864 THE GEORGE CATLIN INDIAN GALLERY. 



it becomes vastly important that these five civilized tribes, who have among them men 

 competent to be Representatives and Senators in Congress, governors of States, and 

 judges on the bench, should cordially, and in a spirit of friendly gratitude for what 

 has been done for them, co-operate with the Government in bringing about such a 

 change of affairs in their midst as will bring peace and quiet to their borders, settle 

 existing agitations as to their rights and interests, and dispose of disquieting ques- 

 tions which will surely grow out of the present alarming condition of things in the 

 whole Indian Territory. 



At present the rich Indians who cultivate tribal lands pay no rent to the poorer 

 and more unfortunate of their race, although they are equal owners of the soil. The 

 rich men have too large homesteads and control many times more than their share of 

 the land. It will not do to say, as the wealthy and influential leaders of the nations 

 contend, that their system of laws gives to every individual member of the tribe equal 

 facilities to be independent and equal opportunity to possess himself of a homestead. 

 Already the rich and choice lands are appropriated by those most enterprising and 

 self-seeking. A considerable number of Indians have in cultivation farms exceeding 

 1,000 acres in extent, and a still larger number are cultivating between 500 and 1,000 

 acres. Now, think of one Indian having a farm fenced in of 1,000 acres, with the 

 right, according to their system (as I understand the fact to be), of adding nearly 

 1,000 acres more by excluding all others from the use or occupancy of a quarter of a 

 mile in width all around the tract fenced. What a baronial estate ! In theory the 

 lands are held in common under the tribal relation, and are equally owned by each 

 member of the tribe, but in point of fact they are simply held in the grasping hand 

 of moneyed monopolists and powerful and influential leaders and politicians, who pay 

 no rental to the other members of the tribe, who, under their tribal ownership in com- 

 mon, have equal rights with the occupants. 



A case of this sort came under my personal observation on a visit to the Creek 

 Nation in 1885. I was credibly informed that one of the Creeks had under fence over 

 1,000 acres, and, of course, under their laws and usages, he had the right to exclude 

 all other members of the tribe from claiming any land embraced within the limits of 

 a quarter of a mile in width surrounding the inclosed farm of 1,000 acres, provided 

 he made the first location. This estate was handsomely managed, with many modern 

 methods and improvements. A costly residence stood upon it and large commodious 

 barns, stables, &c, were provided. The owner cultivated this farm with laborers 

 hired among his own race, perhaps his own kith and kin, at $16 per month ; and they 

 lived in huts and cabins on the place without a month's provisions ahead for them- 

 selves and families. They owned, of course, their tribal interest in the land, but the 

 proceeds of the valuable crops which were raised by their labor swelled the plethoric 

 pockets of the proprietor. In this instance the crops grown, in addition to large 

 quantities of hay, consisted of 25,000 bushels of corn, fattening for market 200 head 

 of beef cattle, and 300 head of hogs. The proprietor grows annually richer, while 

 the laborers, his own race, joint owners of the soil, even of the lands that he claims 

 and individually appropriates, grow annually and daily poorer and less able to assert 

 their equal ownership and tribal claim and, shall I say, constitutional privilege and 

 treaty rights. 



Now this condition of semi-slavery, shall I call it, exists in each of the five civilized 

 nations, and grows directly out of the holding of lands in common, and is necessarily 

 inherent in this system of tenantry. Agent Owen, in his report, page 157, says : 



" The Washita Valley in the Chickasaw Nation is almost a solid farm for 50 miles. 

 It is cultivated by white labor largely, with Chickasaw landlords. I saw one farm 

 there said to contain 8,000 acres, another 4,000, and many other large and handsome 

 places." 



I have endeavored to obtain some reliable data as to the number of farms contain- 

 ing 1,000 acres which exist in the five tribes. It did not occur to me that eight times 

 that amount of rich valley land had been appropriated by one proprietor, that another 



