New-York tribune., 1891-09-17
THE OPENING OF OKLAHOMA.
UNJUST CRITICISMS ON THE INTERIOR DE-
PARTMENTs COURSE.
EDITORIAL ERRORS IN THE NEw-YoRK SUM-.

EDITORIAL ERRORS IN THE NEw-YoRK SUN
NO UNNECESSARY DELAY IN ALLoTMENTs
Washington. Sept 16 SpeciaD.-An editorial para
erapb in "The New-YOrk SUM recently contalheu
these sentences:
The Interior Department ought to be able by TINS TINS
time to give notice of the date upon which the Inula
observations i'm Oklahoma will be opened TO setters
II the 0pening is TO be postponed till next year the
fact ought to be officially announced for the sake OF te @
mulutudes Of people who have been awalIlls Ltt V
months past IL appears that after the swarms OF white
men who had driven their wagons long distances & 70 Ho @
frontier of the reservations and camged there nave oe
come so dsgruntcd as 10 drive or somewhere cise @
thousands of the colOed people of the southwest are
Fastening IN the deserted camps to take their turn IN
waiting The white land seekers have suffered on &C
count Of the postpOnement of the opening ana now @ e
bIac land seekers are to suffer account of IT, The
Interor DepaTtment is Justly charged with gross
neglect of duty in regard to the opening OF g Sc hs
brought disappointment to twice 10000 pioneers.
An investigation by Tribune correspondent has
resnlted in showing that tie foregoing criticism IS
neither wellfounded nor just The Department OF the
Interior has not been remss in its duty; the officers
Of that Department have not been guilty OIL gross
neoIieence or any other sort of negligence. Those
officers from the head of the Department down TO the
agents engaged in making the alloments to the
Indians, as required by law, seem to have been
dlllgent and energetic.
The writer Of the paragraph quoted, apparently Is
NOT well acquainted with the facts. The act relating
to the sac and Fox Reservation became a law on
February 13, 1891 1t provides that each lhuiah
shall receive patent for 100 acres CT land. TO De
selected by himself within four months after receN
ing notice from the agent Of the Interior Department
The Iowas by the same act, are to receive Thirty
acres each to be selected within sixty days after
notice The number Of allOtments required to be
made on the two reservations was G30; 523 Of 100
acres each to the Sacs and Foxes, ana lO2 Oh thry
acres each to the Iowas. making total OF 92,o4o
acres There also to be reserved from setue-
ment under the Homestead laws about 10000 acres
for school purposes. The combined area Of the two
reservations is about 100000 acres, Of which about
$1,000 acres will bo open to white settlement when
ever the President shall issue bis proclamation The
DELAY I'm oDenng these two reservations, the editorial
says has brought disappointment to twice zen
thousand pioneers.o 1t will be observed that the
available area of the reservations would give each one
of 10000 pioneers farm of less than thirty acres
1t Is within the personal knowledge of Inc Irophes
correspondent that special agents to make the anot
ments were appointed and sent to Indian territory as
soon as practicable and their reports Will show tha'
they have worked diligently and faithfully. Ihey
have encountered many obstacles which have caused
delay cd many white men, it appears have pressed
their claims on account of adoption or lntermaHage
many Of the Indians have been Hckle, ana nave re-
peaedly transferred their affections from one allotment
10 another in many two or more indians claimed
tho same parcel of land, and these conflicting claims
have had to be adjusted. All of these things have
caused delays which could not be avoided and for Whcn
tbe Inferior DEPARTMENT Is in wise responsible
The reservations cannot be opened to white settlement
nnder Inc law until the alOtmcnts have been completed
rbe of The Tribune is advised that there
is prospect that the matter will be closed WITHIN
short time and that 1t IS probable that proclainauon
will be issued within the present month As uaSe ~
for the opening not only If the Sac and Fox ana tle
Iowa reservations, but also the Pottowatame ana m so
sentee shawnee lands to settlement under the hone
stead laws. - ., ,o.l. 4,
If "muIttudesn of people have wasted months IN
ideness Just without the boundaries OF these reserVa
lions they cannot hold any officer of the Interior De
parmen responsible The law Is pSn ana d seS ~ nS tS
Government has encouraged them TO waste their time
be law Is beipg executed In letter and ,pirt and win
oil tbe sneed practicable consistently with the obga
Hons of the Government to the original owners and
occupants of the lands.