Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1894-11-24
DAWES COMMISSION.
lT RRPoRrs ON THE INDIAN
TERRITORY.
The Tribal Form Of Government Ameag
the Indians . Failure he Commits
slen Recommends the Allotment OF
Lands and Individual Ownership.

WAsHryeroN, Nov. 2a-Thc Dawes
commission, which has been investi-
eating the affairs in the Indian ter
ritory and endeavoring to secure the
consent of the FIVE civilized tribes to
an agreement on some plan OF terri
torial or state government looking TO
the improvement OF the conditions OF
affairs, has submitted its report to
the secretary Of the interior, but Sec
rotary Smith has not had chance to
examine II.
The report Of the commission recon-
meuded the revocation OF the power
of self government BY the United
States 1t Is q rehearsal Of the pro-
ceedings Of the commission. in con-
ference with the Indians. which have
already been given to ;h' public from
time to time n they occurred.
The commiss on apo ntsd by the
Indians was not given authority to
enter upon negotiations looking to
allotment or change Of government,
so that little has been -comr!i,hej.
The proposition made 20 them was to
divide the land among the Indians
except the town sites coal ana
minerals. which were To be sold and
the proceeds divided. \ homestead
for each citizen was t. he made
inalienable for twenty-five years
or longer. Safeguards for the inter.
est of tribts were i1cludeI. After
div sion n territorial government was
TO be formed by congress and ap.
proved b. the lnI & vcrnmsnt
The Indians refused Ia tnterta
these propositions an declined tn
sell the land. Complications have
grown up in the title to coal lands
which will lead TO en- Tess litigations.
The full. bloods are lc lit for city N
ship than they were twenty wears
ago and there is little hope they Will
improve. The In ian invite and in
duce white people to come into the
Territory. there being 25O.ODD white
people who cannot be called intr ud-
ers and the Indians cannot fairly ask
the United States to remove them.
The treaty stipulation for equal tracts
being in the control OF leaders while
the real Indian Is powcrlcss to secure
any part of his common property.
The report says: THE United
States guaranteed the holding OF
these lands us contemplated by the
treaties and is in honor bound to
wrest them from unlawful holders
and restore them to rightful owners.
This can only be done. and the treaty
stipulations honor IDLY maintained.
by allotment of these lands among
the people giving to than Individual
title therefor"
The failure of tribal government
il is said, makes i, impossible to en-.
force the treaty provisions. \ vivid
picture is given of the lawlcss con-
dition of affairs in the territory which
|, reflected daily in tn newspapers.
Many private persons Untitled to
benefit in the payments by tn, gov
eminent, IL Is stated. never receive
any money while az 'nts are growing
rich. Payment should he made di-
rectlv To the p ople by its own
officers. Liquor traffic should be pro-
hibited Provision should be made
for the education Of the. children.
The report concludes a. follows:
1.-THE unted States put the Lille to
domain aud ITS countless wealth anu
unmeasured resources IN these
several tribes or na,ionalities. but it
was conveyance in trust for specific
uses. clearly indicated N the treaties
themselves and for no other purpose.
/, was for the use and enjoyment in
common Of each and every citizen OF
his tribe of each and every part of
territory. thus tersely expressed in
one of the treaties: To BE- held in
common so that each and every mem
Der of either tribe sh !, have an equal
undivided interest in the whole. The
tribes Gun make other use OF it. They
have no power to grant IL to any one
or TO grant TO any one an exclusive
use of any portion Of It, These tribal
governments have wholly perverted
their high trust. and It is the plain
duty of the United States to enforce
the trust it has so created and recover
for it's original uses the domain and
all the gains derived in the perver-
sion of the trust or discharge the
trustees.
The United States also granted to
these tribes the power OF self-govern-
meut not to conflict with the consti-
tuition. They have demonstrated
their incapacity to so govern them
selves and no higher duty can rest up
on tn government that granted this
authority than to revoke 1t when 1t
has SO lamentably failed"