National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-01-24
The House then Gat 1:sol adjourned.
The Iadian Question il, the Senate.

To the Editor of The National Republican:
This subject was brought up in the Senate
by a bill reported by committee to grant
lands in scveralty to Indians on the Teserra-
TONS The idea is distinct and definite 1t
is not to grant them titles to the soil off the
reservations for the law of March 8, 1875
granted to Indians the same rights to take home
steads on all public lands as white men have
This bill aims to give the Indian a title to the
farm which he now cultivates on the reservation,
or which he.may wish to own and cultivate there.
The Government has placed the tribes on reserva-
tions, and in many ways has taught them how to
work and to make homes for themselves. 1t has
brought the remnants of many tribes together, as
on the Grand Ronde and Warm Springs reserva-
tiOns in Oregon, and the Yakima reservation in
Washington Territory, and has enlisted them in
services of mutual interest and profit. 1t is in
evidence abundantly, from the annual re-
ports of the Secretary of the Interior and the
Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and from visitors
at the agencies and from the United States census
reports that the Indians The reservations generally
are improving their own condition, and that they
are increasing in numbers instead of decreasing
The rate of births exceeds that of deaths It is in
evidence also that the indians on many reSeTva-
tiOnS ask for titles white mans paper they call
ito their homes. Theydo not wish to be moved
by the next agent who is sent to them. They do
not want to clear and fence and cultivate fields,
MAKE gardens, SET OliL OTCnaruS ana DUlid houses
for others to occupy. They want these houses for
themselves and their children. They want the
legal right to have logging camps in their own
forests and sell bOOms of logs to mill-owners and
collect the pay and not be subject to the decisions
of United States courts that they are trespassers
on Government land and cannot collect pay for
timber or work, but must themselves pay
fines or be imprisoned for treSpass. This
was the decision in the case of the Skokomish In
dians in Washington Territory. The writer met a
large portion of that tribe in council about two
and half wears ago and heard their earnest plea
for titles to their lands and homes. They had
heard of plans for their removal. The Warm
Spring Indians last year made like pleas for titles
to their farms. Two years ago all on the Grand
ROnde reservation, except two or three. asked
white man tosecure their titles. This gentlemans
appeals were made twice to the writer for this OBJ
ject The Yakimas plead for legal titles to their
two hundred little farms and to their forests They
can support themselves and send -four and lum-
Der TO market from theiTown mills at profit. The
Umatillas, of Oregon, now ask to have their homes
allotted in seyerGlty and the remaining portion
of their reservation sold to the whites, who are
The PuyaIiups, on Puget Sound. Washington
Territory 40 of about l6O families asked to have
the titles to their homes in SeveTalty and the rest
of the reserve sold for their benefit as their teacher
informed me. Two colonies of Spookans have
taken possession of certain unsuryeyed lands and
have asked for secure titles SO that they may not
be dispOsseSsed by the whites, who are fast crowd
The chairman of the Senate committee has
strong ground to appeal for the Indians. Senator
HllIS clalIn Is Oy
Morgan's admission that the Indians have always
worked in their way" for their own support is an
apt fact that they now do and will work in more
civilized ways for selfsupport if encouraged TO do
it by legal title to their homes.
1t is doubtful whether the whites would do more
or better than the Indians oif they had no legal
rights of person or property. No man works with
cut motive of ownership in the fruits of his toll
No man or woman improves unless conscious of
rights and of qualities that viii be respected. No
wiser thing can be done than to place the Indian
and his family in the condition to command that
personal and legal respect which the bill now be-
fore the Senate of the United States aims to confer
upon him and upon his household
g. H ATKINSON, of Oregon,