Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1889-08-22
SIOUX RESERVATION.

SIOUX RESERVATION.
FERNS on Which the Newly Opened Por~-
zion Can he Socured-Five Years Resi-
Acre, Necessary-Terms of the Law
Opening tho Land Secured to Settle
ment.
PIERRE, OAK, Aug. 17.-Since the suc.,
cess Of the Sioux Commission in securing
the signatures of the required number OF
Indians to render operative the provis :.
ions of the bill opening the great reser-
walton to settlement there have been
many opinions expressed as to when the
law would go into effect and what steps
were now necessary IN order to allow
settlers to go on the reservation and Sc
lect their homes. The Associated Press
correspondent at Washington sent out
an item to the effect that the work Of the
commissioners must be ratified by Con-
gress before any one could enter land.
This was promptly denied by those who
had worked to get the bill through Con-
gress. and the multiplicity Of statements
has COMPOUNDED the general reader and
left doubt on the subject.
An examination of the law under which.
the commission was appointed shows the
following facts:
Section IL of the act of March 9, 1889,
READS as 1OlIowS:
That at any time after lands have been allot-
ted to all the Indians OF any tribe as herein.
provided. or sooner, II in the opinion of the.
President it shall be for the best interests Of
the tribe, it shall be lawful for the Secretary OF
the Interior to negotiate with such Indian tribe
for the purchase and release by said tribe, in
conformity with the treaty or statute under
which such reservation is held, of such portions.
OF its reservation not allotted as such tribe,
shall from time to time consent to sell. on such
terms and conditions rs shall be considered
just and equitable between the United States.
and said tribe of Indians. which purchase shall.
not be complete until ratified by Congress.
Section % reads:
That this act shah take effect only upon the
acceptance thereof and consent thereto by the
different bands OF the Sioux Nation OF Indians,
in manner and form described by the twelfth,
article Of the treaty between the United States
and said Sioux Indians concluded April 20,
1868, which said acceptance and consent shall
be made known by proclamation by the Presi
dent OF the United States. upon satisfactory
proof presented him that the same has been OBJ
tanned in the manner and form required by said
twelfth article Of said treaty; which proof shalt
be presented to him within one year from the
passage OF this act; and upon failure Of such
proof and proclamation this act becomes OF nc
effect and null and void.
The forthcoming proclamation will,
then, to use the language of the act,
''make known the acceptance and con-
sent" of the Indians to the disposal OF
their lands. and the negotiations for the
purchase or disposal Of such lands will
not be complete until ratified by Con-
gress. as the law plainly states. which
may be promptly at the coming session
OF Congress, or it may drag along and be.
finally defeated or rejected
This disposes OF the statement that the
lands will be thrown open to settlement
similar to Oklahoma. The lands can not
be opened for settlement until Congress
first ratifies the treaty or action of the
Sioux Commission, and provides tho
manner of opening the reservation by
further legislation.
Again, it is well to call attention to the
following extracts from sections - and
II. Section IL provides:
That all lands adapted to agriculture. with
or without irrigation, SO sold or released to the
United States by any Indian tribe shall be held
by the United States for the sole purpose of Sc
curing homes to actual and bona-fide settlers
only, in tracts not exceeding 100 acres to any
one person, on such terms as Congress may pre-
scribe, subject to grants which Congress NAV
make in aid OF education: And, provided fur
ther, that no patent shall issue therefore ex-
cept to the person taking the same as q
homestead, or his heirs, and after the expira-
ton OF FIVE years. occupancy thereof as such
homestead; and any conveyance OF said lands
SO taken as a homestead, or any contract
touching the same, or lien thereon. created pri-
or to the date OF such patent, shall be null and
void.
Congress must prescribe the terms on
which the lands shall be disposed of, and
further legislation is necessary in this
matter.
Section q provides:
That each settler, under and in accordance
with the provisions OF said homestead acts
shall pay to the United States, for the land so
taken by him, in addition to the fees provided
by law, the sum OF 81. e5 per acre for all lands
disposed of within the first three years after
the taking effect of this act, and the
sum of IS cents per acre for all
lands disposed OF within the next two years
following thereafter, and SO cents per acre
for the residue OF the lands then disposed OF,
ana shall be entitled to patent therefor, &C
cord1ng to said homestead laws, and after the
full payment Of said sums: but the rights of
Union soldiers and
sailors in the late civil war. as described in
sections 1904 and 1905 of the Revised Statutes
of the United States shall be so abridged. ex-
cept as to said sums
The settler who goes on to the reserya =
ton after it is opened by further act Of
Congress-, must live on his land full five
years, and then before he can secure anv
legal title whatever to his home must paw
$1.25, or 30 cents, according to date
Of settlement. During this period of
five years not an acre of ground can be
taxed, and there is absolutely no pro-
vision for putting in motion the local or
county government. There will be no.
money for this purpose, because no taxes
can be levied, and will not the man who.
has home pause before accepting these.
provisions. 1t is not the intention to de.
ter any one from seeking home in what
will one day be a good section of the,
Northwest. but the facts are there, and
1t is right that settlers should know them.
A movement is on foot to have Congress
provide in some way for these things,
and an extra session may hasten the re..
lief.
The other day in Nashville an old
colored man wandered through the.
streets carrying undor his arm a small
coffin. in which was the body of his.
infant child. He had scraped together
enough money to buy the coffin, and
with It under his n rn bod fr,,d rrod o,.4