The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-03-02
MINORITY REPORT.



Qlnersty Views OF the House Commlttss
ON the Springer Oklahoma Bill.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 9.-Messrs. Barnes.
Of Georgia, and Elliott, Of South Carolina,
Of the House Committee ON Territories.
have presented minority report on the bill
10 open Oklahoma. The report, which il
quite lengthy, cites the various treaties
with the tribes now in the Indian Territory
and quotes from department and court de-
cisions to show that the opening OF the
country to settlement by the whites will
be In direct violation Of the treatiea In
closing the argument however, the two
members constituting the minority hedge
in the following terms:
Through long series Of years the gen
eral purpose Of the Government has been
made manifest to make the entire Indian
Territory . permanent home for Indians,
where each tribe would have Indians for
their neighbors, and where they would be
free from molestation by the white man.
This policy has to Q great extent been
based on contract. It is now proposed to
be changed, and changed by the erection
Of . Territorial Government within the
limits Of the Indian Territory. II the
change is to be made, wise craftsmanship
would seem TO dictate that the assent OF
the parties to the change should be secured
in advance Of, and not subsequent to, the
establishment OF Territorial Government
In this way clearly ascertained limits for
the new Territory will be secured, and all
the irritation and collision, which must
arise from the sudden irruption Of white
settlers into long established Indian neigh
borhoods avoided.
''Sound policy and good faith both seem to
concur in demanding that the negotiations
should precede and not follow the organi-
cation of the Territory. With these con-
vlctlons we can not give our assent to the
bill in the form presented by the commit
tee, and We therefore respectfully oppose
its passage"
MIR. Baker, of New York, concurs mainly
in the minority report and presents an
additional statement in which he regrets
that the plan recommended by the Presi-
dent in his first annual message concern
ing the Indian Territory has not been
adopted.
He then refers to the fact that BY the
eighth section of the act Of March 8, 1855.
the President was authorized to open ne
gotiations with the Greeks, Seminoles and
Cherokees FOR the purpose Of opening the
unassigned lands in the Indian Territory &c
settlement under the Homestead laws. He
then says:
1T is a matter of regret that this author
ity conferred upon the President was not
promptly exercised, for, if it had been, the
question and rights involved would doubt
less have been adjusted and settled before
the present date, SO that Congress might
now proceed with the organization Of
Territory under an act which could not
possibly be criticised as in any manner in
fringing upon the rights of the Indians, or
as overriding or breaking down any exist
ing treaty stipulations or covenants. The
President has never proceeded to exercise
the power and discharge the duty con.
ferred by the eighth section Of the act of
March 3. 1885, nor has Congress ever re-
ceived any information why the President
has not exercised such power and dis
charged the duty conferred by that Sec
ton; but it is fair to presume that bill so
radical in its provisions as the pending bill
to create the Territory Of Oklahoma would
hardly meet or merit Executive approval,
in view of the undischarged authority and
power under existing law, and in such ut
ter disregard of the Presidents recon-
mendations."