The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-12-17


my silence has not been caused by
dearth of incidents, but rather fear
that among so many happenings,
l should fail to grasp those of most
general and widespread interest.
The individual allotment of land
among the Cherokees began January
LIST OF the present year, and some 8, 900
filings had been made when the Land
Office was suddenly, and without a
word of warning or explanation,
closed The cause Of the closing is yet
unknown, although charges of fraud,
and collision between the officers of
the Davis Commission and various
land, tlust and loan companies are
freely made. Mr.. Brusius, an agent
for the Indian Rights Association,
was che first to formulate charges in
his report to the society, and su bse
quent investigation in few minor
cases, has proved the truth of his
charges.
But little attention is paid to the
charges brought against the high
officials of the commission, as it is
beyond the bounds OF probability that
gentlemen of unqestioned integrity
and probity at home should prove
recreaDt to the trust confided to them
in the territory and for the sake of
few paltry dollars, should sully reputa-
tious acquired by long years OF honest
living No one doubts the honesty
and we'll meaning of the Ind ian
Rights Association, but it is liable to
mistakes, and in the past has made
many. 1t is given to arriving at con-
illusions of it's own and publishing them
in its annual reports as facts; it as.
sumes the role of prosecutor, judge
and jury, and if allowed would no
doubt assume the executive functions
also. A few years ago it tried and
passed JUDGMENT in the Delaware
Cherokee land contention, and anyone
cognizant Of the facts is aware that
its influence was given to Dick Adams,
who bears the appelation OF King of
Grafters.
The third of last August witnessed
the last election for Chief to be held
in the Cherokee nation. There are
two parties here, the Nationalist,
consisting of the full FLOODS, and
those Oherokees who, under the lead
ership of the celebrated Chief. John
Russ, held to the Union during the
civil war, and the DowniDgists who
during the war followed the stars
and bars of the Confederacy. The
former corresponds to the Republican,
the latter to the Democratic, party.
The Downing party succeeded in elect
ing its candidate, Bill Rogers, who
will be the last Chief of the Cherokee
Republic. E. L. Cookson. the Ma
tional candidate, is perhaps the ablest
man in the nation and a man of I'M
questioned integrity. His life has
been devoted to the uplifting of his
people, and it was appointment
to all who have the bes6 interests of
the Indians at heart that he failed of
election.
His defeat was caused by the ignor-
ance of the full-bloods who refrained
from voting. Some attorney from
Washington, d. O., has for years been
making semi-annual assessments upon
them for the purpose of securing the
fulfllment of an old treaty entered
into between King George III and the
Cherokees prior to the Revolution,
guaranteeing to them undisputed pos
session of all lands lying between the
Allegheny Mountains and the Missis-
sippi river. This year he told them
if they voted it would be looked upon
as ratifying the last treaty entered
United States government, and the
old treaty would become void and of no
effect. The full-bloods, those who
cannot read English, believe the
words of this CRATER, and for years
have been paying him between $l6.-
900 and $50, 900 per annum.
1t would be amusing, were it not
pitiful, to see how the full-bloods
work and scrape in order to secure
the amount of their assessment.
There seems to be DO law by which
to secure the punishment of such
shysters and protect the ignorant full
bloods. However, the white man is
not the only CRATER. Some of the
indians have it down to the queens
taste. An acquaintance OF mine had
for twenty years been carrying on
the citizenship rolls, acting as guar
dian and drawing all payments for
nineteen citizens who had no existence
except in his fertile brain. He is a
full blood and was caught up with
last only month. During one pay
ment he secured So, 600 on his forged
names. Another Cherokee, who bids
fair TO rival Pierce of Buffalo fame,
is Oogalah, the medicine man of this
place. l was in his office, regular