Kansas City daily journal., 1897-02-11
BECOMING CRITICAL.
SAYS SECRETARY FRANCIS OF CON-
DITIoNs IN INDIAN TERRITORY.
URGES REMEDIAL LEGISLATION.
CREEKS RESPONSIBLE FOR HITCH
IN THE NEGOTIATION.
They Hold Out for Demand That
Every Indian BE Paid $500 as n
Perauisite for Agreement
to an Allotment in
SeyeraIty.
URGES REMEDIAL LEGISLATION.

Washington, Feb. 10.-(Speclal) The
Ckoctaws and Chickasaws are still dicker-
ing over their agreement with the Dawes
commission. but an understanding IS re-
garded as inevitable. 1t is claimed that the
Creeks are responsible for the hitch which
has occurred in the negotiations and Cen
eral Porter. chairman of the Creek COM
mission, is charged with the responsibility
for introducing a series of novel propo-
sitions in connection with the general deal
to settle the Indian question in the terri
tcr,-. the immediate effect of which has
been to stir up opposition TO the proposed
treaties among the ChickaSaws, the Chero-
KEGS and Others The Creeks want the
other nations to hold out for demand
that every Indian be paid $500 as per-
uu:site to an agreement to take their al
lotments and for the Individual mine own
ers and benefciaries from mineral leases
10 surrender their rights for the beneht
of the tribal funds. This would mean
payment Of about SS5,09O000 and the propo-
sition has been sat down upon by the
Dawes commission. But therein is under-
stood TO lie the secret of the hitch which
has occurred in the pending negotiations
and also the incentive for the favorable
action of the senate subcommittee on the
modified Piatt bill which proposes to deal
with the whole question in toto. Mean
while the Creek delegates, Grayton and
Mcintosh, are here for the purpose OF
irving to secure $500 of the Creek fund
for the benefit of the tribe. The Dawes
commission is of the opinion that TINS
money is to be used to fight on treaty ne
gotiations and is advising against the al
iowance of the money until the creeks
ccme to a different state of mind
The Platt bill has been highly lndorseo
in a letter which Secretary Francis ad-
dressed to Senator Pettigrew He takes the
ground that the ownership OF the lands Is
vested in the Indian tribes, condition
recognized, he says, by the government
through acts of congress, decisions OF the
courts. and by many acts of the executive.
He fully concurs in the theory that as the
title to the land is in the Indian :rioes'
it is the duty of the United States govern
ment To see that the rights of the indi-
vidual Indians are protected. Some legls-
Iation along this line should be enacted
during the present session OF congress.
He approves the omission OF all reference
in the bill TO the many questions and con-
troversieS concerning leases hitherto made,
other than that the collection OF tndI-
Yidual royalties is prohibited. Those diff
ferences can be adjusted hereafter. He
suggests the extension of a farm lease and
that the distance between townsites be in
creased to five or ten miles, and urges upon
legislation which will at least be the be-
ginning of remedying the situation now ex-
isting in the Indian Territory. The con-
ditions there are becoming critical, ne
says. land If left alone, will ere long drift
into a state of violence or strife when the
military arm of the government may be
required to restore quiet