The Tahlequah Arrow. (Tahlequah, Indian Terr.), Vol. 11, No. 22, Ed. 1 Saturday, February 5, 1898 Page: 4 of 8
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THE TAHLEQUAH ARROW.
WADDIK HUDMON, Kflltor anil Owner.
TIIE ARROWi TAHIjKQUAII, INDIAN TERRITORY.
One Year One Dollar
Nix Months I i . < h -
ml'bk'rlption* 1nvaiuably in advance.
Kntf ml In the | « Btortic<« at Tahlequah, I. T.,
as 8«*<*on<t-elas* mail matter.
The Arrow guarantee* to Advertisers a larger
circulation than any other paper pu! lIhImmI
at Tahlequah, capital Cherokee Nation
SATURDAY, FKDllllAHY IrtW.
TO SUBSCRIBERS
IN ARREARS.
Wc have been sending'
out statements of sub-
scription accounts during
the past few days, at con-
siderable expense, as a
great many of them are
for small amounts. You
will therefore see the ne-
cessity of sending in the
amount you owe at once.
Tilt! Arrow in informed that the In-
vcMtigutlou committee liiivingiii charge
tin* gifting of the $12(1,OOd dual, mado
their report to the proper authorities
at Washington Wednesday. Ah sooii
an tlu\ report can l>e procured it will
lie published in this paper.
Treasurer Lipeoftho Cherokee na-
tion has been ollieially not i lied by the
Sub-Treasurer at St. Louis that the
Cherokee funds are now available and
subject to draft of t he (Cherokee Treas-
urer. A number of eiiccks haw been
issued by Mr. Lipe since the notice
was given.
There are now more than a half
dozen roads seeking charters from the
United States government through the
Indian Territory. Unfortunately for
Tahlequah none of them are headed
this way. Tahlequah will have to
look to the Muskogee, Oklahoma and
Western for relief.
It seems to us that if the govern-
ment is going to do anything for ('uba
it ought to be done now. A people
struggling for liberty and indepen-
dence right at our door should not be
given the cold shoulder. A certain
uuiuber of days should lie given the
Spaniards in which to leave the is-
land. Spain has absolutely demon-
strated tlie fact that sin* cannot con-
quer Cuba.
The levity with which life is taken in
the heat of passion for some petty of-
fense is an almost deplorable trait in
the character of a certain element of
the Indian Territory. It ought to be
true that we have reached a state of
law and civilization where the gravest
crimes would not be so light ly perpetra-
ted. A whole community cannot openly
trample upon certain constitutional
and statutory laws and reasonably ex-
pect to gain prominence as good citi-
...... J <'
A bill has been passed in the senate
at Washington, that curtails immigra-
tion to some extent. It prohibits the
entrance into the United States of any
immigrant over sixteen years old, who
cannot read or write Kuglish or some
other language. It will operate to
^exclude an immense number of iliter-
ite Bohemians and Italians. This
tjountry has been the dumping ground
*pf European iliterarcy for a long time
Jind the bars should have been put up
jong ago.
Tahlequah and the Cherokee nation
is on the eve of a great change, in its
history and the people are anxiously
booking to the bettering of their con-
dition. We should all join hands and
make one grand pull tor Tahlequah.
Several industries uould be made to pay
here and with a little push and enter-
prise capital could be induced tointcr-
pst itself in these matters. All it would
requi'-e isfor our people to divulge the
many advantages Tahlequah possesses.
Ourpeople are wide awake and should
realize this fact. The other towns of
the Territory are offering every availa-
ble inducement fortheir advancement,
why not Tahlequah? Let all get to-
gether and make an effort on their part,
and not wait for some individual to
take the lead. Now is the time to lend
aid to our growth.
t I (ejected citizenship claimants and
: THE FIVE TRIBES IN CONGRESS, g
Copyright 1898. _,J I another opportunity to establish their I
The Indian situation before congress
is[a study. The magnitude of interest to
he passed upon, the last century halo
of romance, that in the very nature of
things, hovers about everything per-
taining to the Indian (whether lie be
up-to-date, 19th -jentury, intelligent,
progressive (Jeneral l'orter variety)
lends additional point and interest to
the discussion of the Indian Territory
problem. To those who consider the
question presented for the sake of
study it is fascinating and instructive;
to those, in the two houses of con-
gress. who delve into tile mysterious
depths and intricacies of treaties, 111-
and some interesting developments are
expected when the committee resumes
its sittings. Col. J. J. McAlester, Dr.
Haily and Judge Stuart, of South
McAlester, Dr. Woiverton of Ardmore,
W. E. Halsell of Vinita, and four of
the Cherokee delegates have returned
to the territory, but most of them will
return here immediately.
