Wichita eagle., 1888-12-07
TERRITORY LEASES.
Some Interesting facts Likely to Be
Brought Forth Regarding Them.

WASHINGTON, Dec. "a resolution
adopted by the senate yesterday calls for
all the information the secretary of the in
| terror has about land leases in the Indian
! territory. Senator Plumb, who offered the
resolution said:
There was a great deal of talk by Mr..
Springer, Mr.. Weaver and others at the re-
cent Wichita meeting to the effect that the
opening of the territory was being delayed
by parties who hold leases On lands. The
resolution is intended to show how excessive
the leases are and how far the administra-
ton has gone in approving them. If such
influences as alleged are operating to him
der the opening of the territory, we want
to know just what they are and to what
extent they have the administration in
dorsement. You recollect that quite
early in this administration Mr..
Garland gave an opinion that the
Indian Territory leases were illegal
and President Cleveland issued his order
giving the cattlemen only forty days in
which to get out, causing considerable
hardship and loss in certain parts of the
territory. The supreme court decided that
the Cherokees had a clear title to their
outlet strip, and therefore could lease.
But there are other leases how many
or what extent | am not informed.
Under the resolution the secretary
will report what the leases are,
who hold them and what the administra-
tons present attitude is toward these
leases. The resolution calls for informa-
ton not only about the grazing leases,
but also about the coal land and other
leases"
This is all Senator Plumb says in ex-
PLANTATION of his resolution From other
sources it is learned that full re-
ply from the secretary Will show
surprising state of affairs regarding
leases as they are called. The admins
tration has veered around ard now occu-
pies very different position from that
high moral plane occupied when the cele-
brated forty days proclamation to the cat
tlemen was issued. Leases of great value
to the holders, and for which the Indians
get shamefully inadequate compensation,
are on record at the interior department
as approved by the government. Per
haps the most notable of all are
those which relate to the coal lands.
1t is stated unofficially that Mr. Jay Gould
and others hold under lease all of the coal
lands in the Choctaw and Chickasaw
country, and that they enjoy this tremend
Gus monopoly under contracts approved by
the interior department, the terms of
which are, that they pay the Indians a
royalty of sc bushel on all coal mined.
Governor Brockmeyer, of Missouri,
spent most of last winter and the
winter before in Washington, and
the story is now told that
his business here was to fix up the details
of these contracts. There are petroleum
land leases and salt land leases as well as
the coal and grazing land leases. But the
entire history of the administration rela-
tiOnship to the leases will not be drawn
out by the resolution. The secretary Will
hardly tell the senate that Mr.. Abram S
Hewitt's open and avowed antagonism to
President Cleveland dates back to the |
forty days order. That is said
to be fact Mr.. Hewitt and |
friends of his were interested heavily in |
the grazing privileges covered by the order /
Of expulsion. Mr.. Hewitt was then |
member of congress. He argued and pro- |
tested against the order, but in vain. |
when he saw the administra- |
ton reverse its position on the Indian ter |
rltory lease question, his antagonism |
grew rather than abated. He never for |
gave MIR. Cleveland. The Indian territory |
had more to do with the re- |
cent Democratic complications in New |
York city and the elections result there |
than the public generally knows