Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-11-14
EASTERN.
Good Suggestions for the
Indian.
A REPORT ON OUR ARMY.
The Chicago Meat Packers STRIKE
Ordered Off But the La
borers Object.

[Spsefni 10 the Herald bv the Assoctoted fress'
NEW YORK, November is.-A washington
special to the Sun says: One OF the mos
striking passages in the annual report o.
Commissioner ], ID. G. Atkins, which has
lust been printed, shows the working OF an
Indian landed aristocracy under the present
tribunal system of holding reservations. II
appears that the chief cultivation of tribal
lands is done by a few rich and ente rprlsing
red men who pocket all the proceeds and
nav no rent to the tribe as a whole. OF
course their plea is that If any 9th er mem
Der OF the tribe choose "a. till tribal
lands they are :. at liberty u,
in n the indian Territory where ppea some very
large crops are raised on lands held in
common by partly civilized tribes, the
Weather and more influential Indians nave
monopolzed the best lands, aud much
more than would be their share under an
equal division in severalty. COMMISSIONS
Atkins accordingly points out that tho pres,
ent system of land tenure among the ked
men is working very badly, ana tnat ne
Government ought 10 intervene ana diyIde
the land held In the Indian Territory into
lots of one hundred and sixty acres for each
head of a family. and half ~ much for each
child. The general impression derived
from Commissioner Atkins rep rt Is that
the present system OF Indian lana n3idins thas,
Congress should promptly. substitute one
which would be better both for the hed
men aud the whites.
PLEA FOR THE INDIANS.
The Interior Department to-day received
q copy of the fourth annual message OF
Hon d. w. Bushyhcad,. principal chiei OF
the Cherokee nation in the Indian Territory,
TO the national council sitting at Tahlequah
November ind, 1886. He says, among other
things: II dt EN- It my duty to call your at
tention to the subject OF the proposed con
federation of the nations and tribes OF the
Territory, with the hope that you will take
some action OF a definite character LOOKING
to the formation of an international govern,
ment, clothed with such functiohs ana
powers as it may deem proper 10 CONFER
upon II. The Importance, not TO say the
necessity of such lction, is suggested by the
fact that there are bills before Congress pro-
viding for the erection OF Territory OF tne
United States out OF the so-called no man
land with such portions OF the indian Ter
ritory as may be included BY consent OF the
tribes residing thereon. Thus an insidious
scheme for invading and dismembering the
Territory is sought to be carried out, when,
in my opinion, could be defeated
in advance by union of tribes in
confederation. through which they
would act together on all questions
involving the Interests of all. Such an
organization would not only consume the
interests of the whole territory, but 1t
would command the respect of the people
and the Government of the United States.
The danger and the power OF the white man
lies chiefly in his combination OF forces: IL
behooves us to profit by this example: Inc
Indian Territory, occupied by thirty tribes
each, as in the olden days, distinct from the
others. invites an invasion of their rights
from the sefsh and unscrupulous. The
Indian Territory, with her thirty tribes
bound together BY a constitutional compact
into one federal body polite would in my
opinion be able by virtue. of the moral
force such an union would exert and Dy
the combined wisdom and united ACTON OF
ment OF Our Country and the invasion OF
our political and other rights.