The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1873-12-26
AN IMPORTANT STEP.
To the Settlers Upon the Usage Trust
Lands.

Il AZ tLc Coteiorb OROA tAo OoA6o AEue
Lands.
Il From the wichita Eagle.
4 In viey of the facts, that undo
the existing law the settlers upoI
the Usage Indian Trust lands Art
i compelled to pay for their claim
within one year from date of settle
ment; that large majority of sale
settlers are poor men endeavorinf
j 70 secure homes for themselves and
i families; ti1st being out upon thu
borders where the ordinary -ayen
tues for rem IneratiYe labor do moi
exist, and where but an inadequate
i market can be maintained for such
t,commodities az they may produce
/ from their lands; that owing to the
scarcity of money has already
/ lapsed in q great number OF iu-
| stances; that money can only be
borrowed at such q rainous and ex-
tortiug rate of interest as in nearly
every instance swallows up the
land, labor, home and improve
ments of the settler: And in view
of the further facts, that the
moneys for these lands as fast as
paid in are by the general govern
ment converted into bonds bearing
q low rate of interest for the bene-
lit of the Indians; that all the gen.
eral government does or should de-
Emand, is the sale of the lands and
the cecurity of their price together
with sueh interest, in accordance
with the terms of the treaty; that
all the state and counties in which
these lands are situated desire is
that the lands may be speedily
subject to taxation that presidents
already exist In which the general
government has given long series
of years in which to pay for Indian
lands; therefore we, the settlers
upon the above lands, present
PETITION.
To the honrable, the house of rep
resentatives and senate, in con-
gress assembled:
We the undersigned, your petit
toners, respectfully represent that
they are bona fide settlers upon the
Usage Indian lands and are desir-
GUS, for the reason above enumer-
ated, of having the law relating to
the settlement and sale of said
lands SO amended as to prove up
the present law, by paying the first
years interest at the time of prov
ing up, the government to be Sc
cured by taking a mortgage bond,
running ten years, with. coupons
attached, bearing the same rate of
interest that is paid the Indians,
with the proviso that annually each
claimant or settler shall appear at
a general land Office by himself or
attorney with competent proof that
he is actually living upon and
cultivating his land, when he shall
redeem at least one coupon, with
he privilege of redeeming all, and
hat whatever extra annual expense
ay be incurred by the govern
ment in carrying out the pro-
visions of such act shall be paid in
fees by the settlers annually at the
time Of redeeming such coupons,
leaving the land, by virtue of title
thus gained, subject to state, coun-
ty and municipal taxation. And
your petitioners will ever pray.
The above statement of facts, to-
gether with the matter of the peti.
ton, were drawn up by us in
pursuance of many and earnest
solicitations upon the part of set
lers living in this and adjoining
counties. Whatever Is done should
be done quickly. AS the most
effective and speedy manner of
getting petitions circulated among
the settlers and signed and re-
turned, we ask all the papers pub
lisbed in the counties included up
on these lands to publish the above,
and request the settlers to embody
its substance in the form of a pc
tition, circulate and sign and return
the same to their representatives or
to NJ. NJ. Murdoch, state senator,
Wichita. 1t ia desirable that this
should all be done by the 18th day
of January. AS soon as the legis-
lature meets we will, in con-
nection with the representatives
from this district, ask the states
endorsement, by concurrent resell
ution, when the whole matter can
be sent in an official form to con-
gress.
If the settlers upon any portion
VI IuCbC AuO"H OCItCA,
more efficient or satisfactory plan
for an extension of time, or of one
less Objectionable, let them en-
body it in their petitions. The
plan here set foith, we think, Sc
cures the Indians, aud will at out
lay of eleven or twelve dollars a
year, give the settler ten years time
in which to save his homestead.
The truth is, too large a proper
ton of these valuable lands are
folling into the hands of non-resi-
dent land buyers, not onl y to the
detriment of the settlers, but to the
detriment of the country. In the
hands of the settlers. they are i'm.
proved and become valuable, en-
HANGING the value of all lands and
property around them, while in
the hands of Spectators they lay
idle upon the market, unimproved
and almost worthless for the pur-
poses of taxation.