The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1874-02-05
: hat Important Step.

As we promised last week we now
call attention to a petition. or petitions
that are being signed to some extent
on the Usage diminished reserve. and
which had their origin with the WiclI-
lta EAGLE. The EAGLE says in intro
ducing the petition TO its readers: ain
view of the facts that under The exist
| ing law the settlers upon the Usage
| Indian trust lands are compelled 10 Iay
for them within one ycar from date of
settlement" etc. Now what i true Of
the trust lands, is also true OF the Usage
diminished reserve. and action should
be taken to embrace all the Usage lands.
The trust lands are ia Howard, Green
wood, Butler, Seigwick, and the coun-
ties lying west OF Sedgwick. The di-
unfinished reserve is embraced in the
lower tier of counties in this state, of
which Cowley and Sumner is a part
The settlers of Cowley want n congress
sional law that will allow them time
to pay for their claims, and are not so
much interested ia the wants of the
people on the trust lands as TO be sign
ing petitions for Them.
The plan proposed by the EAGLE
will not do at all, even if il were de-
sirable one. The government is not
going TO bother itself by taking mort
cages and foreclosing the same.
The proposition is defeated by the
suggesting. The payment of taxes
could not be forced ou lands thus en-
numbered. No one would bid the land
off "a. the sale, and take the chance of
even getting their money back or title
to land and any system of taxation
hat will not insure the collection Of
taxes is a failure. y better plan, by
far. would be to compel each claim
am; TO file with the register at the local
land office. at the time each annual
payment of interest is made, a receipt
from the county treasurer. showing
that the said occupying claimant had
paid his taxes in full for the
preceding year. To do this con-
gress should confer upon the legisla-
ture authority to tax government lands
within the Usage trust and diminished
reserve limits. for it really is govern
ment land. Then provide by congress
sIonal enactment that the claimant
shall forfeit the right TO the land and
improvements within a certain time
after default of payment of interest
and the presentation Of the tax receipt
aforesaid. This would make simple
and effective law.
An attempt was made last winter to
have a law enacted by congress giving
settlers five years time to pay for their
lands, upon annual payment of the five
per cent. interest but our congression
al delegation were so engrossed with
senatorial election that their at.cn-
ton could not be obtained for the bill,
and the probabilities are that the story
of last winter will be the story of this.
Col. +. G. Manning, of this place. Wis
tied the commissioner general of the
land Office in person. at Washington. in
January last, and urged him to recon-
mend the passage of some such law,
but the commissioner thought the set
tiers were getting along well enough.
The whole question was clearly and
tcrselv put, to that gentleman, and its
great importance urged upon him in a
way, which those who know him, know
Col. Manning to be capable of; and VIC
NAV say here that the commissioners
endorsement is necessary to obtain any
change in the land laws.
1t is ruinous on the settlers of South
western Kanses that they are forced TO
pay for their lands. The money-loan-
ers will get il. The records of Cowlcy
county alone show that there is loaned
upon real estate within its limits about
100000. The annual interest upon
this is at least $75, 900. What a drain
upon the energies of a pioneer people.
We are anxious that some plan be
adopted that will relieve the settlers
upon all the Usage lands, but a prac-
teal plan is necessary to success.
The reply to the above article can
be found in the EAGLE of January
Sth. Ed