The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-10-30
MEMPHIS DAILY APPEAI--sATURDAY OCTOBER 30 1886
COMMISSIONER ATKINS
is OPPOSED TO THE OPENING
OF OKLAHOMA
10 White SettlerS-What He Has to
Say Generally About the Indians
and Their Affairs.

WAsHNGToE, October 80. The Com
missioner of Indian Affairs, j. D. G
Atkins, hiss just comp eted his annual
report, showing the op rations Of the
lnd' Ian Bureau during the last f ca
year. He begins by calling attention
to the unmistakabls evidences of rog
ress made by many of the tribes, and
says; The excellent temper, subor,
dination and general tranquilily
which, with two or three exceptions
have everywhere prevailed, is of itself
a mcst auspicious omen of progress,
Many facts fully establish the claim
that duIing the past year the Indian
race has taken finer st in the
march toward civilization than ever
before in the same length of time.
The estimates for carrying on the In
dan service have been reduced from
S,32S,049 in 1856, TO S. 60S,S73 for
1888, and but for an increase Of $l77,-
500 in estimate for educational work,
the reduction would have been
greater. Considerable space is de-
voted to a discussion If the con-
dition and future of the five civil zed
tribes in the Indian Territory. Re-
ierring to the attempts of "boom-
ers" to encroach upon their reser-
va,ion, the Commissioner says: 1t is
not reasonable to expect that the gov
ernment will never tire OF menecing
its own people with its own amy.
Therefore 1t becomes vastly important
that these five civilized tribes should
cooperate with the government in es.
tablishing peace and quiet within
their borders. After speaking of the
failure Of these indians to sympsthize
with the government in It's effort to
promote the taking shares of allot-
meDts Of lands, Commissioner Atkins
says it would be best for the Indians
to divide their lands in teveraIty, al
loting 100 acres to epch head of a fam
lily and eighty acres to each minor
child. If the large surplus remaining
should be sold to actual settlers at a
just price the proceeds would enable
the poorer Indians 10 imprbve their
allotments, put Up school buildings,
etc. Says the Commis Toner: Let
these Indians once assume all Of the
responsibilities of ciiz ms OF the
United States, with its laws ex ended
ss pro Getting Ggis over them, and
the day Of their fear and apprehen-
eions of marauding whites will..be
forever ended. The Commissioner
dwells at length upon the surplus land
in the Indian Territory, and says were
all the Indians Of the United States to
be uprooted and t1ansplantei to that
Territory there would then be, in
GLIDING those now resident there, 1864
acres Tor each living Indian. He sug-
gests that the Kiowas, Comanches,
Wichilas, Cheyennes and Arapahoes,
the only tribes in the Territory west
OF longitude 9So be removed to lands
east of that line. He expresses his
conviction that the proposition to
throw open Oklahoma to white set
Element would be an experiment dan
gerous to all concerned. 1t is, there
fore, recommended as a preliminary
step that Congress authorize the de-
partment 10 appoint a commission, who
shall visit The Oheyennes, Arapahoes,
K owas, Comanches andApaches in the
Indian Territory TO ascertain their
views with reference TO the subject of
removal to lands in said Territory,
east OF $50. The report says that the
immediate necessity for the es-
Enlistment of United States Dis
trict Court within the heart of
the Territory of the five civilized ma
tons, say Muekegee or Fort Gibson,
no longer admits of doubt. The
necessity for legislation by Congress
upon the question of leasing Indian
lands is also subject of remark. The
Commissioner refers to the instruc-
tiors to agents looking to the teaching
of Indians how to fam, and saws he
intends TO see that they are fully car
ried out. The success or non-suc .ess
Of the Indian farming experiments, he
says, it will require some years to
demonstrate. The Commissioner, in
treating of Indian schools, speaks of
the difficulty experienced in freeing
the pupils from adverse home in
huencas, aud, after some discussion of
the matter, ssys: cat this time, how
ever, l would not advise diminulion
Of material aid and support to any of
Ihs different kinds of schools now fos-
tered by the government. All are
doing excellent aud efficient service
IN their particular spheres"
He sueges s that an Indian graduate |
who msrries an Indian graduate be |
assisted in Purchasing a team, on |
settling on 100 acres of lsnd, fencing,
and building a house, and |
hat if he takes up land outside Of any
indian reservation, be be made q citi-
zen OF the United Stats. Under the
read OF agency and employees the
Commissioner says: The general pub
ic has long had the idea that corrup-
ion prevailed in ths employee SER
rice at Indian agencies. That many
gents, having in their own hands the
,ower 10 employ or dismiss their
assistants, bad surrounded themselves
With such ma erial as they could COM
'letely control, through fear OF dis
barge, or by collision with them in
IiEhoneft practices. That this con-
lition of affairs rendered fraud easy
nd its detection by inspectors, special
gents and this office almost impos-
IDLE, AID that thus the government
nd the Indians were plundered with
determined to make such
change as would effectually remove
Ii just cause for doubt as to the hon
sly and integrity of the service in
his particular. Indian agents and
chool superintendent, were therefore
gifted that the Office would select
I'd appoint all clerks as well as ply
ciaDs and additional farmers. am
leased to be able to report thai most of
ne agents cordially support this move.
he ruling that agency clerks shall be
elected by the Indian Office is a wise
ne and has a ready been found to
md directly and plainly TO the in
rovement Of the service. OF the
ecessity of an appropriation 10 de-
ay the expense Of taking census OF
le Indians, the Commissioner saws:
| do not doubt that an accurate CEN
IS would show a decrease in the
umber Of Indians throughout the
)untry, or at least at several of the
yencies. The outlay for taking the
,nsus is uncomfortable when com
ared with the great saving it would
robably effect. The saving in two