River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-12-06
fHE rNn1AN QUESTION.

After recounting the failure of the Sioux treaty
to meet the approval Of the senate, the secretary
continues:
whether the proposed payments are sufficient
must be determined from the value OF the land and
the tenure under whcl ii e held. 1t does net APP
pear from examination OF the treaty OF 1903 tha
il was the intention on the part Of the government
to recognize the whole of that vast tract oil lana
called the Sioux reservation as the property OF tae
Sioux alone, for it is provided that other Indians
might be settled on the reservation with the consent
OF the Indians thereon; no provision Is
made for compensation for the lano 70
be taken for that purpose IL appears 10
have been tine purpose of the government IN
reserying that vast tract 20 secure TO each sioux
Indian piece of land for his personal beneht; Tor
IL is provided that the head of family should be
allowed 10 take not exceeding $40 acres, aud
others a less amount; out OF the reservation these
smaller pieces were to be carved. The amount OF
land stipulated to be given to the lndlan Is more
than double the amount that is allowed citizens Of
the United States to take under Inc settlement
laws. Ii is also provided in the treaty OF 1905
that il the tract reserved was not suIhGent 70 So
cure the required amount OF land other iaho
should be added. There is also provision
that any male Indian eighteen years
of age, of said tribes, may take
homestead Of 100 acres anywhere on public land
by residing on it for three years Ii is further pro-
vded in the act of 1868 that. on the selection OF
land as aforesaid, the government VIII give TO par
ties selecting the same seeds, agricultural lInple,
ments etc, to tie value of 500 the hrst year. and
S25 per year Tor three years thereafter: ana thar
each person engaging in farming shouia receive
r.
roam over the reservation. The treaty of 1865
provides that schools shall be maintained at gov
eminent expense for every thirty schoiats' also
that the United States would furnish 10 each iall4
that should commence farming one good American
COW and one good, we'll broken pair OF American
oxen The treaty of 1876 provides that the
government should erect comfortable houses fol
such of the Indians as should desire TO farm. 1t IS
very evident that the great OBJECT IN MAKING inc
treaty was to induce the Indians to settle on farms
and become farmers But little effort has been
with
treaties on tho part Of the government have
shown in another part Of this report that there Is
Of schools, 81 ,49l 500. The Indians have built
themselves on the reservation 2,ol9 houses. Ihe
government should have constructed these houses
which the Indians have constructed SUBSTANTIALLY
without government aid.
CROOKS POLICY AssAILED.
The familiar facts of the Apache outbreak are
stated, and Gen. Crooks policy is thus commented
''Geu. Crook was given full charge of the police
of the reservation, for 1t was not thought 10 De
prudent TO divide the responsibility OF keeping
peace on the San Carlos reservation, aud the de-
partmept was not willing to attempt TO keen peace
with the prisoners of war freed from military cen
troll The condition is an auamalous one. and one
that cannot long continue Ii IS quite certain thai
the nreseuce of the prisoners among the agency
Indians has been very deInoralizinS. Ihese H.
dians are guilty of murders ana other crimes
and subject to the laws of Arizona and New
Mexico, where the crimes were committed. Gen
Crook says that they were not promised immunity
for mast ofepses but it is quite evident that they
returned with the IDEA that they would not De
nnnisbed for the crimes committed. 1t does not
appear to be the duty of the department or tue ln-
terror 10 determine whether these offenders should
be pupished or not At this time they are Prison
ers of war in the hands of the war department. III
possible they should be removed from the agency
to some point where there will be less danger oi
their escape. and where their evil influences VIII
not he felt by the more peaceaoly olsposeo Oh the
tribe y
San Carlos reservation, Secretary Teller says; LII
is competent for the president by executive order
to reduce the reservation, and thus throw the coal
fields out Of the reservation; but 1t IS not tnought
advisable to do so without eompensatine ne ln-
dans for the land so taken, for, before stated, II
will be very difficult to make them understand That
they are not being robbed. Some compensation
should therefore be provided before the Land Is SOLD
If the claims of the prospectors should DC tonha 10
be correct-that is, that they were III ignorance OF
the boundaries of the reservation THE government
not having established boundariesl-they ought 10
be allowed to derive some advantage from their
work either by being allowed to purchase at re-
duced price or to lease for a term OF years.
The recommendations for the Crow and Black
feet reservations In Montana are as follows:
'This reservation is situated IN the Territory or
Montana and contains 1864 square miles, er
4,713000 acres Of laud. A large part OF hsls unht
for cultivation, but the very best OF grazing Iand.
