Isaac Rogers Congressional Testimony p. 02
By Mr. INGALLS:
Q. Has any attempt been made to have them admitted?—A. Yes, sir; we have made attempts, but the school boards have always denied us. We have been to the school-houses, and have been denied admission. We have often asked the privilege to go, but we could not go.
By the CHAIRMAN:
Q. Your children do not go to the primary school
with the others? — A. No, sir. My cousin told me not to come here to live. I
told him, “You have schools here, and my children have Cherokee blood in their
veins and have a right to attend them.” But they have to grow up in ignorance
now.
Q. Do they have separate primary schools for the colored children? — A. Yes, sir.
Q. Do they make rules to keep the colored children out?—A. Yes, sir.
Q. Have you any high schools?—A. Yes, sir; there is one at Vinita.
Q. Is there a public high
school at
Q. Have you other high schools besides the one at Vinita? A. At Tahlequah, the capital of the Cherokee Nation, there are two seminaries, a-male seminary and a female seminary.
Q. How are these schools supported? A. The money to run these schools is appropriated out of the Cherokee funds.
Q. You have never been excluded from voting?—A. No, sir; I never have been.
By Mr. INGALLS:
Q. How about the land?—-A. We never have been denied about that.
Q. How about the protection of the laws?—A. In regard to those, I never have been in a suit, but I have seen my friends have suits.
Q. I am asking about the protection of person and property, and your civil and political rights?—A. It s just the same as a man being judge and jury himself
Q. As a matter of fact, if you earn money do you receive it? A. Oh, they pay their debts. I never knew of a case where they refused to pay debts.
Q. Nobody assaults you or deprives you of anything you earn? —A. No, sir.
Q. You have the protection of the laws of the
nation? —A. I have never been in the law.
Q. I refer to the colored people —what are
known as the freedmen. Do you receive the general protection of the laws so far
as your personal and property rights and liberties are concerned ?—A. The
whole thing is partial. We can’t get the protection of the law.
Q. Whatever you earn, you receive?—A. Yes, sir.
Q. You are allowed to live peaceably?—There have been many cases in which we have been assaulted.
Q. Were not the parties punished?—A. No, sir; our people have been assaulted and killed, and nothing has been done to the parties who did it.
Q. Has nobody been prosecuted under the law?—A. No, sir.