Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1889-11-28
NEW INDIAN POLICY.
The Indians of the Territory to BeSMassco
ma Close m Possible.

The Indians of the Territory to BesMassoo
ps Close Possible.
TAHLEQUAH, I. T.. Nov. 22.-Signifi-
cant acts have recently TRANSFERRED
which indicate the opening OF announcer
chapter in the Cherokee negotiation.
Until recently it was supposed that
the Government would not avail itself
of article Is, treaty OF 1856, but that the
Western tribes might possibly be settled
upon the Strip. Two letters, recently
written. seems to indicate that the
Government will use it's privilege un-
der article Is. The Quapaws and other
tribes in the extreme northeast of the
Indian Territory wish to dispose of
their present reservation and join their
friends, the Osages. Acting under in
structions from Secretary Noble, the
Commission will soon visit the
Quapaw agency. The Indians can
be settled upon Usage lands by
the consent of the Osages. The Com
missiOners are authorized by Congress
to negotiate only for lands west of the
96th degree. The Osages are east of
this line of longitude. The only other
lands which the Government could
conveniently use are those of the Cher
Okees, which lie west of the 96th de-
gree. The Quapaws could be settled
there and the price per acre settled
afterwards. The unOccupied CherO-
kee land adjoining the Usage land
will probably be selected, so that the
two friendly tribes may establish the
neighbOrly intercourse, which they de-
sire. The lands would cost but little
more than those of the Osages. In
late letter the Commission has indi-
Gated disposition to consider economy
of the several proposed locations
for reservation Indians, who are
to be en- massed in as compact
a body as possible, but where this
about in the most available places and
still keep up their tribal relations.
Much less than one-fourth of the Cher
okee home tract is unoccupied. The
cost of settling tribes upon these lands
would not exceed 80 per acre. The
settlement of 5000 Indians in the
Cherokee Nation would make a popu-
lation of about 81, 900, or about One-half
the population of the new and small
territory of Oklahoma.
Eight thousand Indians would in
clude the Quapaws, Osages, IOwas,
KickapoOs, Shawnees, Cheyennes and
Arapahoes and other tribes, thereby
opening nearly IL, OOO, 600 acres to settle
ment, or nearly twice the number of
acres as in the Cherokee outlet. Thus
the Government could open 10000, 900
: acres by the payment Of $780,
600, while the Outlet, compris-
ing only $500, 900 acres, would cost the
Government 81 5000 If the Chero-
KEGS accept, the Commissioners think
that they would not have much diff
Guilty in removing the reservation In
dians from their present quarters, as
experience shows that the Indians are
ever ready to go where clothing and
beef issue are made and where they re-
ceive their annuity.
Chief Mayes intimates that their re-
mOval to the Cherokee Nation would
produce war and dissipation. Threat
of war would scarcely deter the able
Cheyennes and Comanches from
coming early and often to the
beef issue. The Commissioners
have been carefully considering
every phase Of the question, and recent
correspondence between them and Sec
rotary Noble would indicate that the
Administration is about to inaugurate
an Indian policy which will revolu-
tiOniZe the Indian Territory and open
q vast country to settlement by next
spring.