The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-07
INDIAN ARIsToCRACY.
INDIAN LEGISLATION.
Laws Needed That Shall Be Equitable
to Both Races.

to Both Races.
By section It of the act of March s. 1898.
the president was authorized to appoint
three commissioners to enter into ne
sOTiatiOns with the Cherokee ChOctaw.
ChickaSaW. 1IuskOgee COR Creakl and
Seminole nations, commonly known as
the five civilized tribes in the Indian
Territory. Briefly. the purposes of the
negotiations We're the aNtinguishment of
the tribal title to any lands within that
territory now held by any AVID all such
nations or tribes. either by cesSiOn of the
same or some part thereof to the United
States. or by allotment or by division of
same in seVeralty among the Indians of
such nations or tribes respectively. as
may be entitled to the same. or by such
other method as may be agreed upon be-
tween the several nations and tribes
aforesaid, or each of them. with the
United States. with a view to such an
adjustment upon the basis of justice and
equity as may with the consent of the
said nations of the Indians so far as may
be necessary. requisite and suitable to
enable the ultimate creation of Il state or
states % the union which shall embrace
the lands within said Indian Territory.
MET OPPOSITION.
The commission met much opposition
from the beginning. The Indians were
very slow to act and those in control
manifested . decided Discrimination to
meet with faVOrite propositions sub
mitted 10 them. A little more than three
agreement with the ChoctaW nation
alone. The Chickasaws have refused to
agree to its terms, and as they have
common interest with the ChOCtaws in
the lands of said nations. the agreement
with the latter nation could not have
been Nth the consent OF the former.
April %. 1891. the commission effected an
agreement with both tribes-the ChOc-
Jaws and ChiCkasdws. This agreement.
it is understood. has been ratified by the
constituted authorities of the respective
tribes or nations or parties thereto. and
only requires ratification by congress to
make it binding.
OTHER TRIBES.
On the 9th of September. 1891. an agree
ment was effected with the Creek nation,
but it is understood that the national
council refused to raufy the same
Negotiations are yet to be had with
the CherOkees. the most pOpulOuS OF the
five civilized tribes. and with the Semi
noles. the smallest in point OF numbers
and territory.
The provision in the Indian aDpropria-
ton act, approved June 10, 1896. makes it
the duty of the commission to investigate
and determine the rights OF applicants 1Or
citizenship IN the five civilized tribes.
The commission is at present engaged
in this work among the tribes and has
made appointments for taking the census
of these people up TO and including the
51th of the present month
LEGISLATION NECESSARY.
Should thu agreement between the
ChOctaws and Chickasaws be ratified by
congress ana should the other tribes fail
TO make an agreement with the commits
sion then il will be necessary that some
legislation shall be had by congress.
which, while just and honorable to the
Indians, sha' be equitable TO the white
people who have settled upon these lands
by invitation Of the tribal nations Hon.
Henry L. Dawes, chairman of the COM
1nittee. in a letter to the secretary of the
interior, under date Of Oct. II, 1891, says:
WHAT DAWES SAID.
individual ownership is in their (the
commissions opinion, absolutely essential
to any permanent Improvement in cond-
tions. and the lack OF it is the root Of
nearly all thu evils which have 50
grievOusly afflicted these people. Allot-
ment by agreement is the only possible
method unless the United States courts
are clothed with the authority to appor-
ton the lands among the citizen Indians
for whose use it was originally granted
concur with the secretary of the
interior that there can be no cure for the
evils engendered by the perversiOn Of
these great trusts. excepting by their
resumption by the government which
created them