St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-08

WHITE EARTH OBSERVATION.
We give space this morning to COM
munication from Mr.. JOHN M. MARTIN
concerning the proposition to remove all
the Indians in Northwestern Minnesota to
the White Earth reservation. Our CORE
spondent shows conclusively that the senti-
ment of the people residing in counties con-
tiguous to the White Earth reservation is
almost unanimously Ill opposition to the
proposed removal. The meeting held at
Ada, in Norman county, adopted memo
rial to congress which sets forth clearly
enough the reasons why the removal should
not be made. Circumstances go to confirm
Mr.. MARTINS statement that the removal
proposition originates with the pine land
spectators. who are anxious to get their
fingers on. the fine bodies of timber now
standing on some Of the reservations from
which they are seeking to have the Indians
removed. We fail to see any valid reason
why they should all be crowded into the
White Earth reservation. 1t would mani
testify be an act of injustice to the Indians
now in possession Of. that reservation, and an
act of still greater injustice to the citizens of
Polk, Norman, Becker and Hubbard coun-
ties, who would be subjected to all the an
noyances which would result from such
course. The probability is that congress
will not look favorably upon the re-
moval scheme. And more partic-
ularly as the administration is now formu-
lating an Indian policy which commends
itself as a wise and practical method of dis
posing of the Indian question. The policy
of laying off Indian reservations and with
holding valuable lands from settlement is to
be abandoned. The Indians are to be given
their lands in severalty, and all in excess Of
the demands for this purpose to be opened
to settlement 1t is hardly possible that in
advance of general policy, which is almost
certain to be adopted, congress will under
take to NEEDLE with or disturb the present
status of Indians on the reservations in
Minnesota.
But whatever disposition may be made of
the Minnesota Indians and Of the lands now
belonging to them, whether they be con-
centrated on one reservation or whether
they be given lands in severalty, it is not at
all probable that the timber lands will be
exposed to sale or open to settlement. The
recommendation of Commissioner SPARKS
that the government take more energetic
measures to protect lands which are chiefly
valuable for timber is so wise suggestion
that congress will scarcely fail to heed it.
The reasons are so potent for adopting the
recommendations of the land commissioner
In this regard that it is an insult to the
honesty and intelligence of congress
to assume that it would permit
any further unnecessary and premature
destruction of forests and the shipment
of their products out of the country. The
time has passed for spectators to acquire
monopoly Of the timber lands of the govern
ment. If the pine lands in the state now in
the possession of the Indians ever revert to
the government the correct policy and the
one most likely to be adopted will be to
withhold them from appropriation or sale
and to hold them subject to future legisla-
ton for the permanent reservation of desig-
mated areas. When the timber spectators
once understand, as they will find out be-
fore they fool with this administration much
longer, if indeed they have not already an
mixing Of it, that no more selling and hold
ing of public lands for specula-
tive purposes will be tolerated, they
will cease their efforts to concen-
trate the Indians On the White Earth res
eryation, and the citizens of Northwest
Minnesota will no longer be troubled with
apprehensions of annoyances of the char
acter which now threaten them. The land
sharks are making terrible howl over the
present administration of the land office,
and their subsidized newspaper organs utter
good many foolish screeds about the
cralkiness of the land commissioner. But
it is only another instance of where the
heather rage in vain. They may gnash
with their teeth and utter growls of impo-
tent rage, but the administration is not to
be moved from its policy of reform, and the
honest commissioner will not be sacrificed
1t is all right and is going TO stay so.