The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1886-07-07
OKLAHOMA.
Speech Of Hon. James B. Weaver
Of Iowa, I'm the House of Rep.
tativos, Thursday, March
IL, 1885.

tatives, Thursday, March
IL, 1886.
The House was considering the In
dian Appropriation Bill when
Mr.. WEAVER said:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: The question, or
rather the group Of questions involved
in this bill y Of the highe6t importance,
because the relation which the various
tribes Of indians suatain to the Govern.
ment Of the u. 8. mas assumed in the
past few years : new phase, and the
House and the country are brought
face TO face with . changed condition
Of affairs that ought to be well under
stood BY al. In tho days when the gov
eminent treated with the Indian tribes
. separate and distinct peoples or na-
tons, . different rule obtained from
that which must now be observed. A
new rule and . new order Of Things
must govern Congress and the ExeCu-
tive IN dealing with the Indian tribes. ]
call attention to > section Of the Re-
vised Statutes which seems TO be but lit
tie understood by the country aud even
By the members Of this House. 6ec-
tion 2O79 Of the Revised Statutes reads
. follows:
No Indian nation or tribe within the ter
ntory Of the United States, shall be &C
knowledged or recognized . an indepen-
dent nation, tribe or power with whom the
United States may contract by treaty: but
no obligation Of any treaty lawfully made
and ratified with any such Indian nation or
tribe prior TO March 3, 1871, shall be hereby
invalidated or impaired.
Il appears then, Mr.. Chairman. that
since the Sd Of March, 1871-6fteen
years past-our government has not
recognized, and does not recognise, any
Indian tribe or nation as such. This
section Of the statute brings the In
dian into the relation Of ward. subjects
him to legislative control, and the gov
eminent stands in loco PARENTS. or as the
trustee Of the estate Of the Indian.
Now, - matter Of course, the estate
Of those wards must be managed with
reference to two things: First, the In
terest Of the ward; second, the general
interest Of the people. Let US then ap
proach the discussion OF this subject
in the light Of this statute, and with
the understanding that the Indian is
simply the ward and the Government
the trustee. As preliminary step to
that discussion. desire to call the at-
tention q the House TO map Of the
Indian Territory which have here
upon this easel.
This map represents what is known
q the Indian Territory. The white
AJAX upon the map l'ndic.tiDgl repre-
sents tho country occupied by what are
known . the nve CIVILIZED tribes. Ihis
red portion q tho map near the center
o. the TerrltOry, CONSTITUTES what y
% to the Y. 3. BY the Creeks and Semi
noles ~ the treaties q l6c6. Iho coun-
try between the two lines, which | now
indicate. and west Of the white disk,
C0n9ututee what y known - the Cher-
okoe outlet, or Cherokee strip. the
niece az country vest or the Cher.
nkaa afrin. And inAicatad nnon the
wer ;svhet + krovr a. ~
4uOisO 1s.u .&1R, Non.a
1ano, ceood 20 the Y. 3. 0y the State
OF Texas In 1850. West OF Oklahoma
and southwest are the reservations Of
The Chavonnaa. and Aranahoaa. tha
Wh;ts. th~ K;n-.s tha Oom.nches
"a th. sn.ahs. ms.s ~ .a...;..s..
~ :. s1C 0p1. A Ooustls.so
tno various suooivisions OF the !0olan
Territory. Thle Territory cOntalns, IN
cluding the Public Land strip, 44,164,.
24O acres OF land, An ares as great -
that q the States q Iowa: Msssachu-
setas, HhOde Island, and New Jersey
combined, larger BY 266. 800 acses than
theseven States OF Maine, New Hamp-
shire, Massachusetts,, Rhode Island,
Oonnecticut New Jersey, and Della
ware.
A EUToPIA.
Now, asto the character Of this coun.
". call attcntion g !no very anie r.
port OF tho commissioner OF Indian
A6airo, page ., from which read:
Il n situated between the river and the
thirty seventh degree OF north latitude and
nearly in the center Of the United Statea
east and west. Its climate il delightful and
its resources almost unbounded. While
there are some pour lands within its limits
yet taken q : whole, 1t 10 hardly excel,ec
Ia it, natural resources By any other portion
Of the United states Of the same extent. IL
soil II adapted to the raising Of all the cere