The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-11
COAL MEN OBJECT.
Opposed to the Terms of the Dawes
ChOctaw Agreement.


WASHINGTON,J Jan. 1O.-A joint con-
ference of the Dawes Indian commits
sion and the ChoctaW Indian delegation
respecting the Choctaw agreement, was
held in the office of Secretary Francis
yesterday Commissioner Of Indian
Affairs Browning, was present. The
Ses sion was devoted to a discussion of
the leading provisions of the agree
ment, preliminary to it's approval by
Secretary Francis and its submission
to the president. The action that con-
greSS may take when the document is
submitted for ratification, is causing
considerable uneasiness, and was talk
ed over at length.
The agreement provides for the allot-
ment of all the Choctaw and Chicka-
saw lands Except to freedmen proVid-
ed for in an 1856 treaty.; the keeping of
title to all mineral lands in the United
States in trust for the tribes; makes
the allotted lands unalienable and I'M
taxable for rs years, and gives full
citizenship rights to the two tribes on
the termination of tribal government
which is fixed to end six years from
March 4, next. So far the Chickasaws
the agreement, and 1T may be necessary
to enforce only for the benefit Of the
ChOctawS interests, pending further
legislation.
The principal opposition that has de-
veloped thus far is that Of the holders
Of leases of coal lands The agreement
provides that those coal mines now in
operation in good faith may be con-
tinued until the lease runs out, but
leases for mines not now in operation
terminate with the ratification of the
agreement. These people have organ
lied in an effort to defeat ratification
and have sent an attorney here to rep
resent their interests. They claim, in
cidentally to represent the interests of
the town site holders, who bought title
from the individual Indians, but in
view of the interests in common must
buy again under agreement.
Much of the time of the conference
was taken up in a hearing given to
Simon Sterne, of New York, attorney
representing the M. K. & T. railroad.
The road, under it's charter, 1t is
claimed, is given alternate sections for
ten miles on each side along it's line,
amounting, it has been figured, to over
a million acres Of valuable land whose
title is to pass to it upon the eXtin-
guishment Of the Indian claim. The
agreement keeps the title in the In
dams.
The road claimed that having con-
struoted and operated it's road it had
performed it's part Of the stipulations
and it's charter, therefore, should not
be violated, and the land should be-
come the property Of the road on the
department, the commission and the
extinguishment Of communal title. The
Indians naturally are against this
proposition. The commission took the
ground that when a contract is made
as to any right or property on which
a legislative body of the government
has power to legislate the contract
is entered into with a view to such
legislation as that body may see fit
to enact.
A memorial was also presented from
the full blood Choctaws in Mississippi
and Louisiana claiming they should be
considered part Of the Choctaw nation
and their rights be considered This
was practically ignored as these people
have steadfastly refused to return to
the Indian territory with the nation.
After a brief discussion Of the work
done by the Dawes commission in that
territory the conference WAS adjourn
ed until Monday morning next
The Usage Indian nation, it is said,
has asked for negotiations with the
commission on the same lines as with
the Five Civilized Tribes. The author
ity for the commission contemplates
only the latter.