Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-05-06
LEASING OF THE INDIAN LANDS.
HON. SECRETARY HoKE SMITH
MAKES soME pENIALs.
JOE PUT VERY POINT
ED QUERIES TO THE DEPART
3rENT OF THE INTERIOR AND
AWAITS ITS REPLY.

airing and whitewash will soon be in
demand. Here It is:
Washington. ID. c., April 27.--(Speclal
to the Republic --within the last few
| days there have been variously oircu-
lated in several OF the Republican pa
pers and today In the New York
World a story charging improper con-
duct In the leasing OF the Kiowa,
Comanche and Apache lands by the in
terror department to Western cattle
men.
The leasing of these Indian lands Is
always attended with n great deal OF
difficulty. and when the lands were first
| leased n year ago there was great row
raised by disappointed bidders for the
| leases, and when, about the first Of
this month. the secretary OF the in
terror approved contract again leasing
the land to the present occupants at
the same price--6 cents per ncre--the
new and current scandal was stirred up,
The main charges are that the score
tary of the interior and the Indian
Office have been unduly influenced in the
matter by a so-called Colonel" Cobb,
| who Is referred to as cousin OF the
| secretary. and also during his visits to
Washington as guest at the Smith
home.
The New York World story Of today
! goes into more details and declares that
not only was this cousin Cobb" pc
cunlarily interested. but that eN-Attorn-
ey General Garland received 10000 last
year from the cattlemen for securing n
lease to them and intended 20 raise
row this year because, when the lands
were rclet 20 the present occupants, he
had failed to receive an additional
$4,000.
When this story was brought 10 the
attention OF Secretary Smith today by
the Republic correspondent, he pro-
nounccd II an absolute fnlsehood from
beginning to end. In the FIRST place, he
said that this person calling himself
Cobb IL not so far as the secretary
knows. any relation to HE, The maiden
name OF Mrs. Hoke Smith was Cobb,
hut II Is not known that she is related
to either OF the members OF congress
from Alabama or Missouri bearing that
name. and there is no more evidence
that she Is a relative OF this alleged
agent Of the cattlemen.
Last year. when the lands were orig
inally leased. It came TO the ears OF the
secretary that Cobb, who had been
about the department, was claiming to
be n relation of his and the secretary
at once closed his own office to Cobb
and directed the chief Of the Indian
office to likewise refuse him admission
there. Cobb has not, therefore, been
seen about the department for more
than yenr.
The story about ex-Attornev GeneSal
Garland seems to have even less foun-
dalton than the other. Neither the
chief Of tho Indian division nor the Sec
rotary has ever heard General Garland'g
name mentioned in connection with the
land leases, and his son and partner
said today, in the absence Of his father,
who IS sick at home, that he had never
heard Of his father having any bust
ness whatever with the clttlemen leas-
ing Indian Territory lands.
The secretary and Commissioner
Browning OF the Indian office did make
an effort 20 obtain a better price for
the lands than they are now getting.
It was Mt first thought that some OF
the lands could be leased for cents
instead OF G. and there was some effort
made in this direction, but the local
agent on the Kiowa, Comanuhe and
Apache reservation, after investlga-
ton, reported TO the commissioner that
he was convinced that on the whole
no better price for all the lands than
cents could be obtained. In view OF
his recent visit TO Indian Territory,
Commissioner Browning held That this
recommendation was good one.
There is constant and very notice.
able decrease this year in ralslng cat
tie In the West, and there is an abund-
I
cheaply. Therefore, upon thu recon-
mendation both OF the local Indian
} agent and the commissioner. the secre-
! tary ordered new lease to be made
to the present holders for the year end
ing April /. 1896 at the price now paid.
To a general public, who IL to be
hoodwinked. the article says these
lands were first leased year ago"
win the interior department please
, explain how md why these same cat
tlemen have held these reservations for
, the past ten years under the protection
/, OF the interior department and United
Let Hoke Smith deny that this has
/ | benI done.
The cattlemen told me that every year
; since 1887 that they had held lease con-
] tracts approved by the interior depart
3 ment.
: Besides that, bought one myself in
3 1890 on 10000 acres near Fort Sill from
n cattle firm, with exclusive control
approved by the secretary OF the in
= teplor and other government agents and
officers.
l Let Holse Smith deny that.
l Attorney General Garland while In
D office officially decided that the secre'
; tary of the interior had no authority q
I lease the public lands. and that such
pretended leases were null and void.
Let them deny that.
The cattlemen's attorney who went
to Washington and worked the scheme
last year is my authority that II was q
game of Doodle with the cattlemen and
officials.
As to the "Indian agents recommen'
dations" IL provokes a smile.
For 1--WE years past the Indians have
been pleading for white farmers to rent
. their lands for share Of the crops
. The agent will not allow II.
Let Hoke Smith deny that.
e We are renting the Chickagnw land
e at 25 to 80 cents per acre now ant
would gladly pay the Kiowas and Co
: manches the same price. for we KNOW
I that II ~ government land that we coult
own In the end.
Let them deny that.
Thank God the day Is coming, ant
I that soon, when the American farmc
: and the American Indian will be al
2 lowed a hearlng--and whether II be Re
! publican papers. the New York Worlt
! or any other that believes In Justice W.
: welcome the agitation that win force
] hearing.
4 The half has not been told.
= ]. S. WORKS,
Manager Texas-Oklahoma Union