The Van Buren press., 1893-02-04

acre. There is not an acre of 1t
that is not worth that much. There
is any amount of 1t worth Is an
acre, plenty of it is worth go and
If prices over the line in Kansas
are to be q guide. great deal is
worth from e25 to $40 an acre
right as it lies. There is no chance
for the government to get the
worst of it in buying this land.
"After the report of the CON-
mission and the message of the
president recommending the mat
ter to the care of congress, my
bill was prepared. Of course you
know what it's terms are. 1t is to
accept the Indians prefer Of $1.41
IN acre, aud provides for the GO
ing on and throwing the land open
for settlement. The whole amount
Of the puwhase money would be
about %, 100000. OF course the
Indian theory was that il the gov
eminent accepted the CherOkees'
oifer II would pay this amount
down. That 10 what l would like
to see done. I am strong in my
conviction that this would have
been the proper way; nor would
We have run any risk.
II do not assume TO have an &C.
curate knowledge of the condition
Of the treasury finances. l do not
know how much money we have
there, but in a general way un-
derstand it to be q very small
amount. But still, there is enough,
and will be enough three months
from now to have paid the Chero-
KEGS for this land. Aud if we had
done it and opened the strip for
settlement settlers would have
crowded in and the whole price
would have been paid back into
the treasury again betoreyou could
have winked. Fifty thousand peo-
pie went into the Oklahoma coun.
try within twenty-four hours after
it was legally opened. Fifty thous-
and people will 60 into this, and.
as I say, the money would have
been back in the treasury long be-
fore Mr.. Holman or any other
economist would have missed it.
"But we had to modify the bill
in those terms which provided for
the payment of the money. And
1 want to say in this connection.
that l do not think the people of
country, nor the Indian committee
of the house, nor I, myself, have
been fairly or squarely treated by
Mr.. Holman in this matter. This
bill to open the Cherokee outlet
was reported from my committee
and ready for passage in the first
session of this, the Ffty-second
congress. Crisp and Catchings OF
the rules committee were ready
last session to give the Indian
committee a day for the house to
consider and pass upon it's bills.
1t was at this juncture that Mr..
Holman came whining and plead
ing to me as chairman Of the In-
dian committee to defer considera-
ton of this bill until the present
session of congress. He urged
that the appropriations had al
ready been high the. the river and
harbor hill was especially high ;
that the whole amount of the ap.
preparation was going to be great,
and that he did not think it wise
to add any more than was abso-
lutely necessary. At that time ]
felt the urgent necessity for pass
ing this bill. / felt that the cOun.
try needed ii, and that the people
were waiting for it. / felt as /
still feel, that it was one of the
most important bills pending be-
fore congress. Nevertheless, in
difference to the solicitations Of
Mr.. Holman, ! finally consented
to let it 60 over until this session.
But when I did consent, it was
distinctly understood by Mr.. Hol.
man and by me, and was fully dis
cussed at the time, that IN the
event of my yielding and allowing
it to go over until the present SEES.
sion he, Holman, would not oppose
it. This was distinctly understood
and agreed between us. You can
imagine, then, that / felt some sur
prise on returning to attend this
session to find that Mr.. Holman
had forgotten all about this ar
rangement, and was already show
ing his teeth in opposition to the
bill. The reason he assigns, the
depleted condition of the treasury,
l have already mentioned.
"Ofcourse it rests with the Cher
Okees to accept the terms of pay.
ment which we offer. If they re-
ject them ! suppose the thing fails
through, and congress will have
to begin over. And of course in
such case it will begin over. This
land can not be allowed to lie in
eternal waste. Some day, some
how, We will get it and put it to
its proper use; the sooner the
better. As IT now stands it is Of