Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-01-04
CONCLUSIONS
OF the Assembled Statesmen at Baxter
Spripgss Kan.-Thsy BIemOrialize Con
gsress 70 4 brOgate all Indian Tribal
Relations aad AlIOtt Lands TO
Each Individual Indian, Making Them
Citizens Of the United States
Ihs Memorial and
Resolutions.

BAzrER SPRINGS, KAN, December 81
The committees report is very lengthy. Il
consists Of e memorial to congress in which
the declaration Is made: ''The people. OF
Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and the Indian
territory in convention assembled at Baxter
Springs. Kan, do make the following de-
clarations:
awe realize that the time has come when
a change Of policy is imperatively demand
ed in Indian affairs, believing that a further
postpOnement viii be at the risk Of incur
ring disorders and evils not within the reach
of moderate remedies. We know that the
territory is fast becoming a hotbed Of dis
turbanCe, OF wastefulness, of idleness and
vice, a refuge for criminals and fugitives
from justice, thereby endangering tho lives
and property of citizens Of adjoining states.
It is a large expense to the government, a
burden TO the people Of the entire country,
a menace to the good order Of the surround
ing states, an impediment to commerce and
a disgrace to our civilization and nation.
We maintain that the highest obligation Of
a government towards a conquered and
helpless people, penned in a tract Of cOun-
try every boundary of which touches aggres-
siye and highly organized civilization OF a
wholly antagCnistic character is to teach
them the arts by which they alone can en-
dure and to infuse into them the spirit of
relf-reiance and industry which underlies
all civilization and all permanent prosper
ity. The Indian territory lies in the center
of southwestern civilization, an obstacle to
trade development anu en- injury to every
state which borders upon 1t. The continuity
Of commerce IS broken; the progress OF
business organization toward Mexico is
blocked Kansas IS separated from Texas
and Colorado from New Mexico. That the
Indians as individuals would be benefited
Oy organizing the territory under a system
attic government, no one who Is practically
informed viii deny. The money obtained
from the sale OF their surplus lands would
make them richer people, per capita, than
those OF any other state IN the union. Their
individual land holdings in s5Veralty would
be guaranteed to them and with the priVi-
leges and respOn Utilities of citizenship they
would rapldIy and without social friction
assume the benefits Of Independence, indus
try, culture and prosperity"
The resolutions emphasize and amplify
the above declaration; urge that congress
BlOnal action be taken at once: that the In
dams be clothed with the right of citizen
ship; demand that all legislation looking to
the settlement Of the territory or any part
of 1t shall provide that the lands shall bs
secured to actual and permanent settlers,
the time occupying the lands for homes and
the lands shall never be allowed to become
merely subjects of speculation and traffic;
and concludes: 'Being, as we are, in favor
of opening up in the entire Indian territory
and Nom an's-Land to settlement subject
to the past vested rights of the Indians Oc-
cupying the soil, we favor as a means to
that end the passage of the bills pending IN
congress to open parts of the said territory
and We urge our representatives in congress
to use all honorable means to procure the
passage of said bills"
After the adjournment of the convention
the representatives of the Peoria and Miami
tribes held an informal meeting, and it Was
agreed to send a delegation to Washington
this winter to urge the passage OF a bill al
lOtting their lands in seVeralty with permits
sion to sell the surplus.