Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-06-08
NEW HOPE FOR THE INDIANS.


APottawattaInie Bravo Tells Of the Promise
offered by q New Society.
"A new hope mas dawned for the Indian race, "
said John Wadsworth to STAR reporter today.
Mr.. Wordsworth is an Indian himself descend
ant Of the famous Pottawattamie tribe that
used to occupy thesite Of Chicago. Mr.. wads-
worth has just returned from New York city.
while in New York, !" added Mr.. Wadsworth,
II met number Of people who have organized
new movement, which promises more for the
Indians than any other movement begun in
their behalf in the history Of the nation. 1t is
based on the declaration that the land question
is at the root OF the Indian problem and that
II the lands are divided on the proper basis the
Indian question will settle itself. The move
ment is called the Indian Land Adjustment
League. Here is what its platform declares,
and don't know an Indian who will not sup
port it:
/. The treatment Of the Indians has long
been q national disgrace. The opening Of
Indian lands to the whites is fast becoming
another national disgrace. oklahoma" IL as
ISOLATED with the most ruthless display of
brutality. cupidi:y and greed
2. The best system of distributing land among
the whites and the Indians is one that would
place all land seekers on . common basis Of
equality.
8. Allotment does not satisfy the Indians
ideas Of Justice. They need some system that
will equalize the differences in desirableness
between the various pieces of land.
4. The opening Of Indian lands to settlement
BY the present method Of scrambling gives every
advantage to the brutal and the unscrupulous
b. There can be no solution of the Indian
problem until . just division Of lands is Sc
cured.
6. A system based upon the lease principle
would insure quiet, orderly selection of lands
in place Of the disgraceful seizures Of today.
Therefore, we aim to secure the adoption Of
system which, In assuring the equal rights Of
all in the lands, will remove the most powerful
element Of discord between the two races.
AN OPEN LETTER.
''This platform an league are the outgrowth
of an open letter to President Cleveland by
William E. Hicks Of New York in the Illustrated
American Of May Is. In this Mr.. Hicks de-
clared that. the present land openings are
worked by an immense ring of land specu-
lators and that the real home seeker has no
chance as against the Spectator. The open
iester has caused much comment among sthe
Indians in the west, a. I learn by letters from
home. So far as I have heard our people
heartily indorse the position taken BY Mr..
Hicks.
The league Is against allotment in severalty,
and that is why it promises SO much for both
Indians and whites. There have been delega-
lions from the Indian nations in Washington
since March 4. protesting against allotment.
Allotment Is against the Indians idea Of jus
tice, and to civilize him the whites must not
run counter to his ideas Of justice. An Indian
can see only injustice in paralleling out land.
He can understand the division Of property
produced by human labor but land is to him
the gift OF the Great Spirit to mankind and cannot
be divided without impairing the equal rights
Of all in it. Any system which would insure the
possession and use Of portions of land by indi-
vidusl Indians without destroying the rights Of
all in the lands would secure the Indians sup
port. In other words. they carry out to a logi-
cal conclusion the whites principle Of eminent
domain by the state.
Allotment in severalty has been accepted as
the best means of dividing lands among the
Indians, simply because hitherto the opponents
Of it have been able to offer no substitute for it.
The Adjustment League offers this substitute in
the application Of the rental principle to tho
lands.
81 tell you," said Mr.. wadsworth. growing
enthusiastic and emphatic, ''if the government
will but adopt the suggestions Of the Adjust
ment League, they will end the Indian prob
lem forever"