The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-01-01
SENATOR PERKINS AND TIE STRIP

In a personal letter from Senator E,
w. Perkins-who by the way is employ
Ing the forces of his experience and of
all his prestige in endeavoring to secure
to the passage Of the Cherokee strip bill
to the editor of the EAGLE he in
cidentally refers to the active opposition
from certain Democratic economists to
that measure. The cattle men, no longer
able to renew their leases, are uncertain
and are working in their opposition. We
suspect that the demagogry of Holman
and his clique is the most formidable. l.
seems to do no good to suggest to these
men that at best the United States is only
advancing tins money for little time
in tine interest of humanity and good
government, and that it will soon
be returned to the treasury by the
settlers who will occupy and
make homes upon these lands;
that there are hundreds and thousands
living and camping upon the borders of
these lands, waiting for the needed legis-
lation that they may move in and make
a home for themselves and for those that
God has given to their care.
When told of the necessities and suf-
ferings of many of these people; when
told of the months and years of waiting
and anxiety; when told that this Sreat
rich domain ought to be opened to civil
lied settlement instead OF retained as a
refuge for the lawless and range for
cattlemen; when Senator Perkins has
attempted TO advance these reasons and
others, which ought to be understood by
everybody, in support Of this demanded
legislation, they only seem the more
stoicaI in their opposition; and the dan
ger is that the 4lh of March will come
and this measure, SO vital TO so many
homes, will still be pending as unfinished
bushes upon the calendar
Senator Perkins, whose letter com
mends the marked efforts OF the EAGLE
in behalf of the interests involved, has
himself always worked for Oklahoma.
He has held in all of his many speeches
in the house, before committees and the
departments that the unoccupied lands
of the Indian Territory ought to be
opened to settlement. That he has been
not only a great but successful factor in
all that has been SO far accomplished
none will deny. In his fight he has had
not only the opposition Of the false
economists but that of the sentimental
lists of the east who turn purple in the
face whenever and, wherever the red man
and his treaties are mentioned. Mr..
Perkins from his contiguity has worked
in the light of observation and Of
reason and for the interests of not only
the settler but of civilization and of the
Indian himself. For years he was almost
the only member of the Kansas delega-
ton that took more than an ordinary in
terest in all that pertained to the build
/ ing up of & great and prosperous state on
/ the south of Kansas and who realized
/ the importance of Oklahoma to the in
/ tereslS of his own state.
1t Is the EAGLES hope that the whole
question may be atlirmatively disposed
/ of before the 4th of March, next, but il
! is also our conviction that to attain that
end the greatest activity among those
most directly interested viii be found
necessary, especial V in the way of i'm
pressing senators and members of the
/ lower house with the true situation and
Its demands.