The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-11-16
THE SotJAw MEN.

Those who read in the newspapers about Indian Territory affairs will frequently find allusions to "squaw Men It has become more common since the tribal relations ceased and the allotment of money and lands to the Indians has been made. It is q general term applied by the Western people to white man who marries an Indian woman. Many of tie hunters. trappers and pioneers who went out into the Indian country married na- tive women, and if they had married according to civilized laws and cus- toms there would have been no real wrong in the act. Some of the Indian girls, especially among the Cherokees. are among the most beautiful of their sex. refined and modest and many of them would not suffer by comparison with any of their white sisters.
 ft is not strange that white men without family ties should have found wives and settled down to the red maH's life and habits. and if these marriages had besn founded on affec- ton. or desire to form permanent family ties no complaint could hs made. but too frequently such was not the case. It was long since made known that large ailotments of land and money were coming 10 what is known as "the five civilized tribes, and the Cherokees are among tho richest people on shs continent if we count wealth by the Ter capita value of what such individual possesses.
 The knowledge of this actual and prospective wealth, however. was real iy an injury to the Indians in at least one way, for it acted as power full lure to thousands of worthless white men from the states. Too lazy to work, and in ma ny cases too worth less to obtain an hhpsst living anfpng their own people, Saev drIsted out to the Indian country anc entered into marital relations wiIh the female na- tives. These so-call Nd marriages were sometimes under the forms common among the natives. end perhaps in other cases there was no form of mar riage at all. but merely an agreement to live together. The Portland Ore gonian says of these latter cases:
 The Indian women, though nominal ly their wives. were their slaves and the mothers of many children fer Whoms almost literally speaking, there was no place in the world. Many 0f these women, though faithful, patient Svfyaa and fIuraFa 01a a n bearers, were deserted by the men whom they married. and with their children were left to make their way among their people as best they could. the .Ispudenee to come before the go oycrnm-nt aiming under the alloL- meut of Indian. lands and funds sha'c ir the distribution.
 That such men are refused partici- patton in the wealth of the Cherokees Is right and proper. A recent decis- ion of the Supreme Court O; the UnI- ted States holds that these 'squaw men, can not share in the allotments. either of money or lands, made to indians, and in most eases the decision is just and right. It will be a hard ship in some instances, where reputa- ble white men married Indian wives legally and in good faith and have conducted themselves properly, but in the cases of mere adventures 1t serves them right. Not having seeA the text of the opinion we do net know it's extent. but we presume that proper provision is made 70 protect the women in such cases, as well as to provide for the children. The "squaw mem get nothing. and in most cases it serves them right.
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