The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-02-25
THG IRE REMOVAL SCHEME.

1t1E Ute hEhON AL S0HthEIs
The Durango Herald is very anxious
that the Colorado utes shall be re-
moved to Utah. 1t calls loudly for the
ratification of the treaty which has
been hanging fire for five or six years
and appears to be quite sanguine that
this perhaps-be accomplished
One of its remarks on this point is cute
but comical. 1t says:
The latest news from Washington is
| of an encoura ging nature. The Utes
will go to Utah-providing Congress
says so.
Precisely. IF Congress says So
But there's the rub. Congress will not
say SO, if justice and good sense pre-
vail and if the Delegate from Utah
meets with his usual success. There is
no earthly reason why Utah should be
made the dumping ground for the re-
fuse savages of Colorado. The Duran
go Herald seems to think that it ought
to be done. for very little, if any,
protest was made by the people of
Utah"
That is not correct. But if it were,
and even if no protest at all was made,
why should not Colorado take care of
its own Indians? Utah doesn't want
them and doesn't need them. The i'm
pudence behind the movement is sim
ply astonishing. Because a state wants
to rid itself of nuisance it cannot
Iabate. it must shovel it over on to a
territory which can make no such pro-
test as might come from a state hav-
ing voice in national affairs!
But Utah has protested vigorously
from the beginning of the project
And the Durango Herald realizes the
fact that Delegate Rawlins is solidly
in the way now. 1t says:
Delegate Rawlins made the state
ment before the House subcommittee
that the taxable property of San Juan
county, where it Is intended to remove
the Utes, aggregated several hundred
thousand dollars, and presented affida-
Wits of several hundred alleged settlers
to the effect that iii would mean ruin
ia them to be compelled to move at
this time. Where the people who made
the alleged affidavits reside no one can
tell because it is a well known fact
to every one acquainted with the
country, that there are not that many
settlers in the county occupying lands
on the proposed reservation.
That paper is mistaken. 1t is evident
that its editor has not visited San
Juan county, Utah. which was organ
lied because of the number of bona
fde settlers in that region. The petit
ton and affidavits are genuine. The
loss to the farmers and ranchmen there
would be immense. Their property has
been in constant jeopardy from the
insecurity as to its permanence, ever
since the shadow of the Indian re-
moval has been cast upon it. There
are not only the lands and settlements
on the spot of the proposed reservation,
but those that are in close proximity
to it that would be affected by the
transfer
That paper says further:
From Mr.. Rawlins' talk it was cas-
lily observable that the power behind
the throne was the Pittsburg Cattle
That all his information
had been furnished by an interested
agency and that it had been decided
to make the fight solely in the inter
ests Of the whites who lived in that
section.
That is another great mistake. The
people who have sent in their protests
from time to time and who are repre-
scented by Mr. Rawlins. are principally
old and respected citizens of Utah. i
well known in this city and adjacent
who colonized the San
Juan country as permanent residents
and who have no connection with the
company referred to. They object to
having Colorado's rejected redskins
forced upon their possessions, to which
they have squatters' rights and which
they have improved and made their
homes. They have a claim to consid-
grafton and, if it comes to the worst.
20 adequate compensation.
The Durango Herald remarks with
IN assumed tone Of confidence. but an
evident feeling of fear. that while it is
confident of the outcome for removal, !
t fully realizes that a determined ef-