers and
officers of education.
eff our school system is to be con-
kinued, we believe it highly important
that the subject of inspiring interest
in our people in this important matter
should at once engage the serious
thoughts of those in authority. We be-
lieve that some plan of publicity sup
ported in part or wholly by the nation, at
least during it's life, should be main
tanned for the publication of all public
acts wherein the nation or individual
citizens are directly or otherwise in
terested With a reliable medium
through which the citizen reading the
Indian tongue only may inform himself,
he could be informed of all public mat
tiers that ought to be known to intelli-
gent citizens; he would know the rules
and regulations of the interior depart
ment concerning matters of vital inter-
est to him.
with such an agency of correct in
formation properly managed, it is
reasonable to believe that they would
not be so easily rent and disturbed as
they have been by the factional differ
ences that have resulted so disastrously
to the material interests of negroes, as
we'll as red men, nor, perhaps would so
many have suffered imprisonment.
While the union party believes in union
and fraternity with all good people, it
is for many valid reasons opposed to
any scheme to drag the Creek nation
into union with Oklahoma or with any
other territory not Indian for the pur-
pose of forming one state Of the union.
The question of statehood for the In
dian territory should be left to decision
fairly reached by the vote of those to
be governed by the proposed new crea-
ton"