The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1904-09-08

EUTAU1AA; Laws enacted b. the
Choctaw nation IN 1884. have Just
been discovered BY the Dawes com.
mission. The laws are direct ana
stripped of all unnecessary verbiACA
and In them collectively IL . sense Of
equity and Justice that could be prodt.
ably followed by many OF tho Judges
Of today. In . word, and with an sp.
ology for the slang, the laws abound
In horse sense.
One of the first laws relates to the
killing of witches. For witchcraft,
the penalty was death, and for allsg-
ing ones self to be a witch or for
saying that any other person was one
was punishable by 60 lashes on the
bare back.
In the same year q law yas pass.
ed making verbal Wills valid when
witnesses were present. It was in
the session of the same council that
q formal marriage ceremony was ad'
opted. This ceremony was as fol-
lows: "Do you take this woman
whom you hold by the right hand to
be your wife?" To the woman, DO
you take this man 70 be your hus.
band?" These words. spoken by IN
Indian Judge or preacher. followed BY
the words: II pronounce you man
and wife," This completed the cere
mony. The man was required to ans
wer "yes," but the law said that the
woman might answer yes or be silent.
Either was considered as consent.
The law stipulated that no doctor
could take the money or any part OF
the belongings Of patient he treated
II the patient died. II the patient
was raised up from sick bed, then
the doctor could accept what was OF
fered him, and II nothing was offered,
then he could take In goods what WA
his just compensation.
In 1884 the Choctaw council passed
an act which made person who bar
gained to sell any Of tho ChoctaW
land Q traitor and punishable BY
death. Any white man who encour
aged such action was to be depofted
from the nation. This law was Oh.
served by all Indian tribes. and at
the great council Of all the tribes here
in 1895 there was incorporated in the
articles of confederation clause
which made q traitor Of any Indian
who, in any manner, agreed to segre
cation of their lands. An Indian who
sold or disposed of land, either to In
dividuals or to the United States in
toto should be considered . traitor
and shot on conviction. This wal
just preceding the work of the Dawes
commission.
In 1884 q law was passed destroy,
ing the Indian custom of marrying
their own clan. It had been the Gus
tom among the Indians for members
Of clan never to marry out of that
clan. The result was that there
grew up in the midst OF one tribe %
many distinct clans as to be almost
q different tribe in each clan. This
law was to make the tribe more cos.
mopolitan within itself. It was not
until 1910 that the judges of Indian
courts were ordered to keep records.
No trading house or store was al
lowed established with three miles
of an Indian school, and persons who
were guilty of cutting down hickory
or pecan trees for the nuts were sub
ject to q fine of $3.50 for each Of
tense.
A law compelling all white men
who had been living with Choctav
women to marry them at once was
passed In 1S49. It was provided,
however, that no white man who Dad
q bad reputation could marry .
Choctaw woman. It was In this same
year that an act was passed prohibit
jn1 UO1v1amY