The Holly chieftain., 1897-12-10


general for the entire district Pursuant TO
this authority q surveyor general and receiver
have been appointed with Offices a. SitkA- II
in the ensuing year the conditions JustiIJ IT,
the additional land district authorized ny Ia"
will be established. with an ofi,e az some point
in the Yukon valley. No appropriation, now
ever was made for this purpose. and that Is
now necessary TO be done for the two land DIS
tricts into which the territory is TO be divided
I concur with the Sc ;Tetary of war IN ms
suggestions as TO the necessity l0F iniiltaFy
force in the territory OF ALASKA for the protce-
tion Of persons and propsrty Already small
force. consisting OF Is men with two officers,
under command OF Lieut.. Co. Randall, OF the
Eighth infantry. has been sen, to St Mtehaels
to establish 4 military post. At II Is TO the m
terest OF the governmental encourage the de-
velopmeat and settlement OF the country and
its duty TO follow up its eitzsns there With ths
benefits OF legal machinery, earnestly urSe
upon congress the establishment OF System
of government OF such fiexibiity as will enable
It to adjust Itself to the future areas OF great
est population
The startling though possibly exaggerated
reports from the Yukon river country. OF the
possible shortage OF food for the large number
OF people who are wtntering there without the
means OF leaving the country are confirm I'd in
such a measure 10 justify bringing the mat
ter To the attention of congress Access to that
country this winter can be nal only By the
passes from Dyea and vicinity which Is most
difrcult and perhaps an impossible task How
ever, should these reports OF the suffering OF
our fellow citizens be further verified. every
effort at any cost should be made to carry them
relief
The Indian Problem.
For number Of years past it has been ap-
parent that the conditions under which the tiye
civilized tribes were established in the Indian
territory under treaty provisions with the
limited with the rivht of self-COyerl-
IN .nt and the exclusion of all white persons
from within their borders, have undergone sc
complete a change as 70 render the continuance
OF the system thus inaugurated practically i'm
possible The total number OF the five civilized
tribes. as shown by the last census is Al. 49i.
and this number has not materially increased:
while the white population is estimated at
from 10000 to aoo.OJJ. which by permission OF
the Indian government has settled in the
territory. The present area Of the Indian
territory contains =. 69i,5i acres. much of
which is very fertile land The United States
citizens residing In the territory, most OF whom
have gone there by invitation or with the con-
sent OF the tribal authorities, have made per-
manent homes for themselves Numerous
towns have been built in which from 800 to
ZOO white people now reside. Valuable resi-
dences and business houses have been erected
In many OF them. Large business enterprises
are carried or in which vast sums of money are
employed. and yet these people, Who have in
vested their capital in the development of the
productive resources of the country, are with
out title to the land they occupy and have
no voice whatever in the govern
ment either OF the nations or tribes
Thousands of their children who were
born in the territory are OF school age, but the
doors OF the school OF ths nations are shut
against them and what education 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 by an Indian aristocracy has
been practically established, 20 the detriment
OF the people 1t has been found impossible
for the United States 70 keep its citizens out
OF the territory and the executory conditions
contained In treaties with these nations have
for the most part become impossible of execu-
ton Nor has IL been possible for the tribal
governments 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 Indians -as the ara -eirliis,d tribes would
be found in American citizenship with all the
rights and privileges which belong to that con-
dtion
BE- section 10. of the act Of March, 1899. the
president was authorized to appoint three COM
missioners to enter into negotiations with the
Cherokee, Choctnw. Chiclasaw. Muskogee (or
Creek) and Seminole nations. commonly known
rs the five civilized tribes in the Indian terri
tory Briefly. this purposes of the negotiations
were to be: The eStinguishment OF tribal titles
to any lands within the territory now held by
any and all such nations and tribes.
either by cession of the same or
some part thereof to the United
States or by allotment and division of the sam.
in Sayeraltv the Indians n sur n
or tribes respectively as may be entitled to the
same, or by such other method as may be
agreed upon between the several nations and
tribes aforesaid. or each Of them with the
United States. with view to such an adjust
ment upon the basis Of justice and equity ~
may with the consent of the said nations OF
Indians. so far may be necessary. requisi @
and suitable. to enable the ultimate creation OF
q state or states of the union, which shall en-
brace the lands within said Indian territory.
The commission met much opposition from
the beginning. The Indians were very slow to
act and those in control manifested u decided
disinciination to meet with favor the PROPOSE
lions submitted to them. A little more than
three years after this organization the commits
sion effected an agreement with the Choctaw
nation alone The Chickasaws, however re-
fused to agree to Its terms. and as they have n
common interest with the Choctaws in the
lands OF said nations. the agreement with the
latter nation could have no effect without the
consent OF the former On April %, 1897. the
commission effected an agreement with both
tribes-the Choctaws and Chckasaws Thi, !,
agreement, it is understood. has been ratified
by the constituted authorities Of the respective
tribes or nations. parties thereto. and only re-
quires ratlf cation by congress 10 make It bind
Ing.
On the 9th OF September. 1897 m agreement
was effected with the Creek nation, but 1t l..
understood that the national council of said
nation has refused to ratify the same. Nego-
tiations nre yet TO be had with the Cherokees
the most populous of the five civilized tribes
and with the Scminoies the smallest In poin,
Of numbers and territory. The provision In the
Indian appropriation act. approved June 10,
1896. makes 1t the duty Of the commission to
Investigate and determine the rights Of appli-
cants for ctiz z,nship In the i've civilized tribes
The commission is at present engaged In this
work among tribes and has made appointments
for taking the census Of these people up to and
including the goth of the present month
Should the agreement between the Choctaws
and Chickasaws b. ratified by congress and
should the other tribes fail to make an agree
inent with the commission. then II will be me-
cessary that some LEGISLATION shall be had by
congress- which. while Just and honorable TO
the In !ians. shall be equitable to the white
people who have settled upon these lands by in
vitation Of tho tribal nations Hon. Henry L
Dawes. chairman of the commission, in q letter
W tuc secresAry oi inc ihterior, under date OF
October II. 1927, savn: individual ownership
is in their tthe commission's, opinion absolute
ly essential TO any permanent Improvement In
present conditions. and the lack of II IN the
root OF nearly all the evils which SO grievousiy
nffiict these people Allotment BY agreement
is the only possible method. unless the United
States courts are clothed with the authority to
apportion the lands among the citizen Indi.ny
for whose use It WAS originally granted
l concur with the secretary Of the interior
that there can be no cure for the evils enRen-
dered by the pervcr,sion of these great truxts.