National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-01-03

crow is getting little threadbare. 1t is
SHINING against too many human prob
abilities to be a plausible humbug much
| longer. Let them all come to Washing
ton, and vary the monotony of things
here by waving their banners and shout
ing their petitions on Pennsylvania ave-
nue. or, if they prefer it, intrench them
selves in Mr.. Fred. Law Olmstead's two
brown marble ornaments east of the
Capitol, and from those vantage points
lombard both Houses with their prayers
and their grievances.
Have these adventurcrs the slightest
pretext for their invasion? In 1928 Con-
gress by law set apart what's known as the
Indian Territory for the sole occupation of
certain Indian tribes then mostly living
in States east of the Mississippi. Nearly
all of the land was sold and patented to
these people or fee-simple title guaranteed.
Title passed from the United States, and
the Government would have no more
right again to dispose of it than it would
the property of any citizen. Most of these
tribes have been induced to form gov
ernments modelled after our Territorial
forms, and under them are progressing
rapidly. At the close of the late war the
Government induced several of these
tribes to sell part of their lands for the
occupancy of other Indian tribes WHO
needed homes or were being thrust out
of the adjacent States by squatterS. In
several treaties made in 1866 several such
cessions were made. The case only pro-
vided for its occupancy by other Indians.
The price was fixed lower for that reason.
Much of it was paid for and some not
paid for, many statesmen thinking they
serve their country best when they post
pone or refuse payment of any obliga-
ton of the United States
A great portion of these eeded lands
are occupied by other tribes Before they
have much more than got their cabins
up or have fairly started as stock-raisers
or agriculturists these adventures wish
to despoil them. The laws of the United
States make it a penal offense to enter
that Territory. The President has issued
his proclamation against it. 1t may
therefore be taken for granted that there
are no law-abiding, respectable emigrants
engaged in this conspiracy for invasion.
Even if the law did not provide that
these lands were to be reserved for
Indian settlements, there is no founda-
ton for the plea that man may squat
on any property of the United States.
Besides Indian reservations, there are
hundreds of military reservations in the
United States, some Of them of consider
able extent and some value. Many of
these are commercially worth hundreds
or even thousands of dollars per
acre. When the Government has no
further use for such reservations
it appraises them or sells them
for what they will bring. This has al
ways been the practice but according to
these theorists, squatters would have a
right to issue their own proclamations,
as Payne did, and squat on them on the
plea that they were Government property.
They might as well squat on the Smith
sonian grounds, and lay them out as an
addition to Washington and call it
Paynesville, and sell the lots to all who
came after them, or make farm on the
Capitol grounds, or any of the parks in
Washinntnn-
There is something more however, at
the bottom of this invasion. For more
than a dozen years certain railroad COM
panies have besieged Congress to open
that Territory to settlement and create
government for white men there. During
the confusion of war times they con-
tinued to pass bills through Congress Civ
ing them conditional land-grants when
the Indian title" was eXtinguished. The
Indians in that Territory do not own
their land by what is known in law as In
dian occupancy title" but by United
States title. That fact, however, does
not seem to discourage these corporations
from trying to grab them. If they could
get them opened to settlement or de-
clared to be public lands they would
claim half of them. This "Oklahoma
raid" at Caldwell is merely the railroad
lobby opening on Congress at long range
through the telegraph. When Payne is
to be tried for a former invasion couple
of railroad lawyers appear as his defend
ers. From present indications we should
pronounce it to be a rather expensive
and thin experiment. Congress, no doubt,
has its faults, but there is no reason for
supposing it quite SO ignorant or stupid.
Virginia and Senator Malone.
The forthcoming manifesto of the Re-
adjusters of Virginia is looked for with
much interest. But far more interest
ing document will be the statement of
General Malone, which, it is understood,
is to appear this week. If he states the
financial condition of Virginia and the
relations of narties TO the debt question