The sun., 1890-01-22
The Opening of the Sioux Lands.

| Ploughing and planting begin in South
Dakota much earlier than people elsewhere
generally suppose. THE ploughing," says
Secretary NOBLE In his annual report "be-
gins there as early as February, and the
planting is completed by the end of March
These facts" he adds, would seem TO re-
| quire an earlier proclamation from the
President opening to settlement the land
purchased from the Sioux. land by that
proclamation land offices must be estab-
lished, as authorized by act OF Congress" +"
The popular conception OF Dakota as the
home Of the blizzard, and as a land slowly
released from the grip Of winter long after
spring farming operations are going on else
where, is perhaps shared by Congressman,
since nothing has yet been done to prepare
for settlement the 100000 acres bought
from the Sioux.
That the act OF Congress is necessary is
shown by the two statutes of March 2, 1889,
under which the Sioux Commission has acted
One OF these provides that the act for pur-
chasing the lands shall take effeot only upon
its acceptance by three-fourths of the Sioux
nation, in The manner prescribed by the
treaty Of 1868, the acceptance to be made
dent The other law provides that all agree
ments entered into by the three Commits
sioners are TO be "by them submitted to the
First Session, Fifty-hrst Congress, for ratIh-
cation" These two statutes, dating from
the same day, were treated as of equal force,
and they make the ratification of Congress a
condition preliminary to the issue of the
Presidents proclamation.
The main terms on which the purchase was
effected are comprehended In the following
summary made by the Interior Department:
IAN this land outside tho separate reservations is re-
stored TO the public domain. except three named
ssverAlly American Farm, and NioDrara Islands and
shall be disposed of by the United staeS to actual set
tiers only under The provisions OF the Homestead law
and under the law relating town sites provided that
each settler under the Homestead act shall pay for his
land in addition to tho feea SL25 for all land of
within the hrst three after taking effect OF this aet
and the OF rs cents per for lands dIposed of
the next two years following thereafter and SO cents
aero for the Tehdue and shall be entitled 70 patent
according 10 said Homestead laws aud after full pay.
ment for said lands: but tho rights of honorably dis
charged soldiers and sailors In the late civil war under
sections So4 anu 25O5 Revised Statutes shall not be
abridged except As to said SumL IS further provided
in said act that conveyance OF said lands SO taken
A. homestead, or any contract touching the same or
lien thereon created prior 10 the date Of final entry
shall be null and void"
But there were supplementary understand
ings, and the visit OF sundry Sioux chiefs to
Washington by permission OF their agent,
few weeks ago, was for the purpose OF pro-
curing assurances In reference to them.
Chief MAD BEAR and Commissioner MORGAN
had a colloquy, in which the former bit
terly complained that the farmers sent out
to teach the Sioux were incompetent, and
that the Government had not fulfilled It's
treaty obligations TO establish schools.
Again, tho reimbursement OF some OF the
Indians for horses taken from them years