The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-05-28
main, subject as such to the general

main, subject as such Is the general.
land laws. !. & s.
~ pom pom the l'E act Of January 18th, 1889
/ 70 Stat 642) he says: ssThat act re-
qulres an examination Of the ceded
Chippewa lands to determine which.
are agricultural and which timber
lands Ian But Mr.. Conway omits to
state that the Mile Laos reservation
was not Of the lands subject to the act
OF January a, 1889; the provisions Of
that act, by its very terms, apply only
TO lands acq uired by cession asaeder that
oc co.. Not a word or sentence can be
found "a IN the act applying it to lands,
the title to which was therefore in the
United States; it only applied to s'res-
|servatlons;;" the Mile Laos reserva-
lion mere considered, ceased to exist
IN 1865 svenaty-sir gears prior to the act
| Of january II, 1889. If the act of Jan
uary a, 1889, applies to lands which
| have been coded twenty years, why
Ishould it not apply to all lands ceded
by the Chippewas to the United States?
More than one-half the entire area of
the State OF Minnesota is subject to
the act OF January IA, 1889, if Mr.. Con
ways assumption is justified
Mr.. Conway again inadvertently
omlts to tell the committee that as
late as 1891 the Interior department
recognized the right of the whites to
this land, and evidenced that right bv
receiving final proof, final payment,
and issuing the patents of the United
States. III
For more than twenty-five of the
thirty-three years, since the treaty of
1868, the government of the United
States has recognized and treated this
land as part OF. the public domain SUBJ
Ject to the settlement laws. Less than
one hundred and fifty Indians of all
ages and sexes, belonging to the Mile
Laos reservation still remain in the
neighborhood Of Mile Laos lake; but
one OF these claim the right of possess
sion adversely to any settler; and the
entire opposition to a recognition of
the rights of the settlers is we'll known
to arise and be developed from a few
interested 'ssquaw menu .....
The government has made ample,
yea, liberal provision for these Indians
upon lands set apart for their use
and occupancy upon the White Earth
reservation, and except for their s'politi-
cal utility they would have long since
been there established. Why the
Hon. Senate Committee should seek
the opinion of department clerk for
its rule of action surpasses a layman's
comprehension; no member of that
committee but is every way better
qualified to form an opinion of what
the law is and what is just. Why Mr..
Conway should have withheld from the
committee the important facts which
are of record in the Interior depart
ment, and some of which are herein
before referred, remains unexplained
If upon the specious pleading of an
expert, six hundred white persons are
to be. expelled from their homes
homes to which they were invited by
our government-home built in a
wilderness-with churches, school
houses, highways, bridges and mills,
with established municipal govern
ment, that less than one hundred and
fifty Indians may enter upon and pos
sess the territory so depopulated, then,
you will agree with me, it is high
time for reform 900
| know it is futile to dwell upon this
] matter; that all has been much better
presented by yourself; but as one
familiar for more than forty years, not
only with the Mile Laos band of In
dams, but with all the treaties with
the United States and the Chippewas I
cannot well keep silence. a-~
am sure you will pardon my pro-
lixity, but if you can suggest anything
which can say or do to promote that
simple justice to which worthy but
impecunious number of our fellow citi-
zens is entitled I will earnestly en-
brace it even to keeping silence.
Again thanking you for active inter-
est and assistance, I remain,
Very truly yours,
OSCAR TAYLOR.
a grand Fourth Of July celebration
will be given at Heinm1ller's grove,
Mile Laos lake. There will be the