Evening star., 1897-03-16
INDIAN RIGHTS IGNORED
Lieutenant Colonel Randlett Addresses
Strong Letter to the Commissioner.
He Points Out the Injustice In the
Proposed Opening of the I'm
cOmpnhgre Reservation.

who is in charge of the Tintah and Ouray
agency at White Rocks, Utah. has address
ed letter to the commissioner of Indian
affairs. requesting the consideration of the
department to the amendment OF the In
dian appropriation bill providing for the
opening of the Uncompansre Indian reser-
walton, which passed Congress March 3
last. and which failed to become a law by
its not receiving the approval of the Fresi-
dent Regarding this amendment Col.
R&ndlett writes as follows:
"As published in the newspapers of the
country. this amendment ignores entirely
the rights and interests of the Indian re-
siding On a reservation which was created
for their exclusive benefit by proclama ton
OF President of the United States, Wh'cn
proclamation. when considered in just rea
soning, appears unquestiOnabiy as intended
to accord and secure TO the tncompangre
ties an abiding place Where they coutd not
he moleSteG or interfered with in their
right of occupancy. and which right OF oc-
pancy should last until the general gov
ernment should carry out and complete the
promises and stipuiations contained In the
treaty of 1850. under provisions of which
they gave up their lands in Colorado and
were removed to Utah.
Il have been stationed among these In
dians ten years the last four years of this
time serving their agent. and from MY
personal knowledge they have all this time
been patiently awaiting the fulfilllnent of
the promises made to them by the govern
ment in the treaty referred to. that they
should he provided with houses and agr-
cultural land for the establishment of
homes, where they might hope to become
supporting and fitted for citizenship
IN civilized communities. Tie amendment
referred to implies that some of these In
dams have been allotted land their
reservation. and that it would be possible
under provisions already made 10 locate
the remainder of the land before the 1St
of January. 1SlS.
Net an Acre Allotted.
When the truth is that not a single In
1iar has been allotted an acre of land on
the Uacompahgre reservation, and that no
provision exists whereby such allotment
could possibly be made between present
time and time set in the amendment for
the general opening of this reservation.
Had the Indian appropriation bill
ferred to become a law. the effect of this
amendment would have been to permit the
Indians residing on the Cncompahgre res
ervatlon to be overrun and completely dis
persed by asphaltlm prospectors and claim
locatofS. and every Semblance OF Justice
and fair dealing on the part of the govern
ment in dealing with their interest would
have been outraged.
Admitting that these Indians have no
vested rights in the lands of their rcserya-
ton. as their former agents have believer
and have taught them to believe they
possessed. l am sure that the Congress of
tht nlted States. if properly Informed in
the premises, will never enact laws for
the purpose of banishing them out of Utah
or for evading strict complian nee with treaty
stipulations made with them
Plea for the Indians
Il therefore. in behalf of these Indians
as their agent. beg that this communica-
tion may be referred for the consideration
o1 the proper committees of the two houses
OF congress, with concentration from
the honorable commissioner of Indian af-
falrs that no law lie enacted for the open-
ing OF the lands of the tncompahgre In
dian reservation for settlement by whites
excepting such portions OF 1t as may be
strictly ciassed mineral, until the Indians
for whose benefit said reservation was set
apart shall have been provided with home
stead remInerationS promised them for
giving up their lands IN Colorado under
treaty 1880 and Until such remunera tions
are made the opening of their reservation
shall be confined to the limits described
by the commissioners appointed under act
approved August II, 1891. mineral land
not required for allotment 20 the Indians
as homesteads.
1T is thought appropriate to add that
of the 2,UnHD acres tesiima ted within
limits of the Gncompahgre reservation only
small parts. here and there. are good graz
ing lands on which the Indians keep their
small bunches of COW stock, sleep and
ponies. and that in all of the scattered
patches of agricultural land there are not
ten thousand acres capable of being
brought under cultivation by irrigation at
d reasonable expense.