Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-12-13

ranine and available for settlement nv,
ln.ed OF 1,ss7796 acres. surronndad a con- ~
siaes by lands IN the occupancy of India,
,rIbes Congress had provided no civil S,na
srnment for the people who we're 70 hs sj =,
ylted 10y my proclamation to settle nnon
these lands. except as the new court, which
lal been estaollshed at Muscogee, or the
states had power to enforce the general laws
If the United States. In this Condition nav "" :
hngs was quite reluctant ~ ~
open the lands to settlement. Int
IN view Of the fact that sew. .
era thousand persons. many of them
With their t an mad gathered upon the
Of securing honesteads on the ceded lands
and that delay would involve them in mncb
los and suffering, l did, on the 23d dav Of
March last, issue a proclamation DECLARING
that the lands therein described would be-
open to settlement, under the provisions of
tie law. on the ed day Of April following
liz o'clock (noon). Two land distr;cts
had been established, and the Offices We've
omen for the transaction of business When
the appointed time arrived. 1t is much to
the credit of the settlers that they very gen.
c-ally observed the limitation as to the time
when they might enter the territory. Care
la,ion of the law do not secure the
advantage they unfairly sought. There
was u good deal of apprehension TINT
the strife for locations would result
in much violence and bloodshed, but han.
pily these antlcipations were not realized.
It's estimated that there are now in the
territory about 60, 600 people. and several
considerable towns have sprung up in which
temporary municipal governments have
been organized.
Guthrie is snid to have now population
of almost 5000. Eleven schools and nine
churches have been established, and three
daily and i've weekly newspapers are pub
dinances have only the sanction of the vol
untary acquiesence of the people from dav
to day.
Oklahoma City has population of 5000
and is proportionately as we'll provided as
Guthrie with churches, schools and news
papers. Other towns have populations of
from 100 to 4,G0o, scattered over the terri
tory.
In order to secure the peace of this new
community IN the absence of civil govern
ment, directed Gen. Merritt, commanding
the department of the Missouri, to act in
conjunction with the marshals of the United
States to preserve the peace, and upon their
requisition to use the troops to aid them in
executing warrants and in quoting any
riots or breaches of the peace that might
occur. He was further directed to use his
influence to promote good order and to
avoid any conflicts between or with the
settlers.
Believing that the introduction and sale
of liquors, where no legal restraint or regu-
lations existed. would endanger the public
peace and in view of the fact that such
lovers must first be introduced into the In
dian reservations before reaching the white
settlements, l further directed the general
IL f<~o
the introduction of ardent spirits into the
Indian country.
The presence of the troops has given q
sense of security to the wel-disposed citi-
2eiis and has tended to restrain the lawless.
In cne instance the officer in immediate
command of the troops acted further than
deemed justifable in supporting the de facto
municipal government Of Guthrie. and he
was SO informed and directed to limit the
interference of the military to the support
Of the marshals on the lines indicated in the
original order.
livery urgently recommend that congress
at once provide territorial government for
these people. Serious questions which may
at any time lead to violent outbreaks are
awaiting the institution of courts for their
peaceful adjustment. The American genius
for government has been we'll illus
trated i'll Oklahoma, but it is neither safe
nor wise to leave these people longer to the
served
them.
LAWS FOR ALASKA.
Provision should be made for the acauisi-
ton of titles to town lots in towns now es-
tablished in Alaska. for locating town sites
and for the establishment OF municipal gov
ernmcnt. Only the mining laws have been
extended to that territory and no other form
to title to lands can now be obtained The
general land laws were framed with refer
enret to the disposition of agricultural lands
and it is doubtful if their operation in Alaska
would be beneficial
We have fortunately not extended to
Alaska the mistaken policy of establishing
reservations for the Indian tribes. and can
deal with them from the beginning as indi-
viduals, with, L am sure, better results. But
any disposition of the public lands and any
regulations relating, to timber and to the
fisheries should have kindly re-
gard to their interests. Having no
power to levy taxes, the people of Alaska
are wholly dependent upon the general gov
eminent. to whose revenues these fisheries
make a large annual contribution. An APP
preparation for education should neither be
overlooked nor stinted. The smallness of
the population and the great distances be-
tween the settlements offers US obstacles to
the establishment of the usual territorial
lzatlon of several sub-dstrcts, with small
municipal council of limited powers for
each, would be safe aud usual
Attention is called in this connection to
the suggestions of the secretary of the treas
ury relating to the establishment of another
port of entry in Alaska and of other needed
customs, facilities and regulations.
ADMINISTERING THE LAND LAWS.
In the administration of the land laws the
policy OF facilitating in every proper way
The adjustment of the honest claims of in
alvldual settlers on the public lands has been
pursued. The number of pending cases
had, during the preceding administration,
been greatly increased under the operation
Of orders for time suspending final action
IN large part of the cases originating in the
west and northwest, and by the subsequent
use of unusual methods Of examination.
only those who are familiar with the condi :
1on under which our agricultural lands have
oe e settled can appreciate the serious and
often fatal consequences to the settler of a
policy that puts his title under suspicion, or
delays the issuance of his patent. While
care is taken to prevent and TO expose fraud,
should not be imputed without reason.
The manifest purpose of the homestead
ana -emption laws was to promote the
settlement of the public domain by persons
having bona fde intent 70 make Il home
Oh selected lands. Where this intent is vel
Established and the requirements of law