The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-07

Zens be further verified every effort at
amy cost should be made to carry them
relief.
The Indian Problem.
m OR a number of years past it has
III been APPARENT that the conditions
lT under which the five civilized tribes
III were established in the Indian Ter
rtory under the treaty provisions
with the United states with the rights of
self-govornmcnt and the exclusion of all
white persons from within their borders
have undergone such a complete change as
to render the continuance Of the system
thus maugurated practically impossible.
The total number Of the five civilized
tribes is shown by the last census as 400,-
lA and the number has not materially
increased; while the white population is
estimated at from 100000 to 10000, which
by permission of the Indians have set
tied in the territory. The present area
of the Indian Territory cntains 25,69i,jG
acres, much of which is very fertile land
The United States citizens in the terri
tory, most of whom have gone there by
invitation or With the consent of the tribal
authorities have made permanent homes
! Tor themselves and numerous towns have
been built in which from 800 to 5000 white
people now reside. Valuable residences
many of them. Large business enter
prises are erected and vast sums Of
money are employed. Thousands of chill
dren who were born In the territory are
Of school age, but the doors OF the schools
are shut against them and what educa-
tion 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 and an
Indian arlstocracy has been practically
established to the detriment of the pco-
pie 1t has been impossible for the stat IS
to keep it's citizens out of the territory,
and the executive conditions contained in
the treaties with those nations have for
the most part become impossible of exc
cution. Nor has ii been possible for the
tribal governments to secure to each in
dividual Indian his fun employment in
common with other Indians Of the common
property of the nations. Friends of the
Indians have long beies ed that the best
interests of the Indians of the fiye civil
lied tribes would be found in American
citizenship with all the rights and priv
ilcges which belong to that condition.
Eruitiess Commission.
y,
1899, the president was authorized to APP
point three commissioners TO enter into
negotiations with TIE Cherokee. Choctaw,
ChtcSaraW, MuSCOgee Cor Creek and SEM
mole nations, commonly known as the
five civilized tribes in the Indian Terri
tory. Briefly the purpose of negotiations
were to be: The eXtinguishnent of trioal
titles to any class in territory now held
by such nations or tribes, either by Ces-
United States, or by allotment ana divis-
ion Of anne in seVeralty among the IN
ion of same I'm seVeralty among the In
as it may be agreed upon by several Ia
tions and tribes aforesaid, or each of them
with the United States with view to
such an adjustment upon the basis OF
justice and equity as may, with the con-
sent Of the said nations Of Indians, so far
as may be necessary, requisite and suit.
able to enable the ultimate creation Of
a state Of the United States Whicn shall
embrace the lands Within said Indian
Territory. The commission met much op-
position from the beginning, The Indians
werevery slow to act, and those in control
manifested a decided Discrimination to
meet with favor the propositions sub
mtted to them. A little more than
three years after this organization the
commission effected an agreement with the
ChoCtaw nation alone. The ChiCkaSaWS,
however, refused to agree to its terms
and as they have a common interest with
the ChOCtaws in the lands of said ma
tOns, the agreement with the latter ma
ton could not so into effect without the
consent of the former. On April %, 1897
the commission effected an agreement
with both tribes-the ChOctaws and
Chickasaws. This agreement. 1t is un-
deS,OCd has been ratified by the consti-
tu' ID authority of the respective tribes
or ationS parties thereto, and only re-
quires ratification 10y congress to make
it binding. On the 25th of September, 1897,
an agreement was effected with the Creek
nation, but the council Of said tribe has
refused the same. Negotiations are yet
to he had with the CherokeCs the most
populous of the civilized tribes.
The provision in the Indian appropfia-
tion act approved Jurc TO- 1896, made it
the duty Of the commission to investi-
gate and determine the rights Of appli-
Cduts for citizenship in the five civilized
tribes and TO make complete citizens rolls
Of the citizens Of said tribes. The COM
mission IS at present engaged in this
work among the Creeks, and has made
appointments for taking those people up
30 and inclUdirg the Goth Of the present
month.
should the agreement between the Choc-
taws and ChiCkasawS be ratified by con-
greSS, ana ShOulQ the Otner tribes lall 10
make an agreCmnt with the commission,
then it will be necessary that some eX-
planation shall be had by congress which,
while Just an honorable TO the Indians,
shall be equitable to the white people
who have settled upon these lands by in
VitatOn of the tribal nations.
Hon. Henry l.. Dawes, chairman of the
commission, in a letter TO the secretary
OF the interior urdcr date OF october
H. 1897, says: individual ownership is
I'm this (the commissioner opinion absO-
lutcly essential TO any permanent i'm
provement in present conditions and the
lack of It is the result of nearly all the
evils which so grievously affect those peo-
pie. AllOtments by agreements Is the
only possible methods unless the United
States courts are clothed with the au-
thority to apportion the lanls 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 engenIered by the
perversion Of these great trusts. except
by their RESUMPTION by the government
which created thCm,
\ 4
Quarantine.
CD HE regent prevalence Of yellow
fever IN n number of cities and
towns throughout the south has