Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-01-21


The latest news from Washing
ton indicates that the Dawes COM
mission and its work is neither
dead nor sleeping. II there is a
body Of men around the capital
That never sleeps, snd.that is pres
sing its work in season and cut Of
season ii is this same commission.
The government probably never
sent out a commission during all
its history that was more jealous
in the work assigned it, or more
conscientious in its performance.
Three years ago they came to the
territory; since that time they
haye been seeing, and about the
next move will be to conquer the
great barriers that were believed TO
be unsurmountable in the Begin
ming of their mission. When the
Dawes commission began its work,
il neither had the ear nor the con-
fidence of the government at Wash
ington, and the five tribes were
about as hostile toward il as were
the Sioux toward General Custer
in the famous Crook campaign in
the Black Hills twenty years ago.
The Dawes commission was be-
tween two fires during the first
year Of its work. Suspicioned by
its own government, vilhfed
and maligned by all the Indian
delegations, given the lie, accom-
panied by all the most approved
and modern, if not elegant, en-
bellishments, by the leaders Of the
Indian nations, all this coupled
with the grave and difficult char
acter of the work before it, made
life more or less a burden, and
their task q thankless one in the
extreme. Indeed, such clamor
was raised against the individual
members of the commission that
congress in order to pacify the In
dian, retired one member of the
original commission, major Kidd
and recognized it with the hope
Of modifying the Indians and in
duclbg them to come to terms.
The result Of all this is known to
all; Instead of agreeing with the
Dawes commission, the tribes
sgain reinforced themselves and
entered the fight with an ardor
seldom equalled, and entrenched
themselves behind a lobby in
Washington that was nothing il
not powerful.
But the Dawes commission has
moved steadily upon the works
until now the leaders of all the
FIVE tribes have begun to see the
handwriting on the wall, and In.
dian autonomy isreeling and trem-
bling preparatory to the final COL
lapse.
Today the Dawes commission is
in Washington hammering away
with dogged and determined per.
sistence at the task assigned it.
There has been a revolution in
sentiment in its favor both in the
Indian Territory and at Washing.
ton The commission now has
the ear Of the president, the inter
ior department and of congress,
and II may truthfully be said that
it ALEC has the confidence of the
common Indian Of all the five
tribes.
The work is well in hand and
progressing, A definite policy
has been mapped out, which has
the approval Of the president and
Of those leaders in the senate and
house that make its adoption
practically sure. The proposition
is 10 act during the incumbsncy Of
President Cleveland aud Secretary
Francis. Allotment Of land, re-
serving the townsites and mineral
lands sor future adjudication.
School and church franchises will
be rsadjustcd and in measure
protected, the tribal courts will be
llmitod BY allowing the right Of
ANIMAL from their decisions 10 the