Senate bill H4.TJ, to provide for mak-
ing citizenship rolls of the five tribes,
has been introduced by Senator Jones.
This bill was drawn by and introduced
at the instance of the Dawes commis-
sion, and provides in substance as fol-
lows: That the Dawes commission
diau. laws and the sacred obligations j shall make rolls of citizens, as requir-
of the government toward its helpless
wards, that they may get the light nec-
essary to direct them to h fair and just
settlement of the thousands of conflict-
ing interest and conditions that have
sprung up in this young land of the
West anomalous, yet mysterously pro-
gressive and full of spirit of true
Americanism, the question presents a
peculiar fascination, equaled by a few
of the great questions now before the
nations congress: but to those whose
life eurning's are now in the balance,
and who look to congress with all the
eagerness of a mariner scanning the
heavens for a gracious indication
of what disposition will be made of
their all, for the present, and to what
extent they will be bidden to take hope
for the future, it is exasperating in the
extreme, not to say truly pathetic.
To those not familiar with the pro-
cedure here, it is probably not known
just what feat of diplomacy, strokes
of policy and coup' d'tat of intellect-
ual generalship arc accomplished. The
very air about the lobbies of hostler-
ies and committee rooms where In-
dian Territory people are wont tocon-
gregate) it is charged with plots and
counterplots, contention and classes
of interest, among the various dele-
gations. both Indian and townsite,
and wars and rumors of wars waged
and to be waaed, by tyiio and word of
mouth, before committee, the depart-
ments, an the two houses of congress.
Tho Choctaw, Chickasaw and Creek
Indian delegations eome witb a desire
for some provision looking to adop-
tion or ratiiieation of their treaties;
theChoctaws and Chickasaw have the
questions of their freedtnen to contend
with; the Cherokees have no treaty,
but are confronted with the question
of settling their difference with the
Delawares: the Seminoles eome with
their treaty made witb theDawes Com-
mission, but are met with the sugges-
tion that they should await some'gen-
eral laws for the disposal of all ques-
tions among the five Tribes;the white
delegations from the towns oppose the
ratification of treaties and want town
organizations and titles to town pro-
perty, both off which propositions are,
of course, opposed by the Indian del-
egations: representatives of those who
have been refused citizenship are be-
sieging congress lor additional oppor-
tunities to establish their rights. Thus
it will be seen that there is work to do,
congressmen and senators are human
and are subject to human frailties and
weaknesses, and errors of judgement.
To strike the keynote of solution and
recast the various conditions and in-
terests in the Indian Territory will
require a foresight approaching well
nigh unto an inspiration.
The status of the Curtis bill has not
chKnged with this week. It is before
the committee on Indian affairs and
will rest there until the next meeting
of the committee which will be held
Thursday, Feb. 10.
t.
The bouse has spent a greater .part
of the week discussing the Indian,ap-
propriation bill. It passed that body
Friday and has gone to the senate.
The house passed the Dawes com-
mission item without discussion. As
the bill now stands the commission
will be reduced to three members.
When the house reached the item re-
lating to the government transporta-
tion of le-lian supplies, Judge Little
presented his amendment giving the
interstate commerce commission power
to regulate freight rates. He made a
short speeeli in favor of the amend-
ment. showing the tremendous imposi-
tion upon tho government by railroads
transporting these supplies. A point
of order was made against the amend-
ment. and it went out.
It was expected that the present lull
in Indian legislation would effect an
exodus of territory ]>eople from Wash-
ington. On the contrary the majority
of them will remain. Both Indian and
townsite delegates are improving the
time by strengthening their positions,
ed by law; that they shall take the
Cherokee rolls of 1880 (not including
freedtnen) and enroll all persons on
said roll, and their descendants, and
persons enrolled by tribal authorities,
who have made permanent settlement
in the Cherokee nation, and who have
by reason of their blood been lawfully
admitted by the tribal authorities, and
who were minors when their parents
were enrolled; that the commission
shall investigate the rights of all per-
sons on any other rolls, and omit all
placed thereon by fraud or without
authority of law, enrolling only such
as have a lawful right thereto, and
their descendants; that they shall
make a roll of the Cherokee freedmen
in compliance with the decree of the
court of claims; that the commission
shall correct the rolls of all other
tribes, eliminating all placed thereon
by fraud; that they shall determine the
identity of Choctaws claiming rights in
Choctaw land under treaty of 1830, and
if they lind that such persons have re-
moved in good faith, and become resi-
dents upon lands of the Choctaw na-
tion, they shall be entitled to enroll-
ment: that the roll of the Creek freed-
men made by J. W. Dunn prior to
March 14, 18(17, be confirmed, and that
the commission enroll all whose names
are found on said roll; that the com-
mission shall make a roll of Choctaw
freedmen and their descendants under
the treaties and laws 0! the Choctaw
nation; that the coramisison shall
make a roll of the Chickasaw freedmen
and their descendants under treaty of
18(iti, and that a sufficient amount of
land lie reserved from allotment for
their use, under the provisions of the
treaty, should they be entitled, to the
same, and that the use and occupancy
of 10 acres be allottod to them until
their rights are, determined: that the
several tribes may determine the right
of persons claiming citizenship in
two or more tribes, but if not so de-
termined, the claimant shall be entitled
to citi'/cpship In only one tribe, to be
determined by his election, and if he
fail to make such selection the com-
mission shall enroll him in the tribe
with whom he has resided; that no
person shall be enrolled in any tribe
who has not heretofore removed thereto
and settled in such nation: that all
rolls thus made, the persons thereon
shall be described; that the commis-
sion shall have access to all records
of the several tribes, and upon refusal
they may be punished as for contempt;
that the rolls so made, when approved
by the secretary of the interior, shall
be final, and that the person so placed
thereon, and their descendants, shall
constitute the several tribes; and that
thereaftr. no person shall be admitted
to citizenship by the several tribes or
by the commission.
