St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-01-17
OKLAHOMA

| Congress and the President Becoming Im~-
pressed With the Necessity for Some De-
eisive Action in Relation to This Territory
| "A Reflection Upon the Leaders of the
"Boomers."
WASHINGTON. D. c., January To-
Something has got to be done about
Oklahoma and there are evidences that
Congress is being impressed with the
necessity for definite and decided ex--
preston. As Senator Plumb said the
other day in presenting memorial
from the colonists, decisive poll
icy must be announced aud en-
forced. Either the lands must be
thrown open or there must be such Il
declaration from the Government that
people will stop going in and settling.
On Wednesday q party of congressman,
among whom were Senators Vest,
Dawes, Ingalls, and Plumb, called upon
the President in relation to this matter.
When the subject was broached, Presi--
dent Arthur said he was advised by the
Department of Justice that aYinvasion
of the Territory of Oklahoma vas an In
fraction of law. He therefoFa ISSUED a.
proclamation forbidding persons to enter
that Territory for settlement. But men
set that proclamation al naught, and de-
fed the authorities of the Government.
When expelled, they at once prepared
for another invasion. They began to
dl%l, provided themselves with arms, and
so on. To keep them out was not only q
matter of the enforcement of Government
al authority, but the President was salts
fed that, aside from any such considers
ton, it was right and proper that settlers
should not be permitted to enter the Ter
Iitory. The laws relating to the Govern
ment of the Indian Territory term it the
"Indian country" This term has been
used in the legal phraseology
so long that it has come to be applied
generally to Indian reservations. The
law authorizes the Executive power to-
keep intruders out of the Indian country
and to employ the military force of the
Government in SO doing, if necessary.
The President called attention to the fact.
that Oklahoma is included in the desig-
nation of "Indian country and
is but small tract, compare
lively, comprising a few hun
dred thousand acres, and surrounded
on every side by Indian reservations. He
said that if that tract is to be opened to
settlement the way must be prepared by
the enactment of laws for that purpose.
AS the case stands there is no civil law
prevailing in Oklahoma, and the President
holds that should that land be settled by
whites under existing circumstances, col
lisions between the whites and the
Indians would be al
most certain. Ii the land is to
be thrown open, he advises
and that such law shall define how set
tiers Shall enter, etc, and thus prevent
trouble between settlers and Indians;
also, that land office be established
there. Until Congress takes some action
opening 0klshoma to settlement, and
how it shall be done, the
President holds it to be the duty of the
Executive to keep settlers out of that
Territory.
MAKING THE GROOMING" BUSINESS PAY.
1t is stated here by persons who have,
In the discharge of official duty, made in
qutry into the raids of the boomers into
Oklahoma, that the leaders in the move
menC mace the business quite prOhtable.
Each prospective settler is required to
pay sort of initiation fee, amounting
to ST. or So. This fee must
be paid at the start, so that in case the
recruit gets wearied in his effort to secure
and and backs out the treasury of the
boomers does not suffer. 1t is claimed
by some of those who have had to aid in
breaking up these raids that the headers
-ns llU do NOT want thn TarriEnrv onpnad
% settlement, as that will put an end to
heir source of revenue.
The feeling among Congressman is
strongly in favor of legislating so as to
brow the lands open to settlement, but
he apprehension as to what will be the
Elects of settling with white people
ract right in the heart of the Indian
country causes hesitation about taking
his course.