The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1886-07-07

WAsA xe1SO 0O10S W O0Cu Ao1Dlly Va 1Oul
persons, who can reasonably claim
that any injustice is being doneP /
there u any Injustice il this policy i
would be against tho homeseeker, who
can only take 16O acres for himself and
family.
Now, / submit that N Indian has nc
use for . large area Of country aftel
the game upon which he subsisted haa
been destroyed. What use have these
Indians for moro than 1,l48 acres TO 1
family Of fourf There i no game on
tho reservations they now occupy,
There ID no game in Oklahoma, nor i
there any III the Cherokee strip, Sol
reasons which I shall show later. What
rule Of justice or Of fair dealing 70.
quires that . savage that does mot oc
cupy the coil for cultivation, who haa
no moro use for It after tho game haa
been destroyed than . wok, and who i
supported by the Government, should
be allowed to reDain there and roam
over millions Of acres Of land, which
he refuses to cultivate, to the exclusiou
Of white settlers who want homes and
would cultivate the soil il they had the
opportunity The relation ef the In.
dian = entirely different from what il
ever was before in the history Of thil
country, and y Il possible that Oen-
gress will be dumb to the appeals OF
deaf to the cries OF our landless people
who arc pleading for homesi
OPEN THE DOOR.
But the question d asked, Do you
propose to take the lands from them
without ther consent No, sir. Do
you propose 70 take them without pay.
ing Tor themi No, sir, never. Be jus,
TO the Indian, be humane to him, but
at the Same time b humane and Just
to our own constituents. That u my
rule. I know Of no better rule than
that. ak nothing else. But I Say
that fair dealing to tho white man and
that fair dealing and mercy to tho In
dians require that this Government
shall immediately take steps to open
up al Of these abandoned and needless
reservations 10 white settlement, to
schools, to churches, and to oil the ben.
efits Of . Christian civilization.
But the Suggestion will DO made at
once that there are certain railroad COR
p0rations that have grants which are
now in allegiance in this Indian Coun-
try. In the first place, deny that
there arc such grants in the IndianTer-
ritory; but out Of abundant caution, il
there should be any such grants, then
! say repeal those acts and forfeit all
those grants; for the country should be
reserved to homestead settlers and no
other class Of persons.
II this policy is pursued it IL not too
much too say that within eighteen
months after this vacant country ID
opened to settlement there will be .
million people there, and they win be
knocking for admission into the Union
q State with Ill tho advantages oi
sisterhood and Ill tho advantages ol
our American civilization.
Mr. BUCHANAN. What il the use
Of their knocking when others al ready
now for admission can not got INF
Mr.. WEAVER. "Kuock, and it shall
be opened" It does not cay "when
you FIRST knock it shall be opened"
Laughter
Mr.. MILLS. Keep knocking.
NO MORE INDIANS CAN GO THERE.
MI. WEAVER. Now, Mr.. Chairman,
I wish to address myself to the Ques'
ton Of the intention OF the Govern.
ment - to the further settlement Of In.
dians in this Territory. call tho at'
teution Of the committee to page 10 81
the last annual report Of the Comm is.
sioner Of Indlans Affairs. It II claim.
Cd By some would-be philanthroplsts-
good people, but misguided, because
they do not understand Ill the facts
connected with the situation In tho In.
dian Territory-that il should be the
policy Of the Government 70 settle
friendly Indians there. They are un.
mindful Of tho fact that Congress
On two occasions hes expressly forbid
den the further removal Of Indians tt
tho Indian Territory.
By tho act Of March 5. 1877, tho Of
ficefs Of the Government were prohib
tied from removing tho Sioux Indians
or any portion Of them into tho Ildiar
Territory, and BY . subsequent act the
removal Of the Apaches into that terri
tory was also forbidden. But the Com
missioner Of IndiAn Affairs, ON page
10 Of his last annual report, aftel
having discussed thisquestion, Gays:
But . stronger and more potent Objection
to concentration In the Indian Territory ex.
lists than any yet given, and that q the hercs
and incorporating 0ppoeiti0n which THU
proposition meets In the almost unanimoul
sentiment OF the white citizens Of the foul
great States Of Missouri, Kansas, Texas and
such an array Of political power and In
fiuence, speaking % one man, 10 entitled r
respect aud grave consideration In . conn
try like ours, whore public opinion crytal
lixss into law, where It makes Presidents
and Congresses, and courts, and command
armies. Il can not be safely disregarded
And although the representatives OF thu
other States Of the Union might believe tina
the concentration Of the savage Indian
tribes Of this county In the Indian Territory
would be best for the Indians and greatly
relieve the Treasury Of the United States
. it would, nevertheless would not advis'
such step, even II It would b agreeable 4
the Indians now scattered over vaAt area
| of oo1ntry. against the earnest protsstation
Of the people Of the four great States 70
ierred TO.
So that the Government has aban
doned all idea Of the settlement OF AM
more Indians in the Indiaa Territory
Nov, this being settled i, not the dut!
Of Congress plain and unmistakable
II We are not TO settle any NOR
Indians there shall the homeless whit
pc ople be forever excluded from il
domain? But 1t u claimed We have n
right to settle white people on Oklahe
ma or the Cherokee strip, and to thu
proposition / invite the respectful o
tention Of the committee. The Seer,
tary Of the Interior. on page 50, In hi
last annual report, speaking Of Oklaht
ma. says:
By the third article Of the treaty Of An
l6, 1899, IA Stat. 1867, it - stipulated thl
I'm compliance with the desire Of the Uni
ed States to locate other Indians and free<
men theron, the 6eminoles oeds to q
United States their entire domain" consia
Ing Of !, 3,l6o. .Oo0 acres. at the rate Of l6 can
per acre.
By the third article Of the treaty Of An
II, 1854 ibid, 1857, the Greeks. for q
ssns purpose, esdsd to the United State