Much speculation has been indulged
in and many letters of inquiry received
by members of the Indian affairs
committee in regard to prospective
court legislation in the territory.
Many towns are urging their claims
for courts. It is unofficially learned
here that the three United States
judges have agreed upon a court bill
for the Indian Territory. It is under-
stood that an additional judge will be
asked for, and the formation of a new
district by a division of the present
northern district. The bill, if serious-
ly contemplated, has not yet reached
Washington. I called on Judge Terry,
the Arkansaw member of the judiciary
committee, but he knew nothing of it.
This legislation belongs to the judi-
ciary committee, and unfortunately so.
While the members of the committee
know well of all matters judicial, they
have not had to do with and know,
nothing of the peculiar conditions ex-
isting in that country, and are not in
a position to know of the needs of the
country in general, and the claims of
various localities. All matters judicial
and otherwise, ought to be in the
hands of the regular Indiau affairs
committee.
claims.
Vt the beginning of the session con- j
gressmen and senators were inclined
to say, without any hesitation: "Wei
erected tribunats for the settlement of
these questions, and to them the claim-
ants made no objection. The claims
were submitted and rejected. That is
the end. There is nothing further to
do."
During the past few weeks the senti-
ment has become modified, to some ex-
tent. The cluimants asked to be a1-
lowed to appeal to the supreme court
of the United States. It has been sug-
gested thai they be given the right to j
appeal to the court of appeals of the i
Territory. This may be done, but'
judging from the present expression of
sentiment, beyond this congress will 1
not be willing to go.
Document No. 84, in regard to (.'hoc- J
taw and Chickasaw freedtnen has just
been published. On the 18t!i of Decern-1
ber last the senate passed a resolution |
asking''that the Secretary of the In-
terior report to the senate the present
status of the Choctaw and Chickasaw
freedmen, with his suggestions and
recommendations, and also those of
the commissioner of Indian affairs, as
to further legislation by congress,
deemed necessary to properly establish
their status, in either of the said Na-
tions, and to settle their just and equi-
table claims under the treaty of 186(5."
The document is elaborate and gives
the status in detail of the freedmen of
the two nations, and all legislation by
both congress and the tribes, relating
thereto.
The secretary made the following
pointed suggestions:
"The commissioner of Indian affairs
says that, in regard to the Choctaw
freedmen, those who have not elected
to remove from the nation are citizens
thereof, with all rights contemplated
by the treaty of 1800, and that no legis-
lation is now necessary to establish
their status in the nation, and especi-
ally is this so since they now have ac-
cess to the court of claims, to enforce
their rights.
"In regard to the Chickasaw freed-
men, it will be seen that their status
depends upon whether or not the
Chickasaw law of 1873, approved by
the 18th section of the act of 1891, had
been repealed before its approval, and
that the question is one for judicial de-
termination. If the law had been re-
pealed the freedmen are not citizens,
and it is not seen that congress could
make them such without consent of the
nation, and it would appear that any
relief must come at the expense of the
government, so far as the funds neces-
sary for the purpose may exceed what
will be the proportionate share of the
Chickasaw nation in the $.'100,000 pro-
vided for in the treaty of 18tj(i. If, on
the other hand, they are citizens by
the law of 1873, congress should expe-
ditiously enforce their right by autho-
rizing a suit by them, against the
Chickasaw Nation, in the court of
claims, with right of appeal to the
supreme eourt of the United States."
Mr. J. E. Campbell of Nowata, and
who has extensive interests at Nowata,
Talala and Alluwee, is spending a few
days in Washington. Mr. Campbell is
an Indian Territory pioneer, having
lived there for more than 25 years.
