Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-02
Indian Affairs.

! In reviewing the pnSt years work Of
| the department 10 regard TO Indians, IL
| is seen that there has been steady pro-
| Rress made in engaging them in peace
| fui ways aud industrial pursuits. A
| stronger desire is manifested among
many for the education of their children, ,
for the individual ownership of land =,
and generally Tor the comforts OF civili-
! cation.
| But it needs to be said that much
| larger area OF land than IL necessary Is
| held for Indian occupancy. There are
| not more than 250, 900 Indians within
the borders of the United States lex
| GLIDING Alaskan The greater part of
these reside upon or have some interest
i'll the existing reservations, the others
living upon portion OF the public do
main. The aggregate area of the H.
dian reservations was, at the last re-
port, about ll6. 900, 900 acres, or ISL $50
square miles, which Is, as calculated by
the Indian commissioner, 'greater
than than that OF the New England and
Middle states combined, greater than
the aggregate area of the states of OHIO,
indiana, Illinois aud Kentucky, and
nearly equal 10 the combined area of
the two Dakotas aud Montana: or, to
carry the comparison further. it is
larger by half than the United Kingdom
OF Great Britain and Ireland, larger
than Sweden or Norway. and nearly as
!nrge as either France or Spain. -
There has been reduction during the
fiscal year by cession OF Indian title 10
reservations under ratified agreements
to the extent of about Is, 900 900 acres
of lands heretofore held by them, leaving
the aggregate area OF reserved land at
this time over l03 600 900 acres. This is
sufficient to give each of the occupying
Indians, or those having rights thereon,
over 80 acres. If al! were given alIot-
ments as provided in existing laws aud
treaties, each Indian would receive not
more than an average of eighty acres of
Agricultural land, or 100 acres of grazing
land. The surplus held in reservation
appears therefore to be unreasonubly
large. A large portion OF it is lying
idle, and is a bar TO the Indians pro-
gress, and our. country's DEVELOPMENT.
To restore this TO the public domain will
work no hardship TO the Indians, if the
cessions are made upon terms as fair as
have characterized the agreements re-
Gently negotiated. Those Indian especi-
ally who are supported by the govern
ment, not because of treaty obligations,
Jul III cioSi ~ euNc l1sU IEcm 6IhTV8s
ton, should not continue TO hold these
lurge tracts without actual occupancy or
use. II would be better for each tribe to
part with It's claim for money consid-
eration that would create fund to be
securely held by the United States, and
upon which II could depend for the sup
port OF lis members until, BY proper use
OF individual homesteads, they may sup
port themselves
There are pending in congress agree
ments AS follows: For the cession of
about 500 900 acres of the Fort Berth
old agency reservation in North Dakota,
negotiated under provisions of the act of
May 10, 1886; for about IS4 $50 acres of
the Cpur 'Aiene reservation i'll Idaho,
negotiated under the act Of March ,,
1888; Tor about COO. 900 acres of the Lake
Traverse reservation III South Dakota,
negotiated Jude: the provisions OF Sec
tioG of the general allotment act of
February 8, 1887; for about l ,09j 900 /
acres of the Southern Ute reservation in (
Colorado, negotiated under the fourth |
section of the set of May /, 1883, and |
for about 7 ,S7i acres of the Flathead In !
dians in Bitter Root valley, Montana,
negotiated under the provisions of the /