Omaha daily bee., 1889-08-22
THE sfoux AGREEMENT.

| lntO DeJWecn Jlle government anu INC
Indians for the opening of the Sioux
reservation must be ratified by con-
gress, the correctness of the state ment
Is still questioned. A great many in
telligent persons adhere to the opinion
that all that is necessary TO open the
reservation to settlement is the
proclamation OF the president,
| which he is authorized to
Issue upon satisfactory proof that
the requirements of the act
providing for the negotiations have
been complied with. II is easv to un-
derstand how this impression obtained
and so firmly rooted as it is in some
quarters, that the idea of congress hav-
ing anything further to do with the
Sioux agreement is believed to have
been inspired by the Indian Defense
association with view to postponing
| the opening of the reservation as long
as possible. It is probable the associa-
| tion, or those authorized to act for it,
did all that was possible TO defeat the
agreement, but there is no warrant for
this last accusation against it, since
congress clearly provided for the sub
mission of the agreement to that body
for ratification.
The act TO divide portion of the res
ervation of the Sioux nation was APP
proved March ., 1899. Section twenty
| eight reads as follows:
| That this act shall take effect, only, upon
the acceptance thereof and consent thereto
| by the different bands the Sioux nation of
| Indians in manner aud form prescribed by the
| twelfth article of the treaty between the
| United States and said Sioux Indians con-
| cluded April twenty-ninth, eighteen hundred
| and sixty. eight, which said acceptance and
consent shall he made known by proclama-
| ton by the president of the United States.
| upon satisfactory proof presented to him,
| that the same has been obtained in the man
ner and form required by said twelfth article
| of SAID treaty; which proof shall oe presented
| to him within one year from the passage of
| this act: and upon failure of such proof and
| proclamation this act becomes of no effect
and uull and void.
| The obvious meaning of this simply
is that the president shall announce
| by proclamation that the act has been
| accepted and consented to by the In
dians. in the manner previously pro-
vided for by treaty, and it is equally
clear that such a declaration was not
intended to effect an opening OF the
reservation. Even if there had been
no other legislation on the subject than
this act, it would be impossible to fairly
construe it as intending that the procla-
nation of the president would be sutfi-
| cient to open the reservation to settle
ment.
But there was other legislation. An
act approved March 2, 1889, provided
appropriations ''for the current and
contingent expenses of the Indian de-
partment, and for fulfilling treaty stip-
ulations with various Indian tribes, for
the year ending June 80, $780," Rela-
tive to the Sioux reservation this act
| provided:
The president of the United States is here.
| by authorized and empowered to appoint
three commissioners for the purpose of en-
| tering into negotiations and agreements with
| the Sioux Indians occupying the great Sioux
| Indian reservation in Dakota for full and
complete cesson and REIMBURSEMENT to tho
the United States of portion of their reser-
walton. and to divide the remainder into
| separate reservations, and for such other
| purpose as they may find necessary touch
ing said Indians and said reservation; and
such agreements, when made, to be by them
| submitted to the first session, fifty first
| congress, for ratification; and to carry out
this provision the sum of twenty five thou
sand dollars, or so much thereof as may be
found necessary, to be expended under the
direction of the secretary of the interior. is
4,
mediately available.
1t is this provision which is the basis
of the decision and action of the inte-
rior department, and it is so plain and
explicit as to dispose of all doubt as to
the correctness Of the departments po-
sition. In this same act provision is
made for acquiring lands from the
Creek and Cherokee Indians, and as to
these lands it is provided that if the
agreement proposed by the government
shall be accepted ''the president is
authorized, as soon thereafter as he
may deem advisable, by proclamation,
to open said lands to settlement"
Probably no harm has yet been done by
the misinformation that has been sent
out regarding this question of the
ope ming of the Sioux reservation, &,
but it is clearly important that
there should be right un-
derstanding OF it so that no one will
need to blindly run into difficulty and
hardship. Undoubtedly congress will
not delay ratifying the agreement,
which will probably be laid before 1T
Immediately after it assemblies, and the
presidents proclamation may be ex-
pected to follow at once. But in any
eventit will be several months before
the reservation will be opened. There
fore intending settlers, as we have
heretofore suggested, need be IN no
hurry.
| SILVER MEN HOPEFUL.