Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-01-14
CROwDING WASHINGTON.
Strenuous Efforts Making by the Indians
TO Postpone Opening of Territory.
Special 10 tho Gazette

strenuous Efforts Making by the Indians
TO Postpone Opening of Territory.
Special 10 the Gazette.
AToKA, |. T., Jan. l3.-Delegations
from all OF these Indian "nations" are
crowding into Washington City To stay, II
possible, the hand Of destiny opening up
the Indian reservations, aud especially
this Territory, TO settlement by the
whites.
The Indian policy OF Secretary Lamar,
foreshadowed In his first annual report,
has been interpreted 10 favor the opening
up OF the Territory. 81 recommend that,
a portion of every reservation be divided
up into separate traces Of suitable size for
farms, To- be allotted to each individual as
his sole and separate estate" This is
supposed 10 intimate, though not ex-
pressed in words, that the remainder Of
the land shall be opened TO settlement by
the whites Commissioner Atkins makes
this recommendation In black and white:
"rhe remaining lands OF their reserya-
lions should he purchased by the govern
ment and opened 10 h mestead entry at
so or rs cents per acre"
You have recently elaborated this pol
Icy, giving estimates OF the v lue OF
these "rtmainiug lauds,n and also the
Views anu NENlHldlfN vi AfHs tNNN IlutU.
All these things have had the usual re-
suit Of alarming the several national au-
thorItes and dcleg itons from the Cher
okee, Greek, Seminole aud Chckasaw
nations have been appointed to repair to
Washington for the purpose of pre-
venting, If possible, any legislation
affecting the present condition of things,
or, II It cannot be prevented entirely, 10
make II rs harmless as possible. The re-
port YOU published some time ago that
the Greek delegation favor the opening
up of their lands was Il great mistake.
The truth is, If the question OF opening
up WAS submits d to the Indians by blood
half blood as well MS full blood--of
these tribes, the vote against 1t would be
almost unanimous MY own opinion Is,
that the resent status of the indian
reservations, aud the present indian pol
| icy, will not be radically changed tins
congress This opinion is based on an
experience aud observation of quarter
OF acentury in Indian matters aud careful
considera'io ion OF The measures and menu
brrs of The present congress- My advice
10 those people who are waiting to enter
land In this territory is 10 prepare for an-
other crop In "the states | am only
| little more than fifty years old, and see
NO reason especially why ! shall not live
to my three-s1ore years and ten, and
| think troy probable that shall never see
this Indian Territory opened to settle
ment by the whites The lands here sire
very greatly oyerratod anyway. Much Of
this territory is very thin aud unpruduct-
| I've II is by no means the garden spotu
OF the United States as it Is often repre-
scented. believe IL is the true policy of
these Indian tribes To survey and allot
their lands In severaly rh,y would inn
prove much more rapidly IN every re-
spect. They would soDu become more
Industrious more useful, and hence NOR,
happy. II the Territory Is opened for
white settlement there is large element
that would rise very rapidly aud soon be-
come excellent, intelligent and wealthy
citizens OF our great commonwealth on
the contrary there is another element that
would sink like lead 1t would DC a case
OF the survival OF the tittcst Bnt az |
have said above, | thmk IT very probable
that this change is several years IN the
future,