The weekly chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Craig County, Okla.) 1905-1913, 1912-03-22

up, reports made, and that their funds
are not squandered; the district
agents in fact hear every kind of a
grievance of the fullblood or restrict.
ed Indian, and they do what they can
to assist them just as every mother
and father does what he or she can to
aid and advise their minor chield. No
honest probate court is opposed to the
cooperate nof fair-mlnded, upright
official. Every county judge in eastern
Oklahoma. every tribal attorney and
every tribal chief has written a letter
faYoring the district agent system.
We might as well be frank about 1t,
everybody who is familiar with the In
dian his history and tradition, knows
that he needs assistance in the man.
agement OF his lands. Sixteen hundred
and eighty fullblood Cherokees who
were arbitrarily allotted land refused
to take the patents sent to them
through the mails out of the post of
flee and they refusde to go upon the
land or accept any proceeds there
from. Will any intelligent person say
that these poor misguided people do
not need assistance; that they are
able to care for themselves, or that
they will protect themselves? The
truth is that every one knows who is
at all familiar with the Indian that he
will not assert his rights in a civil
suit. Ask the lawyers of the country
how many civil suits they have had
for fullblood Indians. Some of them
win answer that they have had
few. That is quite true, they are an
exception. and if these Indians are
competent to manage their own affairs
then | am in favor of removing the
restrictions from their lands and let
them manage their own affairs; but
know and every good citizen through
out the eastern part of Oklahoma
knows that If the district agents are
abolished that in less than a year there
will be thousands of illegal leases,
deeds and other encumbrances filed
of record upon their lands. If there
are no local agents to assist the In
dian, to advise him of his legal rights,
to help him to get into court, to help
him prepare his case and to get his
witnesses, no civil action would be
brought and the man In the illegal
possession would retain it. Every land
speculator and CRATER in eastern Okla
homa knows this, and every one of
them is stirring up public sentiment
against the district agent, and every
one OF them is causing as many let
ters to be written as possible to mem
bers of congress against them. II any
district agent is either dishonest or
incompetent he should be removed.
am defending the system, not the in
divldual. and | am trying to arouse
public sentiment against the whole
sale attack of the system. have
had occasion to closely observe the
work of the district agents, and know
that they have been compelled to adj
versely report upon many leases, ap-
plications for the removal of restric-
tions, payment of claims, and other
things submitted to them. Every dis
appointed man is against them.
Through my veins courses Cherokee
blood | trust that will not live long
enough to see the fullblood members
of my race homeless in their own
country, wanderers in their own land. |
They thought they were protected by |
the old treaties. binding upon them
and sacred to them they resisted the /
change in their for mof government;
they did not invite the individualiza-
ton of their lands because they had
never been used to an individual title,
md they appreciated that they had
never had any experience in dealing
with the title to lands Their fears
we're justified, for the records show
.hgt a0sa@Gs Of leases, deeds and
1taSe esiGtsces o, cncumbraucc in
Of protective provisions OF
aw for little or no consideration have
leen gotten from them and placed of
'ecord Without the assistance of To-
,al men in the field all of these Illegal
eases and deeds might as well be
.aidated Everybody knows this
Why not speak the truth? What the i,
uture of the Indian in eastern Okla i
iona is to be is a great problem The i
tate is doing commendable work. I
o are the county judges and the dis S
riet agents. Many people would not t
Unfairly deal with a white man who {
would not hesitate to rob an Indian /
hey know he is powerless to help
imself and that he viii not arouse S
ublic attention. The government is 1
low paying sixteen district agents Y
/ 500 each per annum TO aid in some 4
neasura in their nrOfeption and a