The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1898-02-05
INDIAN TERRITORY.
!. AVS EOS THs FuTuRE.
-, rryIar to Break mp the Trial
"a sr.nrsment-Great vsIus Of ths In
mans Land.


rha two committees on Indian af-
- ere working together IN the prem
- ton of a bill to carry out the rec
esmendations OF Secretary Bliss with
oo.-sr5 TO new form OF government IN
- indian territory. They are unan-
..,o,e in the opinion that prompt and
..SIcaI action should be taken to dis
I've the tribes, abolish the existing
..bsI governments and place the in.
s,bitants of the several reservations
-n0D the same footing as the citizens
y ofher territories, with equal rights.
.srileges and protection. The chiefs
nj other leading men VIII, Of course.
-.Sist any attempt to deprive them Of
,Seir present autocratic power and rev.
s1pes, and VIII appeal to treaties that
,rpre made years ago, but the officials
n tbe Indian Bureau declare that those
RATES have been trampled upon so
,ong and defiantly by the natives that
N their rights were forfeited years
SGD
The first step to be taken will be the
arronization and admission of Indian
tsrritory into the United States, the ap-
nolutment Of a governor, a secretary.
;udgeS and other officials that compose
:he ordinary territorial organization.
Tben a census Of the territory will be
AIKEN and an election ordered for q leg
stature to frame a code of laws.
When the new order of things Is per
mauentIy established 1t will be neces-
Ssry for the government to allot the
reservation in seyeralry among the
members of the five tribes and take
measures for the protection of the
white population and other settlers
who have no legal claims upon the
tribes. Persons who occupy farms and
other property upon which improve
ments have been made at their ex-
pense will probably be allowed to pur-
chase them at an appraised valuation.
The proceeds being turned into a fund
for the benefit OF the Indians. Squat
ter's rights VIII be recognized and pro-
tec.ed as far as they do not interfere
with the public welfare. Leases that
hare been made by officials or individ-
nails viii be recognized as public prop
prty, and the rentals will be adjusted
uDeH an appraiSement of their values.
II It shall be found that any person is
having the use of lands for which he
does not pay an adequate compensation
that lease viii be Cancelled, but the
holder may have the option Of renew
ing the same upon other terms that
viii be to the best advantage Of the
tribes.
A large portion Of the Indian lands
is now occupied as ranches by white
people or members of the tribes, but the
revenues are enjoyed by few indi-
Tidual Indians and not by the Indians
as a community Ii Is proposed, there
fore, TO abolish these monopolies and
require all rentals shall be paid into
the public treasury under regulations
to be prescribed by the secretary Of the
interior. This proposition viii be met
with vigorous resistance, because ii
viii deprive a small number Of the
leaders of each tribe of lucrative in
comes to which they have no just
Claims.
The allotment Of lands in seyeralty
will be a difficult problem, because
nearly all the valuable tracts are now
occupied, and the members Of the COM
mittee are not yet clear as to the meas
ures they should take in that direction.
They are holding daily consultations
with ex-senator Dawes and General
Armstrong, of the Dawes commission,
and will be largely guided by their rec
concentrations. The members OF the
committee are anxious to secure the
rights of the individual members Of the
tribe, who have hitherto been living
in a state of semi-servitude, entirely
ignorant of their own claims and too
feeble to enforce them IL they had any
comprehension of what they were.
II the lands in Indian territory could
be sold at anything like their actual
value and the proceeds distributed pro
rata ameng the members of the fye
tribes they would form one Of the rich
est communities on earth, but the
great majority OF the naSives have no
perception of their own wealth and are
NOT competent TO project themselves II
they should be intrusted with the care
Of their own property. Proper provis-
ion will be made In the bin for their
protection. L. is the intention 10 pro