Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-01-24
The Indian and His Lands.

Affairs in the Indian Territory are
beginning to attract a great deal OF at
tention. The army is trying to force
lot Of land grabbers out OF the territory
by starving them into submission, and
Congress is trying to find out how the
rich cattle companies got possession of
millions Of acres Of the best Of the Terri
torial lands.
1t is probable that the army will sue
coed in its mission. The land grabbers or
colonists, OF whatever Capt. CcOuch's fol-
lowers are called. are entirely surrounded
by Col. Hatch's troops and have no way
Of obtaining supplies. In a short time
they will have announced their readiness
to 20 back to Kansas.
1t is much easier to deal with people
like those the War Department is dealing
with than with the cattle COM
panies. These companies are
in the Territory with the sane
! ton Of the Indian authorities and with
the consent Of the Secretary of the In
terror. They have leases and pay an an
nual rental for the land.
The question that is bOthering Congress
I -. uUM Nltl LAtN WDAdlAA luEAA AChoI1. AACN
say they got them honestly. Some Of the
Indians say that they brIbed the members
Of the local Indian government. A
| Senate committee is trying to discover
/ the truth. with very poor show for
I success. One curious circumstance that
has cropped out, is that while the cOmpa-
mics pay the Indians an annual rent OF
two cents an acre, they sub-let the lands
/ among themselves at two and a-half cents
an acre. When it was inquired of one
witness why the original lessees paTceled
/ out the lands among themselves at an ad-
vance Of halt a cent an acre, objection was
/ raised by Senator ingalls, on the ground
that Congress had no right to inquire into
private business affairs. Alter a little
argument the question was not pressed.
1t was suspected that the half cent per
acre was the source from which a cor
ruptiOn fund was drawn.
Does il not seem a little curious that a
Senator should have come so promptly to
the assistance of the cattle companies
when the Congressional probe was being
pushed little too close to the rotten spot:
1t is currently reported, however, that
there are Senators who are interested in
these great cattle companies, and it is
also said that the secretary of the Int
rior Is "a stakeholder in them. The re-
ports may do Senators and Secretary
great Injustice. but, if they are true, they
make clear several things that otherwise
are rather puzzling.
1t Is plain that a good many of the
Indians are by no means satisfied with
the leasing system. 1t doesn't bring
them much, and it introduces a rough
and lawless element among them. The
cowboy Is as irrepressible in the Territory
as he is in Texas or Montana.
Il is pretty safe to assume, however,
that the cattle men are in the Territory to
stay. They are rich and have plenty of
influence. How few are the instances in
which money and influence do not
win. II those who are in
the Territory are allowed to
remain others ought to be permitted, and
doubtless will be permitted, to 90 there
Already. therefore, we see that the wedge
that is 20 open the Territory to settlement
has entered. The land that has been
pledged TO the Indian as his home for
/ ever will BE wrested from him, and. per
haps. before another generation he will be
a curiosity in the only section Of country
l that he now calls his own. But in this
busy. pushing age there are few who in
dulre i'm sentiment respecting the Indian
His appeal for justice is unheard in the
din and tumult of advancing civilization.