Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1895-02-21
THE INDIAN PROBLEM,
Continued from Page One.

extent. As a rule, however, the
full-bloods, and most of the mixed
bloods are practically shut out
from the occupancy Of the land.
The trust created by the convey
ances from the United States to
the Indians, under which the lands
were to be held in common for the
equal benefit of the members of the
tribe is thus utterly dsregarded.
To cultivate these immense hold
ings, tenants are required. The
land monopolist, therefore, rents
bis holdings in sections to white
farmers, or in the "nations" where
renting is forbidden by law, re-
sorts to the fiction of employing
white laborers, and the Indian
councils or legislatures issue per-
mits for the white laborers who
thus occupy the land held by the
white or half breed Indian land
lords. Over the farming area of
the country there are settlements
of white farmers occupying, with
the permission of the Indian land
monopolist, and paying rent to
them either in money or in kind.
The whole agricultural land has
thus been settled up as really and
as truly as in Oklahoma. This
involves the necessity OF towns,
trades, professions, and the bus
mess methods Of white civilization.
Buildings for trade and residence
are erected upon lots, the use of
which is conveyed to the white
occupant by the Indian land hold
er, and this kind of occupancy is
rapidly increasing.
Probably nowhere else in the
world since the time of the feudal
barons has there been such con-
dition of society demanding refor-
nation equal to that now demand
ed in the Indian Territory. As
might be expected, the Indian cit
izen land.holders control the In
dian governments absolutely, and
no law can be passed in Indian
legislatures interfering with their
greeds, and any law which they
desire enacted for their benefit is
secured either by appeals Of pre-.
judice, by threats, or by open bri-
berry. The land-holder has thus
, acquired his holding without cost
I to himself, and is as secure in its
possession under the present re-
gime as if he had a patent from
e the United States.
The full-Dloo Indian as a rule
F., is poor, shiftless and ignorant,
e without ambition and without
r opportunity. He cannot acquire
l any land beyond miserable
= holding of an acre or two in the
: mountainous country. The OPP
d portunities for further develop.
b, ment and civilization are absolutely
: denied him, while his patrimony
is absorbed by the rapacious white
j Indian or lfbreed. In every
particular the progress of the full
J., blood Indian has been arrested
He is not advancing, he is retro
t grading.
Modern observation and thought
have reached the conclusion tha
allotment of land in severalty anC
d citizenship are the indispensable
conditions of Indian progress
Neither one is possible while the
D present Indian governments con.
< tinue. The share VI the common
Indian has been as truly stolen
s from him as if he had been driver
s off the land by white men. There
t will never be a division and allot
g ment until congress shall take the
e matter in hand and compel it; anC
e the longer this is delayed the
Z greater is the probability that jus
J. tice will never be done the Indian
G When the Dawes commission
i went to the territory to negotiat,
It for allotment it is believed that {
majority of the members of tn,
different tribes desired it, but they
/, were soon gwen to understand
/. that it would not be safe to adYo
e cate it openly. When a delegation
!, which came in fear and trembling
Y to say TO the commission that They
hoped the land would be allotted
was asked to sign a petition to tina
d effect, the reply was: "We can
d do that, it lightens behind tn,
trees at night"
g The tact is, these so-called In
dian governments are failures
They are controlled absolutely by
the few Indians who have acquir
J. ed the lands in the manner de
}. soribed. They are not Indian re
publics; they are white oligarchies
}. The purchase Of legislatures, o
courts and juries, and of the entir,
}. civil and criminal administration
is open and unblushing, and vir
tually undenied. The Indian gov
}. ernment no longer protects life
}. liberty and property. There il
good authority for saying that dur
ing the past year there hav'
}. been over two hundred ant
fifty murders committed in the In
dian Territory by and among In
!, dians, who, including negro cit
izens, do not exceed $1,000; ye
not a half dozen murderers hav
been punished; and in a great ma
jority Of the cases proceedings hav,
never been instituted In an In
dian newspaper just received
among the news items is this al
lusion to the situation showing, a
perhaps nothing else can. hoV
cheap human life is REGARDED
}. among the Indians. The item
}. reads: There is altogether to-
much killing in the nation"
IL is TO be observed that In,