The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1889-12-12


l,e!l..;f delivered proper release and convey
anc, u the United States of all the lands men,
ti'..d in The act, which was accepted by me and
cci tiiiri 70 he in compliance with the statute
BY the terms of both the acts referred to all the
lands SO purchased were declared to be a part of
the public domain and open to settlement under
the homestead law. But of the lands embraced
in these purchases being in the aggregate about
five and half million acres, three and half mil.
Ion acres had already, under the terms of the
treaty Of 1856, been acquired by the United States
for t,:e purpose of settling other Indian tribes
t,.ersca, and had been appropriated to that pur-
inss,'. The land remaining and available for set
tia.ileft consisted of 1887 798 acres surrounded on
all SIDES by lands in the occupancy of Indian
tribes. Congress had provided no civil govern
n,ant for the people who were to be invited by my
proclamation to settle upon these lands except as
the new court, which had been established at
M,.scogee, or the United States courts In some Of
the adjoining states, had power to enforce the
general laws of the United States.
In this condition Of things was quite reluctant
TO open the lands to settlement. But in view of
the fact that several thousand persons, many Of
them with their families. had gathered upon tic
borders of the Indian Territory, with a view to
securing homesteads on the cedes lands, and that
delay would involve them in much loss and suffer
iiig, did, on the 23d day Of March last, issue
PROCLAMATION declaring that the lands therein de-
scri5ed would be open to settlement under the
provisions of the law the 22d day of April fol-
lowing at IL o'clock noon. Two land districts had
been established and the Offices were open for the
transaction of business when the appointed time
arrived.
1t is much to the credit of the settlers that they
very generally observed the limitation as to the
time when they might enter the territory. Care
will be taken that those who entered in violation
of the law do not secure the advantage they
fairly sought. There good deal of appre
henson that the strife for locations would result
in much violence and bloodshed, but happily these
anticipationS were not realized. 1t is estimated
that there ar. now in the territory about 60.OG
people, and several considerable towns have
sprung up, for which temporary municipal gov
ern,nents have been organized. Guthrie is said te
have now a population of almost 5000. Elever
schools and nine churches have been established
and three daily and five weekly newspapers are
published in this city, whose charter and ordi
ulnccs have only the sanction Of the voluntary
&c .i..;4,sDce Of the people from day to day.
= --.G::,;a City has population OF about five
G..ousand and is proportionately as well provided
Gs Guthrie with churches, schools and newspa-
peTs. Other towns and villages having popula-
tions Of from one hundred to a thousand are scat
tered over the territory.
In order to secure the peace Of this new COM
munity, in the absence Of civil government, d.
rected 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
q'Teting 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 restraints regulations existed, would
endanger the public peace, and in view OF the
fact that such liquors must first be introduced
into the Indian reservations before reaching the
white settlements, further directed the general
commanding to enforce the laws relating to the
Introduction of ardent spirits into the Indian
country.
The presence of the troops has given sense OF
security to the well disposed citizens, and has
tended to restrain the lawless In one instance
the officer in immediate command of the troops
went further than 1 deemed justifable in sup
porting the de facto municipal government Of
Guthrie, and he was SO informed and directed to
limit She interference of the military to the sup
port Of the marshals the lines indicated in the
original order very urgently recommend that
congress at once provide territorial govern
ment for these people. Serious questions, which
may at any time lead to violent outbreaks, are
awaiting the institution of courts for their peace
full adjustment The American genius for self
government has been well illustrated in Okla
hona but 1t is neither safe nor wise to leave these
people longer to the expedients which have tenn
porarly served them.
Provision should be made for the acquisition Of
title to town lots in the towns now established in
Alasta for locating town sites and for the eStab-
llshment of municipal governments. Only the
mining laws have been extended to that territory,
and no other form of title to lands can be OBJ
tanned The general land laws were framed with
reference to the disposition of agricultural lands,
and it is doubtful if their operation in Alaska
would be beneficial
In the administration of the land laws the policy
of facilitating, in every proper way, the adjust
ment of the honest claims of individual settlers
upon the public lands has been pursued. The
number of pending cases had. during the preced-
ing administration, been greatly increased under
the operation of orders for q time susptslding
final action in large part of the cases origi-
mating in the west and northwest, and by the sub
sequcnt use of unusual methods of examination.
Only those who are familiar with the conditions
under which agricultural lands have been set
tied can appreciate "a serioss and often fatal
Consequences to the se.tler of policy that puts
his title nnder suspicion, or delays the issuance
of his patens. While care is taken to prevent and
to expose fraud, it should not be imputed without
reason.
The manifest p-bpose of tie homestead and
preemption laws was to promote the settlement
Of the public domain by persons having bona
ide intent to make a home upon the selected
lands Where this intent has been well estab-
lished and the requirements of the law have been
substantially complied with, the claimant is en-
titled to a prompt and friendly consideration of
his case. But where there is reason t0sbelieve
that the claimant is the mere agent Of another,
who is seeking to evade law intended to promote
small holdings, and to secure by fraudulent
methods large tracts of timber and other lands
both principal and agent should not only be
thwarted in their fraudulent purpose, but should
be made to feel the full penalties of criminal
statutes The laws should be SO administered as
not to confound these two classes, and to visit
penalties only upon the latter.
reference is here made to New Mexico
and Arizona land titles.)
Pensions.
The lew now provides a pension for every soldier
and sailor who mustered into the service OF
the United States during the civil and is now
suffering from wounds disease having an origin
in the service and in the line Of duty Two of the
three Necessary facts viz. muster and disability
are usually susceptible of easy proof: but the
third origin in the service is often difficult anC
in many deserving cases impossible to establish
That very many of those who endured the hard
! ships of our most bloody and arduous campaign.
disabled from diseases that had a real bu
tracaabe origin in the service do rot doubt
Besi les these there l. another class composed
| of men many of whom served an enlistment OF
three full years, aud of re-enIisted veterans who
| added fourth year of service, who escaped the
casualties of tattle and the assaults of disease
| who were always ready for any detail. who wer.
| in every battle line of their command, and wers
mustered ou. in sound health. aud have since the
| close o: he war. while fighting with the sams
| indouiitab.e and independent spirit the couiest
| of civil life. been overcome by disease cas-
| uSity.
/ an: .iot unaware that the pension roll already
involves u yer; large annual expenditure, netie
| an te tered by that fact from recommending
that coier.sS grant peision TO snch honorary
discharged soers AMI sailors Of the civil war
hayiI-- rendered substantial service during tin
w:,- 80. I-Ie-ltl..t t.i-i. o.:n labor 10
maintenance. and By dis,.ss OK casualty are il