The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1906-07-27
A CHOCTAWS' VIEWS
Gives His Reasons Fer the Indian Be-
ing a Democrat

A prominent and influential
Chickasaw Indian writes to the
McAlister Capital giving his rea-
sons for the conclusion that the
Indian should not be republican,
as follows:
! thank you for the opportun-
ity to talk through your paper to
the Indian people / have never
been a democrat or a republican.
As a member Of my tribe my inter
est in politics has only been in
tribal affairs. These days are now
gone and ! am glad Of it.
You ask me to state why think
the Indian should not be repub-
lican. For one I believe the re-
publican party has sought to re-
duce tfe Indians, destroy his iden-
ity and crowd him from the lands
given him by sacred treaty with
the great federal government. The
experience Of our tribe in making
treaties has proven no friendship
from Secretary Hitchcock. He has
attempted to make pigmies out Of
our governors. He has denied
their authority to carry out treaty
provisions. He is now holding
back deeds to our land that should
have been delivered in person by
the governors of the Choctaw and
the chickasaw nations. Our pro-
tests have fallen fat. He ordered
the deeds already delivered by our
governors returned TO him for ap-
prevail This approval business
has been going on for years. The
roll could have been closed years
ago had it not been for Hitchcock
and Bixby. The Dawes commits
sion wanted fat jobs to hand out.
They piled on more red tape and
more clerks and each year Hitch
cock would order their work done
over. No Indian has known when
he would get his patent or when
he would be segregated. We do
not understand why the pine lands
were held from allotment for so
long time and then suddenly re-
leased. There are many questions
never answered, all OF which have
been raised by our people. Had
the federal courts Composed of
republicans) loaded us down with
fraudulent citizens we would have
been richer by $75o,ooo, the
amount paid to save our estate
from these socalled citizens.
Wnen an Indian gets into trouble
he finds no friend in the federal
courts. Our jails have been filled
by poor full bloods who did not
know the law and had no money
to hire attorneys, yet they were
rich in land held up by Hitchcock.
In somy of the federal courts they
have been giving preference to
companies who want to control
the lands of Indian minors. /
know of cases where these guard
Ians are treating their wards as if
they were animals, although these
wards have lots of rich land.
These courts have no interest in
our children.
The federal courts have never
recogniznd the Indian as worthy
of confluence. Now these judges,
as politicians. want our vote for
the republicans.
Hitchcock he is called a geod re-
publican. He is kept in power by
4 great republican. If that is the
standard I know where / will stand
[ want to show just how much
ietest Hitchcock and his party.
They tell me things will change
,ut 1 know if the republicans in
Oower now can change their ways
lfter they leave the federal gov
:rnment Offices it will be for the
worst, for they dare not be much
'older now else they lose their
obs. Under statehood they
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