These Indians should be located on the Big HON.
with suitable reservation for agricultural ana
pastoral purposes, and the balance sold. a. least
4, 900 900 acres might thus be disposed OF. Ieay@
ing the indians sufficient agricultural lands 10 pc
come self supporting. if they desire 10 become
acricultursts and sufficient amount OF
become stock-raisers. The 1,713,00o acres that
would be left would give nearly, II not quite, oVo
acres of land to each individual member OF theis
tribes The number of Crows has been estimated
al 500: but /. is quite certain that the number IS
much less, and probably not over 1000 or 3,ooO'
A portion of the money realized Tor sncn safe
should be at once invested in herd for the tribes,
and cared for by the government until such time as
The Indians shall bs prepared to accept ana care LOT
their stock themselves. The proceeds, properly
used, would make the crows selI-supporuhg III q
few years at the farthest.
BIAcKFEET RESERVATION.
"The number of Indians on this reservation IS
about 10000. Until recently they have been a9 %
disappearance of the buffaiOes Is likely 10 cause
great suffering among them during the coming
winter and spring if an additional appropriation ls
Inspector Howard reports from Fort Belknap.
on the 9TH of October, 1888, that for the nrst
failed to visit that region" Heretofore the buffalo
ueat and hides secured by the Indians nave peen
sufficient. with the limited aid given by the gov
ernment, to give them fair support Ii the Indians
fail to secure bufTaoes, as 1t is now quite
certain they will, there is great danger
of starvation among them. They must certaiul y
starve unless they live off Of the stock in the vicin
ity of the agency but not on the reservation. If
the Indians are driven by hunger to kill tue cattle
on the ranges belonging TO herders who are right
fully in that section OF country, there Will be great
danger OF collision between the herders and the
Indians, and If such collision does not occur there
will be great loss of property, for the Indians will
doubtless destroy more than they use. These In
dams have a fine grazing country and some good
agricultural lands that be utilized by irrigation.
A suitable appropriation should be made for their
immediate wants, and provisions made Tor stocking
the range with CATTLE and they will become self
supporting from the growth of such herds"
THE LAND OFFICE,
The report Of the commissioner OF the general
land Office shows that the disposal of public lands
under all acts of congress aggregates -. 430,-
were Indian lands, and 1,199, 1871 acres rail-
road sections under various acts Of congress. The
total cash receipts were $l1,713,SS3 20. Of which
$685., 4O4. 81 was for sale of Indian lands. The
increase in 1883 over 1882 was S3,319, So. &C.
md over 1881, S6.3O5,O7s.34; presumption aud
private entries, 1905, sos. 80 acres; timber-eul
iure entries, 3.110,93O.23 acres; the number Of
homestead entries $685., embracing SILL
SLABS acres. Not included in the lands disposed
Of, and ia addition thereto, were 1888 pre-
ernption filings 1890 soldiers deelar-atory
statements, and 1922 miscellaneous filings.
Four thousand two hundred and seventy-foHr
contested cases were examined and acted upon dur
ing the fiscal year. The number of Dre-emption
cases undecided June 20, 1888, was 1892, an
increase Of the number in arrears OF 1870 ana
1912 new cases were received for action. Con-
siderable timber land was sold: but land yalu-
able for agricultural purposes has been offered at
pa bic sale.
liz regard to fraudulent entries he report says:
mo difficulty is found where the parties making
such fraudulent entries still hold the title bat 10
case there has been transfer for valuable con-
sitieratiou without notice of the fraud, great in
justice is done the purchaser by disturbing the
title which he had reason to suppose was fraud
ulent If u is clearly established that the grantee
in the patent had existence, the title is held to be
in the government, and the purchaser has no rem
edy except against the vendor, vino is usually i'm
uecunious, and not iufrequeutiy has left the coun-
try, It would appear TO be right that after
tain time the presumption should be conclusive
that the patent issued in strict accordance With
law. and there should be no inquiry into the pro-
ceedings anterior to the time OF issue.
10 the matter Of fencing public lands, grieyouf
affection 10 small Texas cattle men, government -
urged to take decisive steps to prevent rich capi-
faists from taking up the public domain, 10 ths
prejudice Of Door men who want land.
RAILROAD EXEMPTIONS.
The subject Of railroad taxation IN the cases
where railroads lease their lands without taxing
patent for them, and so escape taxation for local
purposes and for the expenses OF surveying IS Gov
cred BY the following suggestion
IT is earn silly 70 be desired that some nsans OF
adjustment Of these grants, whole, re provided.
or some method devised which shall, under cover Of
egis afiYe authori y, not only remedy the evil sug
Eested. but euaos this department 70 reach mar
y as to the titles TO be conveyed 10 these corpora
tons al the earliest practicable moment, and thus
relieve an anxious and excited pubic feeting,
already sufficiently aroused upon the various dll-
cult and complicated questions Connected with me
Of this moInentous aud important
l,raneh 81 public affairs To this end most uf-
gently recommend that the prompt ana serious
attention Of congress be invited TO the foregoing
suggestions