Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-12-18

at the disposal of General Miles, the arms
| that were thought by him to be required
He Is entitled TO the credit of having given
thorough protection to the settlers, and of
bringing the hostiles into subsection with
the least possible loss Of life.
Tho appropriation of &2.991 $50 for the
Choctaws nnd Chickasaws contained in
the general Indian appropriation bill of
March 8, 1891, has not been expended. for
the reason that 1 have not yet approved
release to the government of the Indian
claim to the lands mentioned. This mat
ter will be made the subject of q special
message, placing before congress all the
facts which have come to my knowledge.
| An Anomaly.
| The relations Of the five civilized tribes
now occupying Indian territory to the
United States, believe is best calculated
to promote the highest advancement Of
That there should be within our
borders five independent states
with no relations excepting those growing
out of treaties with the government of the
United States and no representation in
the Legislature, its people not citizens is q
startling anomily. 1t seems to me to be
inevitable that there shall be before long
, some organic changes in the relation of
these people to the United States. What
form these changes should take I do not
think it desirable now to suggest even if
they were we'll defined in my own mind.
They should certainly involve the accept
ance of citizenship by the Indians and a
representation i'll congress. These Indians
should have an opportunity to present
| their claims and grievances upon the
floor, rather than as now in the lobby. If
a commission could be appointed to visit
friendly spirit upon the whole subject,
even if no agreement were presently
reached, the feeling of the tribes upon this
action would be developed and discussion
would prepare the way for changes which
must come sooner or later.
| Indian Allotments Success.
The good work of reducing the larger
Indian reservations by allotments in sew
crafty to the Indians, and the cession
United States for disposition under the
homestead law has has been prosecuted
during the year with energy and success.
In September last l was enabled to open
to settlement in the territory CT Oklahoma
600 acres of land all of which was
taken up by settlers in single day. The
rush for these lands was accompanied by
a great deal of excitement, but was hap
PLY free from incidents of violence. 1t
was source of great regret that l was
not able to open at the same time the sur
plus land of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe
| reservation, amounting to about 3,3OO000
acres by reason of the insufficency of the
appropriation for making the allotments.
Deserving and impatient settlers are
waiting to occupy these lands and ur-
gently recommend that a special def
cheney appropriation be promptly made
of the small amount needed so that the
allotmcnts may be completed and the
surplus lands opened in time to allow the
| settlers to get upon their homesteads in
the early spring.
During the past summer the Cherokee
commission has completed arrangements
with the Wichita, Kickapoo and
Tonkaa tribes, whereby, if the ar
rangements are ratified by congress, over
100000 additional sores will be opened to
settlement in Oklahoma
l Cheroikee Claims,
The negotiation for the release by the
/ Cherokee's of their claim to the Cherokee
strip has made no substantial progress SO
far as the department is officially advised,
but it is still hoped that the cession of this
large and valuable tract may be sc.
cured The price which the commission
was authorized to offer, al.25 per acre, is
in my Judgment, when all the circum
stances as to the title and the character OF
the lands are considered. fair and adc
quate one and should have been accepted
by the Indians.
Since March 4, 1885, about $4,000 Coz
acres have been separated from the In
dian reservations and added to the public
domain for the use of those who desired te
secure free homes under our bencticen
laws. 1t is difficult to estimate the increase
OF wealth which will result from the con
version of these vast lands into farms
but it is more difficult to estimate the bet
terment which will result the families
: that have found renewed hope and cour
) age IN the ownership of a home and the
assurance OF !; comfortable subsistence
under free and healthful condition
1t is also gratifying to be able tc
feel. as we may, that this work has pro
ceedcd upon lines of Justice toward the
Indian, and that he may now, if he will
secure 10 himself the good influences OF
settled habitation, the fruits of industr,
and the security of citizenship.
II General Land Office.
Early in the administration. specia
effort WAS begun to bring up the work o
Y the general land Office by faithful work
/ AT the end of the last fiscal year onl,
Il 81, l72 final agricultural entries remained
= undisposed of, and the commissioner re
: ports that with the present force, the worl
: eau be fully brought up by the end of tn
/ next fiscal year. Your attention is Gale,
a to the difficulty experienced by the secre
: tary of the interior in the administrator
a OF the law OF March 3, 1891. esta blislling
$ court OF private land claims The small
i holdings intended to be protected by tn
il law are estimated to be more than Ii, go
e i'll number, the claimants are almost all
: deserving class and their titles are SUI
$ ported by the strongest equities. TIL
: greatest difficulty grows out of the Ian
d having. been largely surveye
! according to our methods
c while the holdings, many @
= which have been in the same family fo
r generations are laid out in narrow strip
f !; few rods wide, upon stream and run
It ming back to the hills for pasturage an
l. timber. Provisions should be made fc
j. numbering these tracts rs lots and fc
s patentine them by such numbers an
d without reference to section lines.
e Pension Bureau
(. The administration of the pensio
u bureau has been chara cterized during tn
1t year by great diligence The total nun
II Der of pensioners upon the roll on the 30t
L. day of January, 1859, was 676,l60 Thel
e were allowed, during the fiscal year enc
NJ ing at that time, 250,565 cases. OF tn
number l02,3S7 were allowed under Ii
II law of June 81, 1890. The issuing
IS certificates has been proceeding at I'll
N rate of about 10000 per month, abo,
lie a5 per cent. of these being cash under til
e new law. The commissioner expresse
g the opinion that he will be able to car
s. fully adjudicate and allow $500 claim
le during the present fiscal year. The al