Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-12-09

Ihe appropriation ois2, O01 $50 forih.
Choctaws and CnlckRsaws contains,
In the Indian general appropriation III,
OF March 2, 1891, has not been exp,na
cd, for the reason that have moi a.,
approved n release TO the govefnmsn,
Of the Indian claim 10 the land. mi.
matter Will he made the subjeci of !
special message, placing before Con'
gress all the facts which have come Ia
my knowledge.
An ANOMALY.
The relations OF the five civlll,.a
tribes now occupying the Indian T,,'
ritory 10 the United States, beli.y''
are those best calculated TO pronnoi. ~
highest advancement Of these Indian.
That there should be- within our bStda,.
five Independent Stntes having M
relations excepting those growing M,
~ treaties with the Government Nm.
United statee, having no represents
ton In the nations Legislature. ofI,
people or citizens, ia n startling snam'
ally. 10 seems to me 10 be insyllahI.,
that there shall bo, before long. somn
organic changes Ia the relation n,
these people 10 the United Stats.
What form these changes should ,aka
DO not think II desirable TO suggest
even ifthey were well defined I'm ms
own mind. They should Involve Ties
eel lance Of citizenship by the Indian.
and representation Ia Congress. Th,sa
Indiana should have nm oplotuni,r
to present their claims and grieya me-,
upon the floor rather than a. now in
the lobby. :"
IL n commission could be appoln,eI
10 visit these tribes 10 confer with them
upon tho whole subject, even n "a
agreement were presently reached. tbs
feeling Of the tribes upon this au,ttlnn
would be de veloped and the llscu.sinn
would prepare the way for the changes
which must come sooner or later.
LAND OPENED PoR SETTLEMENT.
The good work Of reducing the large,
Indian reservations by sllotments In
sevefalty 10 the Indians, aud the ce..
sion OF the remaining lands TO tho
United states for disposition undertbe
homostead law, has been prosecuted
during the year with energy and sue.
cets. In September last, | was on.
nbled TO open 10 the settlement In the
Territory vi Oklahoma 500, 900 acres m
land, ail OF which was taken I'm br
settlors In a single day. The rush Tor
great deal Of excitement, but was ir,s
from incidents OF violence.
IL was n source Of great regret that
was not able 10 omen, ut the came timr.
the surplus land of tho Cheyenne and
Arapahoe reservation amounting 10
about 100000 actes, by rVapon of Tho
ufuficlenry Of tho appropriation max.
ing the allotmunt-.
Deserving aud impatient sell.
lers are waiting TO ocelby
these lands, aud recommend
that n special deficiency appropriation
be promptly mado OF the amount
needed, 20 that the allotments may 10
completed aud the surplus lands opened
In time TO permit the settlers 10 get
upon their homes,oads In the early
spring.
During the past summer. the Chem
kee Commission have completed ar.
rangements with the Wichlin, KyAka.
poo and Tonkaa tribes, WHEREBY II the
arrangements hre ratified by Congress,
over 100000 additional acres viii te
opened 10 settlement In Oklahoma.
The negotiation for the releas. by
the Cherokees u their claim " tue
Cherokee Strip has mate no subslan.
tial progress, NO far us the department
II officially advlsed, but II II still hoped
that the ccssiOn OF this large aud yalu.
ablc tract may be- assured.
The price which the commission was
authorized to Oilef-fi.a5 per icn--ls,
In my judgment, when all cifrun.
stances ns 10 the title and the character
Of the lands Rre considered, u fair and
adequate price aud should have been
accepted by the Indians.
Since March I, 1853, about ~ cocoon
acres have been sepainted iron Indian
reservations and hddel 10 the pub.
lie domain for the usu OF those who de-
sire to secure free homes under our
bonvhci.nt laws.
II isdliilcult 10 estimate the increase
OF wealth which will result ron the
conversion Of these vast lands into
iarms, but II " more difficult 10 estl.
mate the betteimcnt which will result
10 the families who have found ft.
newed hope and courage Ia the owner.
ship ofs home aud the assurance Of
comfortable subslatence under free aud
healthful conditions.
II II also gratifying 10 be atle 10
feel, as We may, that this WORK has
proceeded upon lines OF justice iowafts
the Indian and that he may now, II he
will, secure 10 himself the good iniiu'
ences OF ntettled hnbitntlon, the fruits
Of Industry and the security Of citizen
ship.
WORK OF THE GENERAL LAND oFfIcr.
Early In the administrator n special
effort was begun 10 bring up the work
OF the general land office, and BY faith
full work tbe arrearag.s have been rap.
idly reduced. At the end Of the lat
fiscal year only 81, l72 nnal agricultural
entries remained undisposed Of, sud
the Commissioner reports that with the
present force the WORK can be fully
brought up by lthe ond Of the neat
fiscal year.
Your attention IN called TO the jill.
Guilty experienced by the SECRETARY Of
the interior Ia the administration, OF
the law Of March 3, 1891, establishing
court " private laud claims. The
small holdings intended TO be protected
by the law nrc estimated to bo m0fe
than fifteen thousand IN numberi tue
claimants are most deserving class
and their Titles are supported hy Tue
strongest equities. The strongest AIM
Guilty grows out OF the land largely
having been surveyed according TO
our methods, while the holdings
which have been In the same lam
lily for generations, are laid nut IN mar
row strips a few rods Wide, upona
stream and running back to the nus
for pnhturage aud timber.
Provisions should he made for mum
herring these tracts NJ lots and for pro-