The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1886-11-04

Annual Report of Cofntnissio3eF ATKINS
HIS Ideas as to what should bs Done
with the Red Man.
WASHINGTON, Oct 30.--The Comnis-
siohs+ ~ indian Affairs, J. ID. c. Atkins,
has just completed iis snnual report lie
begins BY calling attention. TO the nnrnls'
t.kaSie e3ifpnces of progress made by
many OF loo .tibes, and says: "The excel
lent temper, subOrGi:atioh and general
tranquility which, with two or tiIfes eXeep-
tions, have everywhere prevailed are ol
themselves most auSplclouS omen OF
rfovrpss. Many facts fully establish the
cain .tat H-r,ng The past year the Indian
race has taken 4 fir'rer Step IN the marcn
toward civilization than ever before IN the
same length of time. The estimates 1or
carving on the l. dian service have been
red35sed from S752S, ,O39 in lSs6, to S5,60S,
s73 for 1851, s.l.I bnt for an increase OF
SIR 500 in The es'htrt- for educational
worI,. tie reduction would b91- been even
greater"
Considerable space is devoted to dis
tDssiop OF the condition and future of the
five civilized tribes in the Indian Terr tory.
Reterlipg 10 tie attempts OF boomers to
entroacii upon their RESERVATION the Com
missioner SAYS: ut is not reasonable to
expect that the Government will never tire
ot menacng its own people with It's own
army. Therefore it becomes Vastly i'm
pnrtau. that these five civilized tribes
should cOopel1.t with the Government in
establishing peace and s'iet within their
borders"
After speaking of The failure of the In
dians tt sympathize with the Government
in its effort to Fhtr"te the taking up OF
al!olmcnts of land, Commissioners Atkins
saws that it would be best for the i"hlanS
to divide their lands in Stveralty, al!otting
100 acres to each head of family, anu S0
acres 10 each minor child. The large sur
plus remaining should be sold to actual
settlers 1T Just pr.ce, and the proceeds
would enatla ffe poorer Indians 70 Improve
tEeir aIlotments, nat up school build
ings, etc. Says the Commissioner: Let
these indians once assume all the response
biIitiea of citizens of the United States,
with Is laws extended as protecting @gls
6Sef tnpn. and the day Of their fear and
Apprehension" ri marahdlhg NisllorS VIII oe
! forever ended
The Commissioner dwells at length upon
! the surplus land in the Indian Territory
! and SAYS: Were all the Indians in tile
i In ted States to be uproOted and trans
! planted to that TER tory there would then
I be, including those now residing there 256$4
! acres fer each living INDIAN He sug
gcst, that the Kowas Comanches, WIch
! ilas, Chcycnnes and ArapahOeS, the only
/ Ind ans in the Territory west of Longitude
/ gs. he removed to lands east of that line.
TIE Commissioner expresses his convlc
! tion that the proposition to throw open Ok
! lahuma TO white settlement wOu'G ne al
! CXpCriment dangerous to all concerned
! it is therefore recommended as 4 preliin
/ mary step that Congress authorize th'
! department to appoint commission wh'
Shall visit the Cheyennas and Arapahoes
! the Wchitas and kioFdsa Comanche
and Apaehcs in the IHdiaf! Territory
to ascertain their views with reference
to tie subject of removal to lands in th
! Territory east Of 9S degrees. The repor
SAYS that Tie immediate necessity for tn
establishment of United States diStrlc
court within the heart Of tho territory of TIN
five civilized Nations no longer aduilS OF
| doubt.