Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-07

an 81 K6neTQI ma H.
, va tue country. BY act aDprovea NJ aaws
fo . au.nority was given for entry or - en- !"
~. ownsite purposes andAlso for ~ "a IN ~
s . OF not exceeding 100 acres I'LL p"r-
.ne.eafter occupied for the nmrnn. ..
e ue ana manufacture The purnosa ~
tSn eless as thus far expressed has hoo,
terr;ton,s suCh rights should apply to thar
r. ~; as should be specifically named.
VIII oe seen how much remains r. h.
oons Tor that vast and remote and ~. ~
promising portion Of our country, sne.
ciai authority was given 10 the nre.,.,...
, vy 'he act OF congress approved .Juis, "a
S L., 10 oivioe that territory into two Ia NJ,
thc ana 10 designate the boundaries
.,ae elor ana TO appoint registers and sur.
veyors of said land offices. and tho ,r sui
uent was also authorized to appoint n s,,r
veyor general for the entire district p,,r-
swami 10 thls authority. surveyor geneva,
Gnu recelver nave been appointed with 81.
noes at Sitka. If in the ensuing ,,a,n -. ~
coIoitions Justify it. the additional lava
u'S'rlct authorized by law will! be estah.
1 ,,si'eu WIN an Office at some point in the
was made for this purpose a nd that ~, ,'s..
necessary to be done for the two land J;s'
tricts INTO which the territory is 70 he al
vided 10 =" NC Ill
concur win the secretary of war in his
Suggestions as to the necessity for !, mill
tary force in the territory of Alaska for tho
nIo,ectioh OF persons and property. AL
SauS d small force consisting of % men.
-. wv onicers, under command of
lieutenant Colonel Randall of the Eishth
infantry. has been sent to St Nichaa1s -,
estaoiish military post. As it is To The
INTEREST OF the government to encourau.
e"e ueNeiopment and settlement of the
country and its duty to follow I'M its citi
zens there with the benefits of legal mir.
tstry' earnestly urge upon congress the
es,aoiishment of a system of government
WIN such fexibility as will enable it to
adjust itself to the future areas Of ereot'
est population. -
me startling. though possibly exarrer.
Ateu' reports from the Yukon river coun-
ny ol the probable shortage Of food for
.ie large NUMBER of people who are win
tering there without the means of leav-
ing the country are confirmed in such
measure as to justify bringing the natter
~ the attention of congress. Access to
tnat country in winter can be had onlv NV
the passes from Dyea and vicinity. which
Is most difficult and perhaps an limos.
sloie TASK. However should these reports
oi the suffering of our fellow citizens be
Iurtner verified, every effort, at any cost,
should be made to carry them relief.
RELATIONS TO THE INDIANS.
TOT number of years past it has been
apparent the conditions under which the
fve civilized tribes were established in
the Indian territory under treaty proyi-
siohs win the United States, with the right
OF self government and the exclusion of all
white persons from within their borders
nave undergone SO complete change rs to
render the continuance of the system thus
lhaugurated practically impossible The
lotai NUMBER OF the five civilized tribes as
SHOWN by the last census is 45. 494, and this
NUMBER has not materially increased:
while the white population is estimated at
from 100000 to 25O0Oo, which, by permission
OF the Indian government has settled in the
territory. The present area of the Indian
territory contains 1864. 564 acres much of
which is very fertile land. The United
states citizens residing in the territory,
most of whom have gone there by invita-
ton or with the consent of the tribal an.
tnorlties, nave made permanent homes for
themselves. Numerous towns have been
built in which from 500 to 5000 white peo-
pie now reside. Valuable residences and
business houses have been erectedin many
OF them. Large business ENTERPRISES are
carried on in which vast sums of money are
employed. and yet these people who have
Invested their capital in the DEVELOPMENT
OF the productive resources of the country
are without title to the land they occupy
esiAN Aic ( ho NOlSC Whatever III the govern
ment. either or the nations or tribes.
thousands of their children who were
born 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 is by private contribution No
provision for the protection of the life or
properly 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 aris-
tocracy has been practically established
to the detriment of the people. 1t has been
impossible for the states to keep its citi-
Zens out of the territory. and the eXecu-
tory conditions contained in the treaties
with these nations have for the most part
become impossible of execution. Nor has
it been possible for the tribal governments
to secure to each individual Indian his full
enjoyment in common with other In
dams of the common property of the na-
items. Friends of the Indians have long
believed that the best interests of the In
dams of the five civilized tribes would be
found in American citizenship, with all the
rights and privileges which belong to that
condition.
By section 16 of the act of March 3, 1893,
the president was authorized. to appoint
three commissioners to enter into nego-
tiatfofiss wife the Cherokee; Choctaw,
Chickasaw, Muscogeeg Tor Creek and
Seminole nations, commonly known as the
five civilized tribes in the Indian territory
Briefly, the purpose of negotiations were
to be: the extinguishment of tribal titles
to any lands within that territory now held
by and and all such nations or tribes, either
by cession of the same or some part there
of to the United States or by allotment
and division of the same in severalty
among the Indians of such nations 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 a view to such an
adjustment upon the basis of justice and
equity as may, with the consent of the said
nations of Indians so far as may be neces-
sary, be requisite and suitable to enable
the ultimate creation of state or states
Of the union which shall embrace 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 manifest
cd a decided disinclination to meet with
favor the propositions submitted to Them
A little more than three years after this
organization the commission effected an
agreement with the Choctaw nation alone
The Chickasaws. however, refused to
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