The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-07-17

Senator Ingalls, report Of the CON
dition of the Indian Territory CON
tains some suggestive statements. Of
the 10000 Indians inhabitine that
country there is not a pauper. No
person is supported at the public ex-
pense, and no one lacks a home.
Only n insane person was heard Of,
and there are, of course, no beegars.
In addition to this, simple laws,
framed by the peoples representa-
tives, are justly administered-al-
though the standard of honesty is so
high that no laws exist, or are need
ed, for the collection of debts. Fifty
per cent. of the public revenues are
expended for educational purposes,
and schools are available for all the
children. The brightest and most
promising scholars are sem to East
ern colleges at the public expense.
All lands belong to the tribe in COM
mon, but any citizen may cultivate as
much as he chooses, provided he does
not come within aquarter of a mile
of his neighbor. "The squatter is
absolute possessor Of the land,n and
can leave it to his children; but he
may not sell to an outsider, and if he
ceases to- cultivate the land it reyerts
TO the public domain. This not only
secures Its cultivation but prevents
the growth Of monopolies, and gives
to every citizen the right to a home
stead. 1t is something to know that
the Indian can be thoroughly civil
lied; for according to the popular
idea he is an irreclaimable savage, fit
only for annihilation. Some time aeo
however, the dee that the Indian is
doomed to extinction was cemhated
by a competent observer-Colonel
Garrick Mallory, of the United States
Army, who read a paper before the
American Association for the Nd
yancement of Science, in which he
held that, while many tribes had de.
creased in numbers and some had be-
4M
came extinct, Others have decidedly
increased 80 that the Indian popula-
ton was not materially less to-day
than it was in the first settlement Of
the country--for the reason that ii
has been brought under various in.
fluences tending to prolong and pre-
serve lie. If we are to have the Red
Man with us permanently, then, the
nation is virtually interested in the
work of civilization. Tho Territory
was dedicated to the perpetual occu-
pancy OF the Indian tribes IN June,
1884. The most civilized tribes are
the C%herokees, Creeks, Choctaws,
Chickasaws and Seminoles. All of
these wear the ordinary dress, and
live like white communities. The
area of the Indian Territory is 6s,9sl
square miles, equal to 4~4,l53,24o
acres. Stringent laws have been
passed to prevent the encroachment
Of the whites-one forbldding n
"pale face" to hold land without mar
rying into one of the tribes. The
Territory has no representation in
the national government: for the en-
forcement of United States laws it is
attached to the Western judicial Dis
trict of Arkansas. 1t was formerly
part of the great Louisiana purchase
and was from time 10 time cut down
to its present dimensions; length, east
and west, 400 miles; breadth. 30
miles. About five years ago Captain
Payre-better known as .sOklahoma
Payne-lncited the people to invade
the Indian Territory for the purpose
Of squatting on its rich lands. The
invaders We're dispossessed by the
government, but continued their raids,
periodically, even after the death of
Payne. The Washington authorities
are bound by every consideration of
aud justice to maintain good
with the inhabitants Of the Ter
whose steady advance in civil
ization demonstrates the original
wisdom Of providing such q home for
the Indian.