St. Paul daily globe., 1889-05-25
why IS THERE SUCH DELAY
In Handling The Sioux Lands When They
Are Open for Settlement.
A SHORTAGE OF CLERKS.
Possibly Little More Dakota Ozone
Might Help the Land Of
flee.

Special to the Globe.
WASHINGTON, May 24.-"We are
swamped with Oklahoma, but we will
be paralyzed with the Sioux reserva-
tion," said a general land Office clerk
this afternoon. ''The contest cases for
homesteads and for townSiteS and pOr-
tions of townsites will keep this office
busy on Oklahoma matters for a year or
more, and then not more than half of
them will be settled. 1t is beyond all
experience, exceeds the computations of
the most capable employees, and fairly
makes us dizzy when we look at the
cases before u.s."
''What causes such con sternation in
the bureauw
"Why, there are all the way from two
to twenty claimants for each little piece
of ground. Every claimant furnishes
affidavits, which are presumed to prove
his right to the land in question. It
looks as though the litigation before the
general land Office, and appeals from
decisions of the commissioner, will
wind us up more completely than did
the decisions of old Sparks in 1875
and 1886. We don't know which way
to turn to get rid of and hurry along
the peculiar and intricate cases before
u.s."
'But what is the matter with the
Sioux reservatiOn?'
"Oh, that's all right. There are sew
eral counties to be heard from; in fact
all the counties ON the reserve are in
quiescent and innocuous desuetude. The
,nf nf 70 fIa lon ,r,fi
it is declared open for settlement. But,
when the Indians agree to the Stipula-
tiOns of the government, as they are GER
tain to do, we will be simply paralyzed.
We cannot handle the business"
eff you understand your business,
why can't you handle it?''
''Solely because the congress, as usual,
had no foresight. The men who made
and passed the laws, did not think of
this Office. They imagined that 100
clerks could speedily perform the busi-
ness which not less than 500 men ought
to be employed upon. They thought
that by opening so many millions of
acres by the congressional ''Be it en-
acted" they were doing the people great
service but they weren't. They were
only getting the pioneers into Infinite
entanglements. At least, one of the
Sioux commissioners ought to have
known great deal better.
ITO which one do you refer?"
"To Gen. Warner, of course, the
commander-in-chief of the Grand Army
of the Republic. He was member Of
congress for two terms, and might have
been for a longer period. He knew
considerable about this great Office, and
ought to have seen and fOreseen what
would come upon us, in the event of
the opening of the Sioux reservation
and Oklahoma at the same time. Knute
Nelson, of Minnesota, understood the
situation perfectly; and [ believe Gen.
Warner did too. He was as far-seeing
a legislator as Nelson. There were
others too, who ought to have helped
this Office, but they didn't"
"To whom do you allude In that re-
mark?'
"Barnes. of Georgia, and Hooker, of
Mississippi, of course. They were the
especial champions of the rights of the
opening of both reservations. But, see
ing that they were to be defeated by
the friends of those bills, they might at
least have given a thought to the free.
white, American citizens, the serfs of
the republic, who are obliged to man.
age ali affairs connected with these i'm
portant matters. The commissioner Of
the general land Office and the secretary
of the interior have been pc
titioning congress for additional
clerks ever since the Black Hills
were opened. But we are still in pitt
able condition. Neither party has had
the courage to advocate additional ap-
preparations for the land office, because
they feared that the people might hold
them to account for 'wasteful expendi-
ture' of money. They have been too
cowardly to deal wisely and justly with
this office.'
What will be the general result?"
Swell, as you know, first come, first
served will be our motto. Oklahoma
comes first. We will attend to Okla
homa and let the Sioux reservation
take it's chances. Contest cases in
South Dakota will do we'll if they are
considered by the last part of 49,"