Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-11-07
DAILY POST.INTELLIGENcER
TEE prYaILrp ResERvATIss.


For some nvsferloas reason .be In
dams living on the Paysl'zp kssefvA-
tion 10 Pierce County have not yet
been givea patents for the isnds Uhieh
we're divided among them in seysralsS
many months ago. There csu Be 40
excuse for this delay. which il Ons very
d uk bio, in Secretary L4mar's other
wise exssilent administration of tue In
tsrior Department TIE Indians af'
entitled TO thee lands By every iAs
hsman or divine. Lous ago ihey eK
press d desire that tLsif reservation
might be divided smp them 10 .
crafty. tie quest vas grated Ice
fosmaiities we're go1s through Nlsh'
The land vas divided sq1abiy and sat-
isfastorily. The psvsrs ssre for"ard
ed 10 Washington and patents we're
made ont. For almost a year tbsst
patents have needed ouiJ the signature
OF abe Secretary % the Interior IN order
10 be valid and binding. TIE sigma
tore, hoxever, has not been gwen, aud
the Indians are stiIl uncertain shether
or ne. they will be allosed TO dwell IN
the future in the homss which have
been theirs for 80 many years.
Any attempt 10 deprive the Indians OF
this land would be an attempt At rob
bery-no.hing more and nothing less
They have established homes upon Il
which weuld be credit 10 any com
munisy. They have accepted civilizA-
ton in every sense Of the word. They
I'LL the ground and each year raise
valuable crops. They support schools
and churches. They are useful mem
bers Of society and valuable eiemsnt
In the populatioa Of Washington Terri
tory. Their land, however, through its
proximity 20 the city Of Tacoma, has
become exceedingly valuable. The
Northern Pacific railroad has long had
q ooss toas eye upoa it and seems deter
mined TO possess it II possible. Thus
far Its agents have succeeded in keep
Ing the title 10 il from passing into the
hands Of the indians. Unless Secretary
Lamar possesses that hosessy with
which hs is credited, the plan OF the
land thieves will sscoeed and the In
dams will be deprived of their homes.
The plea made is tina, the lands have
become exceedingly valuable, not
through the efforts Of the Indians, bat
by reason OF circumstances over which
lhey had no control, and that they
should therefore be assigned another
and removed 10 less vslu
able land. The same plea might be
urged against one half Of the early
white settlers on Puget Sound. They
,ams here, took mp Government land,
and set about improving IL. As time
passed the land became valuable. not
70 mnsh through the tfforts pot forth by
The settlers, as because the country was
built up. because railroads we're eI-
tended into 1t. and because cities spranR
into existence. We're the settlers on
that account deprived of their homes
and given less valuable land iu 81
Not by any means. They 70
tanned their homes aud became rich as
the country became great. Why should
not the puyAlIup Indians receive STINT
lar treatment? To tear them from their
homes nov would be an act of cruelty
which could be compared only to the
expulsion Of the French from Acadia.
Such an act must not he perpetrated.
Secretary Lamar has a dnty TO per
form. and all honest aen expect bim to
perform it. Those patents .hoaId be
signed and placed in ths hands of the
Indians before another month has
fa aaaA