The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1897-12-09

ment Of the productive resources Of the
| country, are without title to the land they
occupy and have no voice whatever In the
Their OF Se
In the territory are Of school age, but the
doors Of the schools of the nations are shut
against them and what education they get
for the protection Of the life or property
Of these white citizens Is made by the
| tribal governments and courts.
An Indian AristOcracy.
The secretary of the interior reports that
| of land to the exclusion of the common peo-
racy has been practically established. to
fo9nd possibe for the gifted States
| keep its citizens out of the territory and
| the eSecutory conditions contained IN
most part become impossible of execution.
| Nor has it been possible for the tribal gov,
ernments to secure to each individual
Indian his full enjoyment in common with
other Indians of the common property OF
the nations. Friends Of the Indians have
| long believed that the best interests OF the
be found in American citizenship, with all
the rights and privileges which belong to
| that condition.
The Dawes Commission.
BY section 16 of the act Of March 3, 1898,
| the president was authorized to appoint
three commissioners to enter into negotla-
tons with the Cherokee. Choctaw, Chicka-
saw, Muskogee Cor Creek) and Seminole ma
IN as int FIVE
| ly, the purposes of the negotiations were
| to be: The extinguishment Of tribal titles
any Sy a any a %h all te such aoHs
tribes, either by cession Of the same or
some part thereof to the United States or
severalty among the Indians of such ma
| lions or tribes respectively as may be en-,
titled to the same, or by such other metnou
as may be agreed upon between the sc se "
| eral nations and tribes aforesaid. or eacn
Of them with the United States, with Il
view to such an adjustment upon the PASS ASS
| of Justice and equity as may, with the con-
| sent of the said nations of Indians, SO iar
as may be necessary, be requisite ana SUN :
able to enable the Hltimate e chich sha Fl
embrace the lands within said Indian TEL
| ritory.
The commission met r., much -, Opposition pc 1,Hra
| very slow to act, and those in control mani.
tested a decided disinclination, to meet
with favor the propositions submlttedt q. 10 70
| them. little more than three years atte1
| this organization the commission eHec!eo
alone. The Chickasaws. however, refused ! Is ed
| a common interest with the Choctaws IN
| the lands of said nations, the agreement
with the latter nation Gou nc tb ave no
On April %, 1897. the commission effected
an agreement with both tribes-the Choc-
| taws and Chickasaws. This agreement.
| it is understood. has been ratified by the
| constituted authorities of the respective
tribes or nations parties thereto, and only
requires ratifca ton by congress to make
it binding. On the eth Of September. 1891.
nation. but it is understood that the ma
tional council of said nation has refused
! to ratify the same. Negotiations are yet
| to be had with the Cherokees, the most
populous of the Five Civilized tribes, and
with the Seminoles, the smallest in point
Of numbers and territory.
| I concur with the secretary of the interior
| that there can be no cure for the evils en-
gendered by the perversion of these great
| trusts excepting by their resumption by
| the government which created them