St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-14

The Indian Rights association is Phila-
delphia organization which Ostensibly has
for its purpose the protection of the noble
red men of the forest, but which in reality
seems to be an association that makes its
living by attending to other peoples bus
mess. The association has recently issued
a pamphlet in which it seeks to eXonerate
itself from the blame that has been attached
to it for inducing President CLEVELAND to
revoke the order of his predecessor which
opened the Winnebago and Crow Creek
reservations to settlement. The pamphlet
does not throw much light on the question
of title to the 500, 600 acres Of land en-
braced in these reservations. 1t does, how
ever, make a little palmer the fact that the
whole trouble connected with the settle
ment of these reservations, and the subse-
Quent removal of the settlers, grows out of
a fight between the land rings seeking to
get control of the land embraced in the res
ervations One is a Western ring, the other
belongs to the East. 1t is alleged that ex-
Secretary TELLER was connected with the
Western syndicate, and it is limited that the
'Big Iniun" in the Eastern ring. The
following statement of facts relating to the
title to these two reservations is set forth
in the pamphlet:
By acts of congress passed in 1858, the
president OF the United States was authorized
to set apart two reservations for the use Of
Indians in Dakota. Under and by virtue of
these acts the commissioner of Indian affairs,
on or about July 1, 1868, did set
apart as reservations two tracts of
land, particularly described, on the east
bank of the Missouri river, in Dakota, and
known respectively as the Old Winnebago and
Crow Creek reservations. By treaty
between the United States and the Win
nebago tribe of Indians then occupy
ing the said Old Winnebago reservations con-
Guided with amendments on Feb. 90 1855, the
Winnebagoes conveyed to the United States
all their right and title to their said reserve,
in consideration of the grant to them by the
United States of another reserve in Neb aska.
In 1865 the president set apart for the use
of Santee Sioux, then occupying the Crow
Creek reserve, q reservation in Nebraska
NOW known as the Santee reServe), and the
Yanktonais Indians took possession and were
suffered to occupy the Crow Creek reserva-
ton. This they have continued to do up to
the present time. In 1868 a treaty was
concluded between the United States
and the various bands of Sioux In
dians. by the second article of which ''all
existing reservations on the east bank of the
Missouri river were made part of the Great
Sioux reserve. By executive orders of
Jan. IL, 1875, March 16, 1875, MAY 20,
1875, and Nov. IS, 1876, large tracts
of land on the east of the Missou-
ri river, in Dakota, in which was the
tract known as the Old Winnebago and Grow
Creek reserves, were set apart ''for the use of
the several tribes of Sioux Indians, in addi-
ton to the present reservation in said terri
tory By executive order Of Aug. 9, 1879,
portion of Sioux reservation, created by the
above executive order, was restored to the
public domain.
It will thus be seen that President AR
THUR, when making his order of last Feb
ruary opening these reservations to settle
ment, was of opinion that they were not
included in the treaty of 1868, while Presi-
dent CLEVELAND is of opinion that they
are. The whole question of title turns
upon the determination of the one fact
whether or not the territory in dispute was
an existing reservation on the east bank
of the Missouri river at the time the treaty
of 1868 was concluded.
So far as the land syndicates are con-
cerned it is case of dog eat dog" and no
body cares which wins OF which loses. But
there is another class who have deep in
terestin the determination of this question,
and whose present condition must excite
universal sympathy. They are the poor
settlers who relied upon the power of the
government to make its promises good, and
were induced to go upon these lands and in
vest all of their little earnings in securing
what they supposed to be permanent homes.
The lrofessed philanthropy of the Indian