Many years ago he married a Dela-
ware in the Cherokee Nation. He is
specially interested in the ratification
of the Cherokee townsite law.
Judge Little lias introduced a bill
granting to William W. Campbell,
Susan P. Lynch and others, the right
to construct a toll bridge across the
Arkansaw river at Webber's Falls.
The bridge, if built, will be located
and constructed under the direction of
the secretary of war, must be complete
within two years, and is authorized to
charge the rates of toll now fixed by
the Cherokee law.
Many farmers in the Indian Terri-
tory are writing to members of the
Indian committee and asking: May
we proceed with safety and assurance
of protection, to plant our crops and
make improvements on our farms, for
the coming year?"
While all these questions are in a
chaotic condition, and any estimate of
just what will be done on any line is
problematical, I give below the sub-
stance of a letter by a prominent mem-
ber of the Indian committee, to a
Territary farmer. It may be of some
value, coming as it does from one of
the few legislators who have an ac-
curate knowledge of Indian Territory
matters:
"In reply to your letter I will say
that 1 think non-citizens who continue
to make farm improvements do so at
More
Medicinal value in a bottlo of Hood's Sarsar
parilla than in any other preparation.
More skill Is required, more core taken, more
expense Incurred In Its manufacture.
It costs the proprietor anil the dealer
More but " costs the consumer teat, as lif
gets more doses for his money.
More curative i>ower is secured by its |>eculi*r
combination, proportion and process,
which make it peculiar to Itself.
v.oro people are employed and more space oc-
cupied iii its laboratory than any other.
More wonderful cures effected and more tes-
timonials received than by any other.
More sales and more nerease year by year
are reported l > druggists.
More people are taking Mood's Barsaparllla
today than any other, and more are
taking It today Ulan ever before.
More and still more reasons might be
given why you should take
Hood's
Sarsaparilla
The One True Blood Purifier. $1 per bottle.
u ,, cure all I.iver Ills and
rlOOU S PlIlS Sick Ueudaciie. cents.
r:
City Book and
Music Store.
Subscription received for '1
any Newspaper or Poriodi-:
cal published at publishers ;
prices.
Sheet music and Music books
price list sent on application.
GOLDMAN. MGR.
Witb < 'arter-Pendleton
Drug Company.
.jJ
their peril. They must know that
present conditions in that country can
not remain as they are, and that what-
ever improvements tliey make are up-
on lands that belong to the Indian,
and if they continue to make them, it
is certainly at their own risk. My
opinion is that this session will provide
for the allotment of the Indian lands,
but of course it is not likely that the
allotment will take place during this
year, as there will be almost enough
work to keep the commission busy this
year, before the question of allotment
is reached, even if the law was now in
force. I think that farmers who are
now in possession of farms, by lease or
otherwise, will be reasonably safe in
planting their crops for this year."
Measures looking to the payment, to
the Chickasaws, of large sums of ar-
rears of interest, have been Introduced.
I11 1840 $184,153.09. and in 1850 $50,-
021.49, of the trust funds of the Chick-
asaw nation, were erroneously dropped
from the books of the United States.
On the 17th of December 1887 these
sums were restored to the books by an
award of the secretary of the Interior,
and were subsequently paid.
The contention of the Chickasaws
is that these sums wore drawing inter-
est at the rate of ."1 per cent at the
time they were dropped, and that they
lost the interest from the time they
were dropped to the date of restora-
tion, amounting to $558,520.54. Judge
Little has introduced 11 bill referring
the matter to the court of claims,, and
Senator Jones will offer an amendment
to the Indian appropriation bill ask-
ing that a direct appropriation be
made to pay the claim.
Governor Harris and Attorney Gen-
eral Boyd of the Chickasaws arrived
in Washington this week.
It is learned that they will specially
insist upon the passage of two measur-
es in the interest of their people.
First, that a United States Court be
located at Tishimingo, the Chickasaw
capital, and Second, that a law be
passed rendering invalid all mortga-
ges given by Chickasaw Indians.
General Boyd states, among other
things, that most all the full blood
Chickasaw people live within a few
miles of Tishmingo, and that since the
extension of the United States Court
over them, they should be given a
Court.
Washington, D. C., Feb. 2,1898.
Notice to Wood Cut tor*.
Sheriff Cunningham lias Issued the
following notice: "To whom it may
concern—I will prosecute any non-
citizen for cutting and disposing of
timber from the publie domain of this
district. All wood haulers will take
notice. A. B. Cunningham, Sheriff."
f
i ^
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Hudson, Waddie. The Tahlequah Arrow. (Tahlequah, Indian Terr.), Vol. 11, No. 22, Ed. 1 Saturday, February 5, 1898, newspaper, February 5, 1898; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc155667/m1/4/: accessed July 18, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.