Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1894-12-14

mendation Of the secretary relates to
the manner in which contests are It'll
gated and cases growing out OF efforts
TO obtain government lands are de-
rmIned. The entire testimony upon
nich these controversies depend In
their stages Is taken before the local
oysters and receivers and yet these
J rlcers have no power to subpoena wit
lesses or 10 enforce their attendance
90 testify. These cases, numbering three
Or four thousand annually, are sent by
the local officers to the commissioner
of the general land office for his action.
The exigencies of his other duties oblige
| him TO act upon the decisions OF the
registers and receivers without an OPP
| portunity of thorough personal exam
| nation Nearly two thousand of these
cases are appealed annually from the
commissioner to the secretary OF the
. interior Burdened with other impor-
| tant Administered tive duties. his determl-
nation of these appeals must be al
| most perfunctory and based upon the
| examination OF others. though this de-
| termination of the secretary operates as
| "A final adjudication upon rights OF very
| great Importance. / concur in the opin-
! ion that the commissioner Of the gen
eral land Office should be relieved
| from the duty of deciding litigated land
ca SEES that a non-partisan court should
be created to pass on such cases, and
that the decisions of this court should
be final, at least so far as the decisions
of the department are now final. The
proposed court might be given authorl-
ty to certify questions of law in matters
of special Importance to the supreme
court of the United States or the court
of appeals for the district of Column
bia for decision. The creation of such
tribunal would expedite the dis
posal of cases and insure decisions of a
more satisfactory character The reg
listers and receivers who originally hear
and decide these disputes should be in
vested with authority to compel wit
nesses to attend and testify before
them.
CONDITION OF INDIANS
Though the condition of the Indians
shows a steady and healthy progress,
their situation is not satisfactory at all
points. Some of them, to whom allot-
ments of land have been made, are
found to be unable or disinclined to fol-
low agricultural pursuits or to other
wise beueficially manage their land.
This Is especially true of the Chey-
ennes and Arapahoes, who, as it ap-
pears by the report of their agent, have
in many instances never been located
upon their allotments and in some
cases do not even know where their al
lotments are. Their condition has
deteriorated. They are not selfsupport-
ing and they live i'm camps and spend
| their time in idleness. / have always
| believed that allotments of reservation
lands to Indians in severalty should be
made sparingly, or at least, slowly and
with the utmost caution. In these days,
! when the white agricultursts and
| stock-raisers of experience and intelli-
gence find their lot hard one, we ought
not to expect the Indians. unless far
! advanced in civilization and habits of
| industry, to support themselves on the
! small tracts of land usually allotted
| to them. If the sulfsupporting scheme
| by allotment fails the wretched paup-
erism of the allottees makes results
worse than their original condition of
| regulated dependence. 1t is evident
that the evil consequences of ill-advised
| allotment are intensified in cases where
| the false step can not be retracted on
account of the purchase by the govern
ment of reservation lands remaining
| after allotments are made and the
disposition of such remaining lands to
settlers or purchasers from the govern.
ment. | am convinced that the proper
solution of the Indian problem and the
success of every step taken In that
direction depends to a very large extent
upon the intelligence and honesty OF
reservation agents and the interest they
have in their work. An agent fitted fol
his place can do much towards prepar-
ing the Indians under his charge fol
citizenship and allotment of theil
lands and his advice as to any matter
concerning their welfare will not mis-
lead. An unfit agent will make nc
effort To advance the Indians on his
reservation toward civilization or prep
aration for allotment Of lands in sev
crafty and his opinion as to their con
dition in this and other regards is heed
less and valueless.
ARMY AGENTS.