The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-12-04
OKLAHOMA.

A soldiers reunion was held at lyn-
don, Usage county, recently, at which an
Oklahoma association was formed and a
committee appointed to draft = memo
rial to congress urging the opening of
the Oklahoma territory to settle
ment. J. v. Admire. editor of the
Usage City Free Press, addressed a let
ter to Senator Plumb to obtain his views
'as to the prospect Of opening up that
country TO settlement" under existing
laws, and, indirectly, asking his views
of the Payne methods. The following
ID the senator's reply.
EMPoRIA, Kss., Nov. 81, 1884.
j. v. Admire. Esq, Usage City, KAs.:
My DEAR SIR-l am In receipt of
your favor of the Goth instant, advising
me that "At county soldiers reunion,
held at Lyndon some weeks ago, a COM
mittee was appointed, of which / (You)
am q member, to take such steps as
might be deemed best to have the 'Okla-
homR lands set apart for homes for
Union soldiers" and asking for nv
views upon the question. You also say
persons "Have been here for the purpose
of inducing persons 70 join q colony and
that many poor men are going into it
and paying out money in the shape of
membership fees and assessments that
they can i'll afford to lose" etc.
Replying, have TO say that I, for one,
should be quite willing to haye ex-union
soldier given the preference in the lands
of Indian Territory whenever they shall
be opened to settlement. But / have
some doubts about the practicability of
the plan. In the first place it would be
understood as solely for the benefit OF
those soldiers who live nearest the land
and therefore would not receive the sup
port of the soldiers IN east. Second, ii
would incur the hostility of those who
oppose all Determinations In the dis
posal of the public lands and this
might be instrumental in de.
feaung, for the time being, the
opening OF the lands to settlement. The
general principle that the lands should
go to actual settlers only under the
homestead and presumption lawson
perhaps under the homestead law only
and that rights should accrue from
date OF occupancy, should be preserved
as they doubtless will be, and If the res
ervation of rights in favor of ex-soldierE
would not interfere with that principle
lay the passage of q bill to open the
lands to settlement, I should be disposed
10 regard it with favor.
The body of unoccupied land known
as Oklahoma can, believe, be opened
10 settlement by congressional actloI
without the necessity of asking the con
sent of any Indian tribe. These are thu
lands covered by the bill introduced by
me at the last session of congress, and
now pending before the senate commit
tee on Indian affairs. 1t provides fol
FORGETTING the land grant made to thC
Atlantic and Pacific Railroad company
and the senate has already passed /
bill for this special purpose, which will
doubtless become law during the com
ing session. The forfeiture OF this gran
is a necessary preliminary to the
| declaration that Oklahoma il
land grants would at one attach ant
hopes that my bill, or a similar one
will pass at the cOmIning seassioD, ant
shall do all can to that end. / also
believe that as fast as the Indian title
can be extinguished such portions OF thu
| territory as are not needed for the In
dian occupancy will be occupied anC
| opened to actual settlers. cordially
favor such a policy and am opposed, a
have always been to the acquisition ol
the title TO q single acre OF the public
domain, IN the Indian Territory or else
| where, by any one not an actual settler
| or in quantities exceeding one hundreC
and sixty acres to each occupant.
The law does not recognize, and vii
not do so, membership in any colony q
giving preference. No government Off
Ger can give any preference, and, o
course, no private individual can do sc
In Oklahoma, when opened to settle
ment, as we'll as elsewhere on the publ,
lads. those who first make actual bon
fide settlement will have first right
| do not wish to discourage associations
| in fact, do not at all desire to advise
but it is quite safe to say that the grea
majority OF those who pay money 70
alleged "rIghts'' to lands In the territOr
to anyone will be doomed to disappoini
ment and loss. All will know, through
the public prints, OF the action by cor
gress or the executive, which places III
territory, or any portion of 1t, in cond
ton for legal occupancy. There will
no monopoly of information, as Their
| will be none of right.
Very truly yours,
p. B. PLUME.