New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-08
THE INDIAN LAND QUESTION
WORK OF THE COMMISSION TO THE FIVE
TRIBES
r,xn.cP,BgERs AMONG THE CHERoKEEs AND
CREEKs-SHARP PRACTICE OF HALE
BREEDS AND "sQUAw-MEN"

MuScOgec
about their work with considerable promptness anu
e,aryv This work AS set out in the act OF Congress
am horlyinc the appointment % the Commission con-
ssts in negotiating with the I'VE civl'zei U'oeS
the Cherokees. Greeks. SeminOles, chocta"s anu
Chlckasaws-for the purpose or securing '"e' a.
sent to the extlnguishment of the national or tribal
title to their lands which they now hold In common
nv allotment Of the same N severalty among the
members OF the tribe, abandonment of their tripd
Governments and the orgl niZatiOn OF territorial
or other form of government. looking 10 ultimate
Statehood. The Commission Is also empowered 10
treat with each tribe separately or altogether anu
in the event OF reaching agreement with any
on. or all to cause the necessary surveys 10 De
made for the purpose Of allotment and 10 negotiate
for the purchase Of any surplus lands whlcn me
tribes may desire sell.
MAGNITUDE or THE WORK.
II IS safe to say that no more important indian
Commission has been appointed In recent years OF
one confronted with work Of such magnitude anu
fraught with 50 many difficulties as THIS Dawes
Commission as It is called among these Indians
Should en- agreement be reached with all the Five
Tribes then comes the work Of surveying -IooV'V"
acres Of land and alottns 1t among 6o"o lhdians'
s., that each shall have. az nearly as possible an
equal share IN severalty Of the common landed prop
er,v Not only is this land of varying fertility ana
vslue vast tracts OF It. forty miles in extent
being utterly worthless for agricultural purposes
but scattered all Il are hundreds OF lhproVeu
farms in a HIGH state OF cultivation, ana upon WHICH
tho present occupants have resided for a score Oh
wears or longer Then there is the additional com
plication ~ the coal mines now being operated
under leases I'm the Choc;aw Nation. and nearly
hundred towns and villages In the Territory win
populations ranging from 100 TO 3.V" where not Il
single HORSEPOWER owns the ground on Which HIS
hlildug sands the title OF the land being st III
the Indian tribe nation. The improvements bo'h
| IN town ard country. are nearly all the work ana
rroneriv Of white people. who came here with the
consent OF the Indian himself. who wanted anu sun
wants them 70 work for him. ana WHO no" huh'pei
II, east i95 40 souls In short, there mas been nuch
development here though not 50 rapid ana thorough
in the way Of town building and the opening up OF
farms and coal mines would have taken place
| I'm IN. absence OF the Indian and under "A different
/ farm, of Governments And II IS proposed 70
/ divide no this land that each member OF inc
tribe shall have his equal share In value OF H. ana
81 that the enterprisng and dilgent among mem
shall no, be robbed Of his improvements and at
the same time provide just protection for the white
nan g., bs store II the Commissioners shall per-
form, their work in the manner President Cleveland
oxnresse the hone that they would on their taxing
| leave OF him AZ Washington. 80 that they might
| look back afterward and say they mad done
! no man Injustice" they must see as well as others
| interested in this Indian Territory and IN the
future welfare Of Poor 10. tta the work set before
! them IS Of prodig!ous proportions and their re-
sponsbillty corresponding.y great
IMPERATIVE NEED OF \ CHANGE.
Ru, f. there really any need OF this Commission
~ any occasion for interfering with SIS -:ost adj
! yancel Indian civilization in the United states
There f. Existing treaties with these IHcan tribes
are against such Interference. \ change from
tribal 10 n territorial form OF government means
annulmen, OF those treaties. 1t is therefore de-
slrable tina, whatever change Is made shall be the
result OF friendly negotiation and agreement Fur
,hernore existing conditions here are bad, as can
well be imagined. and the need Tor a chanSe ~
! imperative. Aside from the corruption when runs
riot In every DEPARTING OF these Indian govern
ments the land-grabblng that has been going on
here for several years abundant.y warrants Gov
! ,-nmental interference. the abrogaton OF existing
| treaties and the establishment OF n new order or
things People occupy instead OF own land In this
Five Tribes territory. and many or them nave man
aged 10 get immense tracts OF II under thelr eN-
elusive control \ member os a tribe mas only 10
build The cheapest kind OF a house upon unoccupei
land 10 be at liberty 70 fence up the land for n
ou,rt4r az a mile each way from hls house. ard X
there IS stlll unoccupied land adjoining his so-caed
| Improvement. put up another shauty, ana so con-
tinue on until he has thousands OF acres IN Ms
control To get the benefit OF his grab. he is gen
orally put 10 the additional expense OF fencing It,
should some poor ignorant ful-bood get in his
way bv squattlng on land that he wants he buys
him out OF his way FOR Il trlhc and takes possession
As rule the full-bood is most improvident and
! INCIDENT and has no Idea OF the value or money
! lie VIII pay s9J for - merchants coupon DOCK. ana
before n. leaves town sell It for s. In cash. with
which t. pay for gun or some other article that
has happened TO strike his fancy. The area or land
which IA tribal member may have and control de-
penls almost entirely upon the amount % money
he has with which - pay for fencing. The fulb.ood
seldom has any money 20 pay for such improve
menis and hence IS being rapidly crowded out or
his lust share Of the common landed property. The
full blood il rarely II a andgrabber. Indeed II
may well be- doubted II there is one In this whole
| Territory.
SHAM INDIANS SEIZE THE BEST.
The halfbreeds and the "sduaw-men' are
,he lanl-grabbers Half-breel means here any
degree OF Indian blood. \ "squaw-man" Is a white
man whose wife Is a ful-blood or half-breel Indian
| Many OF these "squaw-men" have got themselves
adoptel into the tribes 20 which their wives be-
/ long and have thereby acquired all the rights or
Indian citizenship and they practically dominate
the Indian governments. These "squaw -men' and
half breeds monopoly of nearly all the best
| farm lands In this region. which are generally
found along the rivers ana smaller watercourse@
and they loudest in their proestatlons OF love
| for the 'poah Indian" WHY don't You observe
so treaties. and let MS alone say they I'VE poah
/ Indians an dom well enough" II must be con-
tossed that the sham Indian has done amazingly
well in this country and much better man the
! hrother Ne. left at home in the States. In the
Cherokee Nation nearly all the fu.-bloods are found
back In the barren wooded nils where they seldom
have a patch OF more than two or three acres that
il nt FOR cultivation. Here they exc out wretched
existence and at times they are utterly destitute
When In sore distress foc food they are the oc-
casional recipients OF a bushe OF corn. the munit
cent gift OF some neishboring land baron. who I'M
blushingly boasts that he pays his rent in That
! way Men In position to know stoutiy afiirm that
no destitute people can DE found in the tnlteu
states than the fuil-biood Indians in the FIVE
Tribes But the Cherokee land graboer says that
Z the full blood won't work, and from choice lives
I'm the hills and barren IL may be answered
/ that II he should want to turn farmer on II larger
scale desirable land for him to farm Is not TO be
had in the Cherokee Nation one "squa IMAM In
| this nation has more tillabe land in his control
| than the entire tllabie lands OF all the ubioods
taken together. Allotment OF the land OF the Chero
KEGS would give each member OF the tribe about
, lfO acres Yet 1t Is nothing unusual 10 find half
breeds and "squaw-men' In possession OF tFcts or