Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1897-11-25
MAKE THE INDIANS CITIZENS.
Important Recomme ndations Of Seere'
tary Bliss i'm his Annual Report.
Washington. ID. c.. Nov. Is.

Washington. ID. c.. Nov. Is.
Cornelius n. Bliss, secretary of
the interior, presented his annual
to the president today. 1t
covers the salient features OF the
reports of the various divisions OF
his department and contains much
information and many
wise recommendations.
The rapidity with which the
public domain is disappearing is
shown in striking manner by
the publication of tables giving the
original and present extent of the
lands. The total area
OF the public lands OF the United
States, acquired by cessions from
the original states and Mexico and
by purchase from France, Spain,
Mexico and Russia, contained
l 1856. OH ,692 acres. OF this $685.,
529 900 acres are in Alaska, TO
which the general land laws are
not applicable. Of the remainder,
741, 702, ,365 acres have been ap-
propriated by citizens and 132 AL
TIA have been reserved, leaving
but sol, ,343, ,953 acres now subject
TO settlement. This is mostly
mountain, desert or swamp land,
unfit for civilization under present
conditions. The acreage embraced
in the patents of various classes is
sued during the fiscal year amount
ed to II, ,309, ,S26 acres, a decrease
of over 100000 as compared
with the previous year. The Sec
retary calls attention to a number
of defects in the laws relating to
the public forests, particularly
that relating to the cutting or de-
struction of timber on government
lands, which he says in practically
imperative. As this law is the
principal penal statute upon which
the land department has to rely to
check the waste and destruction of
public timber, its failure to meet
the ends desired is a serious mat
ter, and legislation more in accord
with the needs of the times should
be secured.
The number of names on the
pension roll June 30, 1897, was
$40, OLA, and the amount disbursed
for pensions during the year was
s130, 799, ,242.12 There are about
200, 900 pension claims awaiting
adjudication, says the secretary,
and it is estimated that 40 or so
per cent thereof will be finally ad-
.mitted. If these claims are rapid
ly adjudicated they will swell the
pension roll from s5,000,000 TO
100000. When, however, these
claims are once adjudicated and
first payments made thereon, the
amount of the pension roll will de-
crease very rapidly, possibly to
s125, 100000 or sl35 100000 the
first year.
THE FIVE CIVILIZED TRIBES.
The most Interesting and impor-
tant feature of the secretary's re-
port, to Western readers at least,
Is that part dealing with the work
of the Dawes commission in its me-
gotiations with the five civilized
tribes of the Indian Territory. On
this subject the secretary says:
"The report of the commission
indicates that the investigation Of
the rights of applicants for citizen
ship in the five nations has been
practically completed; that it has
been engaged in the preparation of
rolls of citizenship OF the several
tribes and has negotiated three
agreements; that with the Choc-
taws concluded December Is, 1896,
In which the Chickasaws refused
to concur, was superseded by one
concluded April %, 1897, with
both tribes. The latter was for
warded to congress the Sth day Of
May, 1897, for consideration and
ratification, and has recently been
ratified by the Choctaw and Chick
asaw tribes. An agreement was
also made with the Creeks Septem-
Der 27, 1897, but the ratification
thereof was refused by the Creek
council by an almost unanimous
vote. The commission does not
speak encouraglngly of the pros
pect of any further agreements be-
ing entered into. / he Cherokees
refused to make any agreement
with the commission, and negoIia-
tions with that tribe have, for the
time, been abandoned.
agreements concluded with
such of the five tribes as have con-
sented to negotiate vary so greatly
in their provisions that. IN view OF
the fact that eventually uniform
system of government must be
provided for Indian Territory, it
is questionable whether any OF the
agreements now under considera-
ton should be definitely ratified
by congress until the desired and
necessary uniformity can be Sc
cured. The five tribes have ua-
doubtedly violated In many ways
the spirit of their agreements with
the United States under which the
territory is now held and governed
and while / do not recommend any
action by the government OF the
United States that shall be harsh, 4,
or that shall seem in any way to
break faith with the tribes, | deem
it to be my duty to cal! the atten-
ton of the president and congress
to the chaotic condition of the af-
fairs of the territory growing out
of their methods of administering
the business OF the respective
tribes. Leading Indians have alb
sorbed great tracts OF land to the
exclusion of the common people,
and government by an Indian aris-
tocracy has been practically es-
tablished. to the detriment OF the
people. A large population OF
tba whites estimated at from