The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1879-02-13
Opening of the Indian Territory.

For wears the Missouri. Kansas L.
Texas and Atlantic L. Pacific railroad
projectors, backed by Kansas City and
81. Louis commercial interests, have
been pressing upon the Cherokees. tie
Choctaws. the Greeks and other civil
lied tribes of Indians and upon Con-
gress and the Departments the PROPOSE
ton Of opening to settlement the Indian
Territory. The interests involved are
of vast proportions to those named cor
porations and cities. and large sums OF
money have been spent and much pres
sure brought TO bear in one way and
another to gain the endorsement of the
Indians and the necessary action upon
the part of Congress. All this has been
done in face of solemn treaties and IN
opposition TO the well defined policy of
the Government under Grants admin
istration. to hold sacred the lands thus
set apart and which are necessary to a
maintenance of existing tribal relations
among the Indians gathered there from
all quarters Of the broad west. Time
and again, during the years that the
writer served in the State Senate, were
efforts made to gain the consent Of
ksnaas to tho scheme. Stevens at one
time took the whole State government,
by special train into the heart of the
Territory where he Toasted and wined
the members in manner nothing short
Of royal.
Last week the EAGLE made reference
to another movement in Congress to
DESTROY the present tribal relations of
the Indians in the Territory, SUBSTITUTE
ing head rights and throwing the whole
country open to settlement. To this
the best interests of Kansas and her
people are opposed. Leaving out of the
question all moral and legal considera-
tions. and the fact that such step
would drain the State of large
per cent. of IFS present population there
can be no denying that for years to
come the whole tide of western emigra-
tlon would be turned from its present
course in the direction of the new coun-
try. That the Indian Territory as a
whole is not as good State as our own
would not avail or change the result.
Missouri, with all her vast resources.
her might, and richness in mines, tim
Der and lands, and in magnificence of de-
main, found herself helpless in holding
or restraining the tide of emigration
that has poured through her borders
and on 10 Kansas for fifteen years. She
will settle up, but ii will be by the back
flow. So il win be with Kansas if that
country is opened up. The choice loca-
tions. the most available town and city
sites, the politics, etc. etc, would be
taken up and run by Kansas men in the
main if the present proposition should
become a law, taking from our borders
an element that we can i'll afford to lose.
and we are opposed to it, at least until
such time as we can better stand the loss.
But all that is not what we started
out to conjunct. We intended to deal
with the ''if-' only. Then, 'if'' the thing
is done. so far as this particular section
of the State is concerned, the result viii
not be entirely without good. The first
result will be good market for every
thing we can raise; bu. the next, and
most important. viii be railroad to
Mississippi. and Gulf connections. Such
a road will be built Immediately the
Territory is opened. over which we viii
send the bulk of our surplus production
and over which we will get cheap fuel
and lumber in abundance. Then. while
as State the opening of the Territory
would be misfortune. il will return
Wichita and Sedgwick county fair in
demnity in the matters last cited.