Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1896-03-05
ARKANSAS MEMBER GIVES CON
GRESS SOME POINTS.
An Assault on Monopoly, Corruption
and Inefficiency-An appeal for HUI
man Life-The Armenian Cry at Our
0wO Door.

dition that existed there. which, il
my opinion, demanded the prompt
and speedy attention of congress
As to the bill under considera
iion, its provisions meet my ap.
proval; but | can think of no bet
ter place or time upon the consid
Grafton of this bill to give my ideas
of what should be the course o.
the government toward these peo-
pie. Back more than thirty years
ago the government guaranteed ID
the five civilized tribes by treaty d
government of a repu olican form
to be administered by themselves.
The conditions that surrounded
that country at that time no longer
exist. Then they were an isolated
people. Now the conditions are
entirely changed. Upon the east
is the populous and progressive
state that | have the honor in part
to represent upon this floor; south
and west of 1t is the empire state
of Texas and west and north of ii
are the states of Colorado and OF
Kansas.
in this territory there are Ind
ians to the number of 80, ,055. mem
bers of the respective five tribes, or
five self called sovereignties of
that territory. There also lives in
the territory a colored population
amounting to $4,000; also, there Is
a population of white people, ex-
Guiding that number that are term
ed intruders, approximately more
than 100000 people. These Ind
ian governments. that were intend
ed to be isolated, have been ur-
able to meet the resistless force
and power of the progress of civil
ization. Its walls have been bro
ken down and great railroads have
been built through its territory.
Young cities are springing up all
over that country, without govern
ment and without any protection
for the people.
The government also supplies
that country with postal service,
having. believe, more than 500
postoffices in that territory. There
are 40, 142 square miles embraced
within its domain. There is much
OF it rich and fertile soil and of un-
limited resources in point of min
eral wealth-coal abounds in un-
limited quantities. These lands
originally were given by treaty TO
the tribes. not TO the individual
Indians, but given to the tribes to
be held by them for the use and
benefit of the members of the tribe,
each of them to share and share
alike in its blessings and in its
profits; but, sir, today, when we
look at that country, We witness
different spectacle. AS l had the
honor to announce in my former
speech, and 1 rei;erate it and defy
contradiction, there is one tribe
alone owning 100000 acres,
where 81 of its citizens have in
their possession over 1,250.O00
acres of land that is of right the
common heritage of these people.
The condition exists more or less
in all these tribes. These are
largely whites or in whose veins
white blood predominates, many
of them adopted citizens by mar
riage. They have absorbed the
to the detrirnent Of the
people to whom the United States
guaranteed it in their treaties; and
these same people, when you talk
about changing their form of gov
at once call your atten-
lion to the sacredness of these
treaties.
had not intended to discuss at
ength at this time that branch of
he question, but to call the atten-
ion at this house 10 the fact of the
lbsolute necessity of the strong
Irm of the government being
tretcEed out over that people IN
rider to protect not only property,
,ut human life. In 1892 the sen
tie sent a committee 10 that coun-
ry headed by Hon. HenIy NJ
Teller, a senator from Colorado.
That commission reported the
onditions existing there, and urg-
d the necessity OF congress speed I
ly dealing with the question, not
My for the protection OF human
ife, but for the protection of the
indians in their property rights.
.ater on, in 1898, | think, what is
ommonly known as the Dawes
was organized, consist I
ng of ex- Senator Henry NJ Dawes,
|. S. McKennon, and Major Kidd
hey went TO that country and l
pent a year within its boundaries ;
hey talked to its plain people,
hey talked to the Indians, they
alked to tie colored population,
hey Informed themselves of the
as they existed, and ,
hey reported those conditions to
ongress. They urged that it was
necessary, in order not only to Sc {
ure the rights of these Iudian
'eople, but to protect the lives and !
antilles of the law abiding white
itizens in that territory, that con-
.ress should act promptly
The delegations claiming to rep
esent these tribes made war upon
hat report and denounced it as
alse. They went to the president
f the United States with charges
hat Major Kidd of that commits
ion. was especially prejudiced
gainst the Indians, and asked the ;
ppointment of another. The 1
resident. in response to that ap-
zeal, willing to give them every {
'ossible showing. had Major Kidd
to another department
nd substituted in his stead {
=