The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1905-08-05
INDIAN VIEW
OF STATEHOOD
Would Knock Thunder Out oil
the Carpetbaggers.

form a state embracing only the Five
! Civilized Tribes and the Quapav
agency. They hark back TO the treaty
of 1885. The government did not
then-nor has it since-treat witt
the tribes collectively. Tha.
treaty promised us Cherokees that
without our consent the government
would not put us under the control OF
any state or territory; not that We
should be the sole ones to dictate the
formation Of a future state. Constrne
that treaty as these gentlemen see it,
and If we were stubborn we would in.
sist that our less than five millions OF
acres should have two United States
senators.
In 1885 the Five Tribes controlled
all OF the present Indian Territory,
Oklahoma, the Cherokee Strip in Kan
sas, the neutral lands and the Quapaw
agency.
We sold all Of the last named with
out any stipulations as to statehood.
1t is not logical TO say, after cutting
the area down to about one-third OF
the average Of states west OF the Mis-
sissippi, that we are entitled to thrice
the representation in the Senate that
our neighbors have, If taken colIec-
lively, or five pygmies with ten sena-
tors.
They also insist, contrary to rule Of
the construction OF the statutes, which
says they must be construed strictly
and without interpolations) that
when the Dawes commission was au-
thorized to negotiate SO as to include
the lands Of the Five Tribes IN a state
or states, that ii meant state lines to
embrace only tribal lands.
Under that law they could have d.
yided us between Kansas, Arkansas,
Texas and Oklahoma, or merged Us
with either. But had the word .'only"
been inserted In the Law we let oppor-
tunity slip If we wanted separate state
hood, because IN all our negotiations
we never named a successor.
Opr tirst commission to meet Dawes
fatty refused to do anything except to
draw five dollars a day, whether at
work or at play or asleep. The next
made an agreement accepted by US
and unanimously rejected by congress.
The third submitted an agreement
thai we rUDudiated. Neither men
toned statehood. Then the present
agreement, not mentioning statehood,
was ratified by those who voted.
So we left Congress to place us some
where, and no man can logically say
any agreement as to statehood has
been broken, whatever Congress does,
They ignore the law which made us
Indians citizens OF the United States,
thus placing us exactly on level with
III other citizens Of the Union residing
IN this territory, thus destroying the
dea that we Indians only should have
voice about a future for US all. or
course, we get our pro rata Of tribal
ands and money, but in all things
Use we stand on a dead level with the
whites and the blacks
believe, If it were submitted to a
'ote, that three-fourths OF all the resi-
Tents Of this territory would vote for
lnicn with Oklahoma. The other fell
ows evidently so think, also, else they
would not contend that the voice OF
IS Indians alone should be potent, or,
Then merged with a minority Of
Whites that urblOodand landss should
numbers and all other prop
rty.
Oklahoma, with its Institutions al
eady built, with s4l2, 900 from school
lnds, yearly, and license from / 800
ar rooms and all Of its land taxable.
} forced to pay GA mills for territory
nd Is mills for county purposes, in
lost counties. We, with no school
lnds, no license from bar rooms; with
lillions Of dollars worth Of lands held
y us Indians not taxable for five T
ears, and homesteads not taxable for
years, If we attempt equal
with Oklahoma, would
ave to double or TRIBE Oklanoma's ?
lxes under a separate state govern
lent Few would care to burden :
lemselyes three dollars per hundred
xtra taxation on account Of senti- :
ient hatred, fads, or to crafty the -
nbition Of men who believe they eaa 4
1vern only a limited area =
The two-statefs say they viii re- !
Iove an restrictions and TAX Indian :
nds, thus placing themselves IN the