The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-12-01

And there is a critical condition in
the five civilized nations. Plainly
outlined, the trouble in these five ma
tons is this: The white population,
greatly in the majority, is in favor of
breaking I'D the ridiculous and corrupt
tribal governments. The full-bloods
would favor the breaking up Of the
government, if they had ambition and
energy enough to rebel against their
present slavery. The ring leaders Of
the Indians, that is the tribal politi-
clans, are in favor Of holding out in the
present tribal government WITH them
are the rich squawmen, that is white
men married to Indian squaws. The
white men want home rule. The full
bloods are indifferently ignorant and
want nothing. The squawmen and
the tribal politicians want to hold their
present snap.
Some change must come. Congress
cannot, in good sense, pass lightly over
! the sensational report Of the Dawes
commission.
At the same time the country is be-
| coming interested in the pitiable condi-
ton Of the Indians, and agitation may
| accomplish what the Dawes commits
| sion appears to have failed in.
Simon Po-ka-gOn, an educated chief
Of the Pottawatomies, himself an In
dian, is out in an article that has been
! given wide publicity and will serve
| to awaken the public to the deplOrable
| condition in the territory. Po-ka-gon
says: "In travelling through the In
dian Territory a short time since,
was deeply mortified to find nearly
! all the common people OF both races
living in such ignorance and poverty.
/ visited many families of the lower
classes, and learned from them that
they had no opportunities whatever TO
secure homes, as all the best lands had
been gobbled up by a few hundred
squawmen and breed Indians
who were swimming in plenty and
luxury while they themselves were be-
ing drowned in want and poverty. /
next visited one of the squaw white
men, land king, who owned thou
sands of cattle and over one hundred
thousand acres of good land, besides a
squaw wife attired like queen. /
cautiously asked him how he happen
ed to marry her. He replied that I'M
der the laws of his nation white men
were entitled to citizenship provided
they married Indian women, and that
it further provided that citizen
could hold such land as he might fence
in or plow around. In answer TO my
question as to how he liked his wife,
he said: 1T is the only investment l
have ever made in my life that has
paid me, and l cannot go back on the
bridge that carries me safely over"
l then asked him how long he expected
to hold his vast estate. His anwser
was: Il suppose always, as my ma
ton has been guaranteed by the
United States to be perpetual and our
lawmaking power may never be inter
fered with by them. So you see we
are wisely protected for all time TO
come, and if the white men trouble US
here the United States has promised
by solemn treaty TO drive them out OF
our nation l next called on mem
Der Of the legislature who was
high-headed half-breed, owning 10000
acres of land, besides many cattle and
horses. After he had shown me his
little farm and stock, l very carefully
referred him to the laws which the
"Squaw man" had told me of, and
asked him if he considered that they |
had Il legal right to make such enOr- |
nous land grants to a favored few, |
while the common people We're depriv- |
ed of ali good land and the necessaries |
of life as well. His reply was: "Our |
Lawmakers are an educated body of |
people and know what laws are best |
for the people of the United States"
then said: do you lot know, sir. /
that the United States by its several |
treaties gave you this land in trust, |
with an express proviSio that it should |
be held in common for all the Indians;
that is each member of your tribes /
should share alike? And is it not also |
true that you requested such proviso
should be made, so that you might |
live as near as possible as your fathers
did, east of the great river" His only
answer was: I'VE are guaranteed by
the United States that we may run our
own nation as we please and that
they will not interfere with us" l re-
piled that it was very strange to me
they should desire such unjust legiSla-
ton. He then said: You common
Indians cannot understand the spirit
OF national matters. Your foolish
questions make me tired
Po-ka-gon thinks that the United
States should do something at once to
relieve this condition.
So does the Eagle and everyone who
the situation in the In
dion Territory. 1t is little wonder
that the Dawes commission advises
the United States To take immediate
control of the Indian Territory
This it is not likely to do. Not until
the great scandal of wholesale starva-
ton in the Indian Territory takes
place will the congress Of the United
States awaken to the real condition of
and then the foolish Indian
of the territory. who now
hog everything. will be treated in a
way that Will bring them 10 their
knees in SuDDlicatiOn for mercy.