The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-11-22
RECOMMENDS REVOCATION.
Report of the Commission of the
Five Civilized Tribes-Vivfd Pic
ture of Lawlessness.

Washington, Nov. 21.--The report of
the commission Of the five civilized
tribes to the secretary of the interior
power of self government by the
United States. It is rehearsal of the
proceedings of the commission in con-
ference with the Indians which have
already been given TO the public at the
time they occurred. The committee
appointed by the Indians We're not
given authority to enter upon negotia-
tons looking to allotment or change
of government and that is the reason
so little has been accomplished. The
proposition made to them was TO divide
the land among the Indians except the
townsites, coal and minerals, which
were to be sold and the proceeds
divided. A homestead for each citizen
was to be made inalienable for twenty
five years or longer. Safeguards for
the interest of tribes were included
After division a territorial government
was to be formed by Congress and ap-
proved by the Indian government
The Indians refused to entertain these
land. Complications are growing up in
the title to coal lands, which will lead
TO endless itigations. The full bloods
are less fit for citizenship than they
were twenty years ago and there is
little hope they will improve The
Indians invite and induce white people
to come into the territory, there beng
100000 white people who cannot be
called intruders, and the Indians can
not fairly ask the United States to re-
move them. The treaty stipula rtion
for equal division of land is fiagrantly
and widely violated large tracts being
IN the control of leaders while the real
Indian is powerless to secure any part
OF his common property. The report
says: H.
holding of these lands as contemplated
by the treaties and is in honor bound
TO wrest them from unlawful holders
and restore them to Tfgntful owners.
This only can be done and the treaty
stipulations honorably maintained by
allotment of these lands among the
people, giving to them Individual title
therefor
The failure of the tribal government,
it is said, makes it impossible to en-
force the treaty provisions
"A vivid picture is given of the lawless
condition of affairs in the territory,
W'alch is reflected daily in the news
papers. Many private persons entitled
to benefit in The payments by the gov
eminent. Vt is Stated, never receive any
more, while the agents are growing
rich. Payments should be made di-
Tectly to the people by dts own officers.
Liquor traffic Should be prohibited
Provision should be made for the edu-
cation of the children.
The report concludes as follows:
The United States put the title TO a
domain and Its countless wealth and
unmeaSured resources in these several
tribes or Municipalities, but it was a. con-
Veyance in TRUST fer specific uses, Gear
ly indicated in the treaties themselves
and for no either purpose. 1t was for
the use and enjoyment in common Of
each and every citizen of his tribe of
each and every part Of the territory,
thus tersely expressed in one of the
treaties:
ITO be held in common, so each and
every member of either tribe shall have
equal division of the whole The
tribes can make no other Use of it.
They have no power to grant it to
any one, or to grant to any one an ex-
elusive use of any portion of it, These
tribal governments have wholly per-
verified their high trust and it is the
plain duty of the United States to en-
force the trust it has so created and
recover its original uses of the domain
and all the gains derived in the per-
version of the trust, or discharge the
trustees.
THE United States also granted to
these tribes the power of self-govern-
ment, not to conflict with the consti-
tuition. They have demonstrated their
incapacity to SO govern themselves and
no higher duty can rest upon the gov
eminent that granted this authority
than TO revoke it, when 1t has SO la
mentally failed -