The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-09-06
APPEAL TO PRESIDENT
ChOctaw and ChiCkasha Ma
tionS lSnue an Address.
ASK FOR AN INVESTIGATION
Resolutions Adopted to This
Specific End.


address has been issued to Theodore
Roosevelt, President Of the United States
the Congress of the United States, the
committee on Indian affairs, the Indian
Rights Association. and ali other parties
interested in the welfare of the Indians
whom we represent, by the Choctaw and
Chickasha nations:
We, the delegates and representatives
OF the members of the Choctaw and
Chickasha Nation, in convention assem-
bled, at Atoka, Choctaw Nation, Indian
Territory, August 49, 1903. in pursuance
TO a call regularly issued for such con-
Vention by the Hon. Jacob B. Jackson as
chairman of the former convention, after
due deiiberation do submit for your con-
sideration, and demand your hearty CO.
operation in an investigation and the
granting of immediate relief pertaining
to the matters and things hereinafter
specified.
Whereas: In our judgment a grevious
mistake has been made by the Interior
Department in the matter of aPpraising
our lands. in innumerable instances the
lands being wrongfuliy or mistakably
classified or appraised in many instances
above their true as compared with other
lands, and IN many cases too low as com
pared with other lands, and as a whole
the lands given to the Chickasaw freed
men and to be paid by the government
being appraised at not to exceed one
fourth their real value. thus giving us
but one-fourth of what we are justly en-
titled to, and all of which resulting in a
great wrong and detriment TO our people
individually and collectiveIy-som in
stances being where one. two and three
grades OF land are ali appraised at the
same price
Whereas; by the terms of the Atoka
Agreement, proclaimed August 81, 1895 it
was agreed that the money arising from
the sale of town lots should be paid to
the members of our tribe per capita, an
nuaIly, commencing one year from the
date of said treaty; all Of which obliga-
tons have been violated by the secretary
of the interior refusing to pay any part
thereof to our members, many of whom
arc penniless. cripples, blind and dying
Of actual starvation, when the distribu-
ton of said funds could greatly relieve
them and make them secure from the
stringent contracts many of them are
forced to make with non-citizens. when
there is at present il the treasury of the
I.1ited States an amount of money suf-
fcient to pay to each member of our
tribes fifteen C$15) dollars, and have a
sufficient surplus to protect the govern
ment against the claims of all other per-
soias, all of which money is not drawing
interest. and which money, in our opin-
ion. viii be used to pay the attorneys
for the Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations
a fee TO be fixed by the Citizenship court
no part of which said attorneys are en-
titled to. they having been fully paid for
ell services performed with monies ex-
pended out Of the treasures of the Choc-
taw and Chickasaw Nation. Our fears
for this are based upon the provisions
of the Indian Appropriation Bill approved
on the third day of March, 1903. which
reads as follows, to-wit:
THAT upon the final determination
OF cases within the jurisdiction of said
Citizenship Court said court may fix
reasonable compensation to the attor-
nreys employed by contract. dated jan
uary seventeenth. nineteen hundred
and one. with the Choctaw and Chick
asaw Nations, and such compensa-
tlon shall be made irrespective of the
rate fixed in said contract between
said attorneys and said Nation. or
either OF them, unless the same shall
have received the approval of the Sec
rotary of the Interior. And upon
the final determination OF said cases
by said Citizenship Court the Treas
urere of the United States is hereby
directed to pay To said attorneys on
the warrant or warrants drawn by
the Secretary of the Interior the
amount of such compensation out OF
any funds I'm the Treasury belonging
TO the said nations. And the existence
OF the Choctaw and Chickasaw Citi-
zsnship Court is hereby extended until
December thirty-frst. nineteen hun
dred and four"
Whereas; there is at present an organ 4
ized effort being made TO secure legis- I
Iation by the council Of the Choctaw T
and Chickasaw Nation To ratify and CON
firm the scheme laid in the Indian Appro- i
priation Bill and thus defraud our mem
bers and nations of their money III an
amount not less than two million (s2. Co.,
OOo) dollars; and
Whereas: we have been informed that +
the Secretary Of the Interior has approx
ed. or signihed his willingness 10 approve.
the most ubiquitous agreement referred 10 /
in said Indian Appropriation Bill: and
Whereas: at the date of the ratification
of the Atoka Agreement the Secretary of (
the Interior was large stakeholder in
coal companies operating in the Choctaw
Nation. and he with many OF his close
friends were greatly interested in the
question of royalties required TO be paid
by such coal Company TO the Nation.
and in the drafting of said AtoSa Agree
ment required a power therein 10 be
given the Secretary of the Interior to
reduce the royalty upon coal mined by
such companies as he might deem proper
and followed the ratification Of that
agreement by an immediate reduction OF
the royalty to an amount equal 10 abo,a
one-half Of the royalty specified IN the
Atoka Agreement in one years time. and
that he is stin interested in the
welfare Of the local operators. such in
terest being liable 10 result ia the crea-
ton Of the largest trust in the west. and
to the detriment and at the expense or
our people by selling our coal lands. in
gliding he surface. under the provisions
% the supplementary agreement. which.
In our Judgment. are 50 loose. SO indef-
mite and uncertain and which vest in
The Secretary such absolute power. Jhat
we have no protection against wrong.
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