The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-02-18
AGENTS WOULD FATTEN.
If Choctaws and Chickasaws Re-
ceived Their Money.
THE PRESIDENTS ARGUMENT.
He Sends Congress a Message and Asks
Its Careful Consideration Battle Flags
To be sent Back to Mexico-The Trea-
sury All Right In Fosters Opinion.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1s.-The President
has sent to Congress message calling at
tention to the Choctaw and Chickasaw
claims, for the payment of which Con-
gress appropriated S2,99l ,i50 in the Indian
appropriations bill passed by the last
Congress. This amount was to be paid
these Indians for their interests in lands
lying south of the Canadian river in the
Indian Territory and now occupied by
the Cheyenne and Araphoe Indians.
Three -fourths OF the appropriation was
To be paid to such person or persons as
should be authorized by the laws OF the
Choctaw nation to receive II and one
fourth To the Chickasaws' the appropria-
tion TO become operative upon the execu-
tion of releases and conveyances satisfac-
tory in manner and form TO the Presi-
dent.
The message says: 'If this section had
bsen submitted to me as a separate meas
ure, especially during the closing hours
OF the session, should have disapproved
it; but. as the Congress was then in its
last hours, disapproval OF the general
Indian appropriation bill, of which 1T was
a part, would have resulted in conse-
quences so far-reaching and disastrous
that felt il my duty To approve the bill.
But as duty was devolved upon me, the
acceptance and approval OF the convey
ances provided for, have felt bound TO
look into the whole matter and in view OF
the facts which l shall presently mem
tion, to postpone any executive action
until these facts could be submitted to
Congress"
every soon after the passage OF the law
il came TO my knowledge that the Choc-
taw legislature had entered into an agree
ment with three citizens of that tribe TO
pay TO them, as compensation for. procur-
ing this legislation, 25 per cent. OF any APP
preparation that might be made by Con-
gress. The amount TO be secured by these
three agents under this agreement out OF
the three-fourths interest in the appro-
priation of the Choctaw nation is $3.50, 500.
/ have information that a contract was
made by the Chickasaws to pay about 10
per cent of their one-fourth interest to
the agents and Attorneys who represented
them"
"Within month after the passage OF
the law, II. j. Ward, one OF the agents
who was TO divide with two OF his asso-
ciates the enormous sum TO be paid by
the ,Choctaws, presented to me an affidavit
dated April 4, 1891. 1t appeared from this
statement that the action of the Choctaw
council in this matter was corruptly in
1uenced by the execution OF certain
notes signed by Ward for himself and his
associates in sums varying from " ,5OOO TO
5000. His associates deny any knowl-
edge of this, but this giving and existence
OF these notes is not refuted. Whatever
may be the fact as to the use or non-use
of corrupt methods to secure this -legisla-
tion from the Choctaw council, do not
think the Congress of the United States
should so legislate upon the this matter
as to give effect to such contract, which
/ am sure must have been unnoticed
when the measure was pending"
There is then taken up the question OF
the title of these Choctaw and Chickasaw
Indians TO these lands. The President
SAYS the lands were ceded by terms suff1-
ciently comprehensive TO have passed the
full title OF the Indians. The words OF
the treaty and the proceedings connected
with il, the President thinks, point clear
ly to the conclusion that the commission
ers on the part of the government and
the Indians themselves must have under
stood that this government was acquiring
something more than mere right to set
tie friendly Indians, which IT already
possessed, and something more than the
mere release OF the right which the Choc-
taws and Chickasaws had to select loca-
tions in these lands If they chose.
Undoubtedly says the President it was
the policy of the government for the time
to hold these and adjacent lands as Indi-
an country, but this is quite different
from a conditional title which limits
the grant to a particular use and works
re-investment of full title in the Indians
when that use ceases. Certainly for ade-
quate consideration by treaty, the United
States placed upon these lands other In
dian tribes, it was competent to give
them little TO a certain and agreed reser
vation. This being so, compensation for
lands not needed for allotment purposes
should go to the occupying tribe. The
calculations made in arriving at the basis
of the appropriation made no account be-
ing taken of ihe sS0O,000 paid under the
treaty anticipations for the leased dis
trict, seems to the President as not just
to the United States. The President COM
mends the matter to the attention Of Con-
gress for such action as may be thought
advisable.