The Mena weekly star., 1897-12-08
lna lerrltnrS ef .lasKa.

tbs lavgs relatin, to the territory. Tho great influx of population during the past summer and fall and the prospect of still larger inllnl- grafton in ,he spring will not permit us 70 longer neglect the extension of CIVIL authority within the territory or postpone the eStaolish- ment of a more thorough govafnment
 A general svstsm of public surveys has not vel been extended to Alaska and all entries thus far made in that district are uron special surveys The act cf congress eNten0ing lo Alaska the mining laws of the unlted 7tates contained the reservation that 1t should not be construed to put in force the general lana laws of the country. By act approved March ;, lesl authority was given for entry of land Tor town site purposes and also for the purchase or not exceeding l69 acres then or thereafter occupied for purposes of trade md manufacture The purpose of congress as thus far expressed has been that only such rights should apply to the territory as should be specifically named.
 It will be seen how much remains to be done for that vast and remote and yet promising portion of our country Special authority was given to the president by the act of congress approved July 24 ls97 70 divide that territory | into two land districts and to designate the boundaries thereof and to appoint registers and surveyors of said land offices and the pres l ident was also authorized to appoint surveyor | general for the entire district Pursuant to this authority, a surveyor general and receiver l have been appointed with offices at Sltka II | in the ensuing year the conditions JuStlfy 1t, the additional land district authorized by law will be established, with an office at some point in the Yukon valley No appropriation. how ever, was made for this purpose, and that IS | now necessary to be done for the two land dis trlcts into which the territory is to be divided. concur with the secretary of war in his suggestions as to the necessity for military force in the territory of Alaska for the protec- tion of persons and property. Already small force consisting of 9 men with two officers. under command of Lieut. Col Randall, of the l Eighth infantry. has been sent to St Michaels to establish military post. At 1t is to the in- | terest of the government to encourage the de- velopment and settlement of the country and it's duty to follow up its citizens there with the benefits of legal machinery, I earnestly urge upon congress the establishment of a system of government of such hexibility as will enable 1t to adjust itself to the future areas of great est population
 The startling, though possibly exaggerated reports from the Yukon river country, of the possible shortage of food for the large number of people who are wintering there without the means of leaving the country are confirmed in | such q measure as to justify bringing the mat l ter to the attention of congress Access to that country this winter can be had only by the passes from Dyea and vicinity which is moss difficult and perhaps an impossible task. How | ever, should these reports of the suffering of our fellow-citizens be further verified. every effort at any cost should be made to carry them relief.
 For number of years past it has been ap- parent that the conditions under which the five civilized tribes were established in the Indian
 territory under treaty provisions with the
 United States, with the right of self-govern- | ment and the exclusion of all white persons from within their borders, have undergone so ! complete change as to render the continuance | of the system thus inaugurated practically im-
 If
 tribes, as shown by the last census IS 45. .s94
 and this number has not materially increased;
 while the white population is estimated at
 from 200. 900 to 25O,0J9 which by permission of
 the Indian government has settled in the l territory. The present area Of tue Indian territory contains 25. 5.69i,55i acres. much Of | which is very fertile land The United States citizens residing in the territory. most of whom | have gone there by invitation or with the con sent of the tribal authorities have made per- ! manent homes for themselves Numerous towns have been built in which from 500 to 5000 white people now reside Valuable resi- dences and business houses have been erected in many of them. Large business enterprises l are carried on in which vast sums of money are employed, and yet these people, xao have in- vested their capital in the development of the productive resources Of the country are with out title to the land they occupy and have no voice whatever ia the govern ment either of the nations or tribes | Thousands Of their children who were born in the territory are of school age, but the doors of the school of the nations are shut 1 against them and what education they get is by private contribution No provision for the protection of the life or property of these white | citizens is made by the tribal governments and courts The secretary of the interior reports | that leading Indians have absorbed great tracts of land to the exclusion of the common people and government by an Indian aristocracy has | been practically estaDHShed, to the detriment 1 of the people. It ahas been found impossible for the United States to keep its citizens out Of the territory and the exeeu oFy conditions contained in treaties with these nations have for the most part become impossible of execu- ton. Nor has it been possible for the tribal l governments to secure to eaah individual Indian his full enjoyment in common with other Indians of the common property of the nations Friends of the Indians the Indians of the five civilized tribes would be found in American citizenship. with ali the rights and privileges which belong to that con- 1ition
 By section 16 of the act of March, fs93 the president was authorized to appoint three con- missioners to enter into negotiations with the ] Cherokee Choctaw. Chickasaw Muskopee for Creel) and Seminole nations, commonly known as the five civilized tribes in the Indian terri tory. Briefly. the purposes of the negotiations | were to be: The extinguishment of tribal titles l to any lands within the territory now held ly any and all such nations and trihes. either by cession of the same sr | some part thereof to the JJnited States or by allotment and division of the same in severalty among the Indians of such nation or tribes respectively as may be entitled to tho same. or by such other method as may be agreed upon between the several nations and tribes aforesaid. or each of them with the