The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1889-08-23
The Incidental Effect,

The Incidental Effect.
SAYS an eastern newspaper: The open
ng of the great Sioux reservation in Da-
kota gives another slice of arabic land to
the settler. 1t is a bigger piece than OKLA
homa was. Some I, 1000. 00I acres will be
thrown open. But this will scarcely check
for a day the rush Of settlers passing west
ward in the never-resting search for homes;
There is not much land left in the west,
and when the farms have all been appor-
toned out the flood will roll back until the
half occupied fields Of the east are titled.
1t is folly to think that all the land is taken
up as the population moves westward.
Heretofore it has been much like a party
of boys in q new blackberry ~patch-they
run from bush to bush culling here
and there, but leaving much good
fruit for the more careful pick
ers who are coming after.
To which a Dakota paper well adds: This
will be the most important incidental effect
of the opening of the Sioux reservation.
There are thousands of acres of produc-
tive farm lands this side of the r~eserva-
ton, which can be purchased at very low
rates. Thousands of farmers who are iu-
duced to come to South Dakota because
VI kuC olCAluS u tlC 1SNcI lttol IL SCltlC-
ment will stop far this side Of the reserva-
ton. The result wi l be the thicker settle
ment and completer development of the
intervening country, and n consequent
stimulation of business in tho cis-reservn-
ton cities.
Hon. O. S. Clifford, the delegate in con-
gress at the time the bill was introduced,
and who helped draft the bill, takes a diff
ferent view of the case. Replying to
Pierre parties, he wrote:
1t is my opinion that no act of con-
gress is necessary to ratify the action of
the Sioux commission. They were APP
pointed to secure the consent of the In
dams to the agreement already ratified and
consented to on the p 1T Of the govern
ment by act of congress, approved March
Dist. The commissioners made no new
agreement, nor did they depart from the
provisions of the act of congress referred
to. They wero instructed to obtain the
consent of the Indians to this agreement
already ratified by congress-, and now for
congress to ratify this agreement would
simply be doing what has been already
done. as the act unier which they were
appointed and worked required nothing of
the sort, but simply the contract"
Must Yet Await Congressional Action.
1t has been the general impression
among those interested i'll the opening of
the Sioux reservation tLat securing of the
signatures of three-fourths of the male
adults of the Sioux nation. the report of
the commission and the proclamation Of
the president were only necessary to open
for settlement the II, 900. coo acres of land.
This, says n Washington dispatch, is al
error. There We're two bills passed by
the last congress, ole providing for the
cession of the lands and how it
should be done. One section of
this bill states that when the noces-
sary signatures are obtained, and the facts
iufy certified to the president. he may
his proclamation declaring the lands
pen for settlement. The other act pro-
ldes for the appointment of the commits a
appropriate, money for its expenses.
further provides that the report OF the @
must be submitted TO the first
ession of the tifty-tirst congress for rati- ,
ieation; then the president shall proclaim
he lands open for settlement. The
anxious settlers on the border who think
that the report OF the commission and tho
presidents proclaim alton is all that stands |
between them and the promised land will
be disappointed. Dakota people have
cause for increased hope IN an extra
session. If the report is not submitted
before the regular session it would proba-
bly, not be ratified until near the holidays.
A proclamation in m]idwinter opening the
reservation would entail great hardship
upon poor land settlers, and it is probable
that no action would be taken by the pres
ldent until spring, unless there was early
actlo- Ny an extra session of congress-.
The facts are discouraglng to the waiting
aud would-be settlers, and the interior de-
phrtmcnt Is determined that no settlement