Indian View Of Land Ownership

The Cherokees are the most civilized nation in the Indian territory. They are also very rich, and have men of really statesmanlike ability among them. Their leading newspaper is The Tahlequah Telephone. lts editor is Mr. Shelton. Recently The Telephone pronounced the dictum of the Cherokee nation on the question of dividing the Iands into separate farms with individual ownership. It began by saying that the Cherokees had proved that Indians could beconie civilized and still hold their Iands in common. The arguments in favor of continuing this system are summed up as follows: The Cherokees want to five forever as they do now. and uot like the white people wuo possess their land iu severalty, and allow the rich to buy all the land. There are millions of whites who have no land, because a few men own it all; but the Indians are wise - they hold the land in common, so that the Indian can stay if he wants to. It U because the land system of the white man is wrong that the Cherokees prefer to remain a nation. Almost everything else the whites do is better, and the Indian must follow him, but the land system of the Indian ia the better. The Cherokees are civilized and happy. If the wild tribes will get civilized they will be likewise, and the government will not take the land away from them. If the Indian sells his, or allows it to be divided ia geveralty, he will become a wandering gypsy. Let not the Indian be afraid the gorernment will tftke bis Iands, for if he does not want to sell the gupreme court will hold nis title good if congress should attempt to force him to sell. The ancient theologies of Asia are breaking up on the old lines. Beliefs there seem quite as unsettled as among western nations. It is curious to find that Buddhism, the state religión of Japan, has split in that country into twelve different sects. One sect preaches materialism, another a refined morality, and a third a lofty mysticism. At the same time, in spite of all these sects, perhaps because of them, Buddhism in Japan and in India is said by a native Japanese writer to be on the decline. Christianity, however, is not taking its place. Nothing is taking its place. The decline in Buddhism is said by the same writer to be marked also in China. In that country there are thireeen different religious sects. The uisciples of the Yellow Llama follow Thibetan mysticism. Awful as the dam disaster at Johnstown was, if it shall cause the American people to look more closely after the eecurity of human Ufe in our country then it will not have been wliolly in vain. There is a rccklessness in regard to railway crossings, for one tliing. that is unpardonable.