The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-08-01
THE OTHER SIDE OF IT.
THAT IS, THE QUESTION OF LAND
LEASES TO CATTLEMEN.
governor Martin, of Kansas, Denounces
the Presidents Order, and Does 1t
with vigor-GeneraI phil at
Kansas City-Indian Farms"

KANSAS City, Mo-, Aug. 1-Governor
John A. Martin, OF Kansas, was here, Thurs
day, and was very bitter in his denunciation
OF the presidents order to the cattlemen,
which he pronounced as unjust and I'M
called for. The government, he said, has
insisted on preserving the territory as
home for the Indians, and has treated it in
dealing with them as their property. 1t can
not be opened for settlement, and the Indians
themselves are not numerous enough to oc-
cupy it. If they are not allowed to lease it,
all this valuable land must be idle, yield
ing no profit to any one. Under the lease
system the Indians derive good revenue
from the cattlemen, are afforded pastures
for taeir cattle, and the public is benefited
by the increased supply of beef, which nee
essarily lowers the price Of that consumed.
1t is said the presidents order
has resulted in causing rise of 25 per
cent in the price of Texas cattle. is this
benefit to public3' the governor asked In
regard to the OPPOSITION which exists on many
hands to the continuance of the leases, the
| governor said it was actuated by "a dog-in-
| the-manger spirit" among outsiders, who
| wanted to get those put out who were for
| tunate enough to be in. The leases were
| doing no one any harm The Indians, with
the exception of a few chronic malcontents
were satisfied with them; the lands could be
| put to no other use and it would result in
no benefit TO any one to have them vacated
| Gen Phil Sheridan, accompanied by mis-
brother, Col. Mike, arrived Friday MORN
| ing over the Santa Fe road from Wichita,
where he arrived Thursday by ambulance
from Fort Reno The general was reticent
as TO what would be the outcome of all the
excitement and talk regarding the cattle
leases in the Cheyenne and Arapahoe coun-
try, but said Fl m the present out
look the cattle would have to be
driven out The general in an inter
view at Wichita stated that the grass
leases lie at the bottom Of the trouble with
| the Indians The Indians had small farms
| along the creeks which the cattle interfered
with. When asked why he did not disarm
the Indians, he replied they were all right
and would give no further trouble He
| thought an extension Of the time allowed
the lessees to get their cattle out would re-
suit in dissatisfaction on the part of the In
dams.
The Indian farms to which the general re-
ferred are small patches of corn not exceed
| ing quarter of an acre in extent which
are inclosed with poles and left to them
selves by the Indians from the time the
corn is planted until the ears are large
enough to be eaten, when the proprietor
and family camp near the farm
and remain until they have consumed
their scanty crop. 1t is said the corn is sc
poor and so mixed up with weeds that the
cattle will not take the trouble to break
down the fences to get at it Persons
familiar with the Cheyenne and Arapahoe
country look upon the generals statment in
regard to the farms" rather in the light OF
a joke than as seriously meant for a reason
CHICAGO, Aug. l-Gen. P. H. Sheridan
arrived in this city Friday morning ami de-
parted for Washington City Friday night.
He declined to talk on the Indian question,
but expressed his gratihcatio ton at being Sc
lected as pail bearer at the funeral of his
old chief and friend Gen Grant