The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-03-06
THE NATIONS CAPITAL.
Congressman Barnse on the
Oklahoma Bill.
DISCUSSING OKLAHOMA.

tees bill and passed. 1t was amended to in
Guide the Indians of Florida. The act does
not apply to the Indian territory, nor to the
Usage indians and the five civilized tribes.
Mr. Barnes, of Georgia, gave notice that he
would, at the proper time, offer a substitute
NOR the appointment of commission to nego-
Rlate with Indian territory with a view to
opening up that portion of the territory, lvno
Iwest Of the 9Sth meridian of longitude to
white settlement. He said that it was with
regret that he found himself compelled to on
Pose the report which had been made by the
imaJorlty OF the committee on territories, but
Itne pending Dill was subject to such serious
spbjeotions, that he could not conscientiously
give it his approval. He sketched the history
fpf legislation pertaining to the Indian territory
IRON the time it was acquired from the French
an ioo3' and he quoted from the treaty stipu-
slations with the Cherokee Indians to
show that the land known as
the Cherokee outlet was held under the same
patent as i,OO0,O00 acres east of the 9Sth merid-
ian of longitude. He contended that the Cher
okees held their lands by absolute fee simple
title, while the Greeks, Seminoles, Choctaws
and Chickasaws held theirs by qualified fee
the qualification being contained in treaty of
condition, limiting the fee as long as thew con-
S1nued as nations. Good faith is required of
the government to observe the terms of the
&reaties. 1t was said that the Indians were
wards of the nation and that the guardian
could not treat with them, but the old Roman
law required that when superior treated with
an inferior, that the superior should observe
1alth such as mother observed to her nursing
child.
The committee bill proposed to organize
territory to be composed of No Mans Land
and so much of the Indian territory as was not
actually occupied by the five civilized tribes
In so lar as NO Mans Land was concerned the
Dill was all right, but if fairly carried out the
provisions were impractcable as to the rest of
the territory. The territory proposed to be
CONSTRUCTED had no fixed or definite limit. 1t
ought to be called an india-rubber territory.
Mr.. Warner, of Missouri, suggested that if
the gentleman's substitute was adopted one
Small tribe of one hundred Indians could block
up the whole territory.
MIR. Barnes replied that the difference be-
tween the bill and substitute was that the
yormer proposed to organize territory and
then negotiate with the Indians, while the lat
l5er provided that negotiations should be had
Rnd that no treaty rights should be violated
The substitute would give territory which
hak no vague and uncertain bounds, While the
Ehonor OF the government would remain UNI
sullied. The moment the committee bill
passed there would be q rush of white men to
the Indian territory and collision and irritation
would ensue. 1t was bill which meant war
to the Indians, and an extinction of peace in
INDIAN territory
The house then went into committee of the
whole, (dr. McMillin, of Tennessee, in the
chair on public buildings and measures. The
100000 appropriation for Omaha, (reduced
1rOm &oOU,UUU) was passed.
Mr.. Bland opposed the next bill, $4,000 ap-
eriation for Bar Harbor, Maine which brought
Dir. Miliken to his feet in defense of the bill
Mr. Bland said for the last few days the gen.
&leman from Maine had been running around
dixie cockroach on the floor, and now his ex-
Citement was explained by the appearance of
ths Bar Harbor bill.
MIR. Milliken thought that the gentleman
from Missouri (Mr. Bland) was like the old
woman who borrowed a kettle for forty years.
slhen she got new one of her own, and de-
Clared she would neither borrow nor lend. The
Sgentleman had got $l46,000 for building at
his little town of Jefferson City, which was
neither so large nor so important as Bar Har-
Dor, and now he did not want any other man
10 have public building. The appropriation
awas reduced to $4,000 and the bill was
agreed to.
BRECKENRIDGE AND RANDALL.
The great epoch of the day was by Mr..
Breckenridge, of Kentucky, who championed
the cause of the president and appealed to the
country for tariff reform. His old time eIo-
auence served him well. He took occasion to
administer rebukes to Mr.. Randall, which
brought forth applause from the
tariff reform sections of the house.
His speech was an hour in length, and after
he had concluded, the silver-haired and silvery
tongued Kentuckian was given an ovation.
Books were thrown in the air, cheers and yells
followed him as he receded to the cloak room.
1t was known that Randall would follow
him. Here came the question of the hour.
The Pennsylvania was to give utterance on
the tariff. Democrats and republicans alike
were all anxiety, as to where he would be
found, and what was his position Silence
Seigned supreme, and once moro Sam Randall
was the most important man in the body. He
arose with all the dignity of king and full
five thousand eyes were riveted upon the pro-
fectioni9t, He spoke briefly upon the pending
bill, and quickly switched upon the
tariff. Every word and sentence was
understood. He knew, he said there was no
conspiracy against protection. The protected
industries were not in danger. Mr. Randall
captured the democratic side of the house
when he said that if just and equitable tariff
bill was reportedshe would guarantee q united
democratic party, and that both wings would
flap together. Mr.. Randall is to be his own
judge as to what is a just and equitable bill.
Randall will do. Some think he is willing to
compromise, while others believe he will in
eistupon his original proposition.
ATTACHING THE PRESIDENT,
The house then went into committee of the
whole, Mr.. Burrows, of Michigan, in the chair,
for consideration Of the bill authorizing the
secretary of the treasury to purchase bonds
with the surplus revenue.
Mr. Mills, of Texas, stated that the secretary
of the treasury had been authorized by the
law Of the Sd of March, 1887, to purchase or
redeem bonds with the surplus money in the
treasury. but this authority had never been
exercised The fact that authority had been
given in the appropriation bill seemed to raise
doubt whether it extended bsyond the period
covered by that bill. The Secretary of the
treasury had prior to last June bonds subject
to call sufficient to employ the surplus money
and after that time he could purchase bonds
for the sinking fund. AS e EFsS
Then followed long and interesting polit-
zeal debate, in which republican members
assailed the financial policy of the president,
whom alone they held responsible,
in not using the surplus in
The purchase of bonds after the per
cents had been redeemed, They held that
full power had existed under the appropriation
bill of March 3, 1881, and to pass the pending
resolution would add nothing to this power.
Tile chief republican speakers were Messrs.
McKinley, Reed, Kelley and Weaver.
Mr. Breckenridge, of Kentucky, was the
foremost champion Of the administration. He
asserted that whatever responsibility there
was for the necessity for the pending resolu-
zion, it lay as much with congress as with the
executive branch of the government, and III a
large measure with the republican members of
the forty-ninth congress, who had voted not to
consider the tariff bill during the last session.
4Ie assured his republican friends that they
would soon have as much tariff legislation to
consider as they cared for.
Whether the democratic party. which had