Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-09-05
these two hui

Deen allowed 10 take away MS
fencing, and the movable improve
ments from the ground. it is fair to
presume that the benefits which he
has received from the land during
his occupancy will be sufficient to
offset the damage which he might
sustain by leaving without COM
pensation those which were i'm
movable.
Again, here is another man, say,
whose premises are adjoining
those of the former, but who, un-
der our present law, has been COM
PEELED to put up with less num-
ber of acres that he would be en-
titled to under his equal distribu
ton. This small estate could now
be enlarged to its legal dimensions.
by a suitable addition taken from
these surplus two hundred acres.
But, say, here are two citizens
occupying adjoining claims each of
which is less than what the law
allows; and neit1er can be enlarg
ed without encrouching upon the
one or the other. In such cases. 1t
would be reasonable to presume
that the parties are satisfied with
the predicament in which they
have placed themselves, and leave
them so.
The scheme developed just so
far, and no further, it is true,
would leave wide room for sharp
practice among greedy settlers, who
might feel disposed to grab for the
use of a larger piece of land than
their legal portion. In this way,
two settlers, by collusion, might
locate their claims just close
enough to render the space between
them too small for a comfortable
homestead. The other citizens
being in this way crowded out. this
interval would be left to the en-
joyment of the two conspirators.
To preclude this evil practice, all
claims should be required by the
land ordinance to be actually con-
tiguous, or else sufficiently asunder
to admit of an entire claim be-
tween them.
Under this scheme, no man
would be allowed to occupy in his
own right, more than one single
claim; nor should any tract be re-
garded as a private claim, unless
it be actually occupied and utilized
by either the claimant himself, or
some bona fide tenant. Claimants
should be allowed to enlarge their
rightful holdings by renting from
other claimants; and also by using
lands for which there is no claim
ant. In the latter case, the lndi-
vidual thus utilizing the unclaimed
public domain should be required
to pay a reasonable tax to the
credit of the national treasury.
An accurate survey of the lands
according to the United States sys-
tenn would be necessary in order to
facilitate the locating of boundary
lines and the estimating of acres.
The lands when thus surveyed
should be classified into at least
three classes, say, first, second and
third classes, the first to contain
all the most fertile, tlllable lands,
the second, all that might be
deemed to be just half SO fertile
and tiliable as the first, and the
third, all the rest Such classi-
fication of the soil will be needful
in graduating the tax that, in certain
cases, the occupant will be required
to pay into the national treasury.
ALI mineral lands and seats for
water power on the streams should
be deemed to be in the exclusive
occupancy of the nation, and
should be leased for a term of
years to individual lessees, citizens
Of the nation, but in no case in
tracts belonging to the first and
second classes larger than a single
estate.
But the number of rightful cit
Izens in any country is always
ductuating, either increasing or de-
,reasing; in ours at present, (and
it certainly bids fair to be so
Tor long time to come) it is proud
ly increasing. There might pos
sibly come a time, in the course of
years, when the existing appor-
ionment of the soil would cease
% be equal and fair; a new one
night have to be made. 1t would |
De wise and fair, however, to or
lain by law that no such renewal
If the apportionment should ever
De made as long as there was as
much as one single estate belong |
ng to the first ana second classes
If soil unsettled by some bona tide
claimant. But as to this feature
If the scheme, we hope to be able
o speak more fully hereafter; this
Irticle must not be made too long.
In conclusion, for the present,
We would say that, in our opinion
he time has actually come, and is
low upon US, when we, as a peo-
lie, should begin to think serious
y and candidly upon matters per-
aiming to our landed interests.
)ne thing is certain-"the hand
writing is upon the wall"-mon-
poly in land will have to be put
way from our midst; it is only
question as to who will do the
york. We can do it ourselves if
re will. If We do not, the gov
rnment will do it for us. There
ore in an emergency like the pres
mt, let no suggestion, however
its source, provided it be