Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-12-07

special surveys The act of congress
extending to Alaska the mining laws
OF the United States contained the res
ervatlon that Il should not be constru-
ed to put in force the general land laws
of the country.
"By an act approved March 3, 1871,
authority was given for entry Of lands
for townsite purposes and also for the
purchase Of not exceeding one nun
dred and sixty acres then or thereafter
occupied for purposes of trade and
manufacture. The purpose OF congress
as thus far expressed has been that
only such rights should apply to the
territory as should be specifically
named.
1T will be seen how much remains to
to be done for that vast, remote and
yet promising portion of our country.
Special authority was given to the
president by the act approved July "a,
1897, to divide that territory into two
land districts and to designate the
boundaries ths-eof and to appoint reg
isters and surveyors of said land Of
fees, and the president was also auth
orized to appoint a surveyor general
for the entire district. Pursuant to this
authority a Encouragement and re-
ceiver have been appointed with offices
at Sitka. If in the ensuing year The
conditions justify 1t, the additional land
district authorized by law will be
established with an office at some point
in the Yukon valley.
mo appropriation, however, was
made for this purpose and that is now
neces ssary to be done for the two land
districts into which the territory is to
be divided.
II concur with the secretary of war in
his suggestions as to the necessity for
a military force in the territory of
Alaska for the protection of persons and
property. Already a small force con-
sisting of twenty-five men with two Of
ficers under command of Lieutenant
Colonel Randall of the Bigth infantry
has been sent to st. Michael to estab-
lish a military post AS it is to the in
terest of the government to encourage
the development of the country and its
duty to follow up dts citizens there with
the benefits of logical machinery,
earnestly urge upon congress the estab-
lishmeut of a system of government of
such fiexibility as will enable it to ad-
just itself to the future area of the
greatest population.
"The startling, though possibly ex-
aggerated reports from the Yukon river
country of the probable shortage of food
for the large nuulbe of people who are
wintering there without the means Of
leaving the country are confined in such
measure as to Justify bringing the mat
ter to the attention of congress. Ac-
cess to that country this winter can be
had only by the passes from Dyea and
vicinity, which are most difficult and
perhaps an impossible task. However,
should these reports of the suffering of
our fellow-citlzens be further verified
every effort at any cost should be made
to carry them relief
For number of years 1t has been
apparent that the conditions under
which the five civilized tribes in the
Indian territory. under treaty provis-
ions with the United States, with the
night of self-government and the ex-
clusion of all white persons from with
in their borders, have undergone so
complete a change as to render the con-
tinuance of the system thus inaugu-
rated practically impossible The to-
tai number fthe five civilized tribes,
as shown by the last census, is 45 4S4,
and this number has not materially in
creased, while the white population is
estimated at from 100000 to $50 900,
which, by permission of the Indian gov
ernment, has settled in the territory.
The present area of the Indian terri
tory is 25, ,564 $40 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 consent of the tribal au-
thorities, have made permanent homes
for themselves. Numerous towns have
been built in which from 1,OOO to O0C
white people now reside.
Valuable residence and business
houses have been erected in many OF
them and large business enterprises
are carried on, in which vast sums of
money are employed, yet these people
who have invested their capital dn the
development of the productive re-
sources of the country are without
title to the land they occupy and have
no voice whatever in the government
of 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 sections ars
shut against them, and what education
provision for the protection of the life
or property of these white citizens is
made by the tribal government 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 arlstocracy has been prac-
tiaallU aetahIigha1. IA, tho dattipoant nf
the people. 1t has been found impos-
sible for the United States to keep it's
citizens out of the territory, and the
conditions contained in the treaties
with the nations have for the most
part become impossible of execution,
had 1t been possible for the tribal gov
ernment 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 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 8,
1898. the president was authorized to
appoint three commissioners 10 enter
into negotiations with the Cherokee,
Choctaw, Chickasaw, Muskogee (or
Creel) and Seminole nations, common
ly known as the five civilized tribes in
the Indian territory. Briefly, the pur-
pose of the negotiations was the eX-
of the tribal title TO any
land Within that territory, now held
by any and all such nations or tribes,
either by cession Of the same or some
part thereof to the United States, or
by allotment or by division OF the
same in severalty among the Indians
Of such nations or tribes respectively
as may be entitled to the same. OF by
such other method as may be agreed
upon between the several nations and
tribes aforesaid, or each of them, with
tie 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 necessary
requisite and suitable TO enable the ul-
innate creation of a state or states Of
the Union, which shall embrace lands
within said Indian territory. The COM