Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-08-10

The complaint Of the gradual absorption of
western public lands by syndicates of capital
lists, so that nothing worth having is left for
the poor settler, is met this year by a startling
array Of figures showing what has been done in
the way Of throwing open to settlement lands
which have been strictly guarded till now from
Invasion by white men. Oklahoma contained
about two million acres. The cutting in two
Of the Sioux reservation in Dakota opens eleven
million more. Negotiations are pending with
the Cherokees for the purchase Of their strip
which now stands a barrier at the northern
outlet Of Oklahoma, containing in round num-
bers six million acres, and several small reser-
vations in Minnesota, IL they pass into the gov
ernment's possession, as now seems likely, will
add about four million more, making a grand
total of %, 600, 900 acres.
One excellent feature OF all this is that it has
been accomplished, or is in course of accom-
plishment, without wrong to the Indians them
selves. In Oklahoma there were and are no con-
ficting rights to be settled between the races.
In the case Of the Sioux reservation, the hall of
which was opened so as to afford a means of
communication between the east and west
parts of the new state of South Dakota, the
lands are to be offered for sale to the public at
s125 an acre for three years; at the end of
that period the price for whatever is left will
be reduced to 70 cents; and after two years
another reduction will be made for the rem
nant to 80 cents, the government itself taking,
at that price, all that is not sold to private
parties within five years. This insures hand
some revenue to the tribe, without any
deprivations worth considering; for, in
the half Of the reservation not opened,
an average Of nearly 4S0 acres of land,
or three times as much of farm as the white
settler takes up under the public land laws,
while the treaty calls for the apportionment Of
the land in severalty, so that each member of
the tribe can be assured of getting his rights
On the Cherokee strip an obstacle to the nego-
tia;ions has been found in the secret machina-
tons OF the cattle rangers. who have been
hiring this land of the tribe for grazing pur-
poses. and melting the Indians to repel the adj
vanees of the government. To have yielded
TO this influence would have been for the
Cherokees to throw away more than
s7.5OO,O0C, which, put at interest at four per
cent, would bring them a yearly income
of 100000 and upward, or thrice the amount
they are receiving from their leases to
the cattle men. The refusal to negotiate
would, moreover. almost inevitably have in
volyed them in war; for, as long as the strip is
the only passage-way from Kansas to Oklahoma,
pioneers who cannot find what they want either
IN the state or in the territory, viii SQUAT mid
way between, and pickering and bloodshed
will follow, in spite Of all the government can
do to protect the red men in the exclusive en-
joyment of their property. The elections held
In the Cherokee nation, with this question as
an issue, point to very sensible conclusion on
the part of the Indians, SO that it is highly
probable that the bargain will 90 through.
We have reached happy stage in our
Indian relations when we can thus combine
the benefit OF the two races in one operation.
Every time any Indian acres are bought, the
tribe which makes the sale takes one step
nearer to civilization; for, the smaller the
reservation, the more it ID narrowed down to
purely agricultural uses Little by little,
moreover, the seyeralty system is being ap-
piled, with the result that the tribe which
passes under it begins to be educated in the
higher phases Of the principle of private prop
erty. No missionary who goes among the
Indians, it is safe to say, makes better head
way than the sheet of paper called a deed.
which represents not only the sepa-at5 landed
possessions of the man to whom it is given, but
the obligation which organized society has as
sumed to support him in the enjoyment Of his
privileges as long as he conducts himself so as
to deserve them.