The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-12-03
Report of Dawes Commission
a Fine Piece of Literature.
PASSING OF THE RED MEN
Whose Origin Is Shrouded in
Romance and Mystery.

the report Of the secretary of the interior.
takes precedence above any official docu-
ment issued for years.
The commission speaks Of the Indian SIS
that race whose origin is sh=eude1 in
mystery and romance, and the sun OF
whose destiny is soon to set. leaving 10
evidence Of material or intellectual
growth to mark its passing Many
equally brilliant passages are noticeable.
The commission foresees no speedy end
to its work, asking for appropriations for
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1901.
Its hardest WORK has been in the Creek
nation, where Indian settlement was made
as early as 1897, and where the farms are
in circles, oblong, shoe-string and TRAN
giles and where. on that account. con-
tests are now spirited and tenacious.
The commission expects 10 deliver the
rolls Of citizens to the secretary by June
80 1900.
The commission has recommended the
establishment Of an executive branch
having jurisdiction all over the territory.
1t also renews its recommendation for the
provision of schools for the children of
non-citizens.
The diction OF the commissions conclu-
sion under the sub-heading Government"
is very fine. 1t reads:
1.-THE unknown and unknowable force or
impulse of nature to seek perfection and
effect a cure where ills exist finds a no
table exemplification in the Indian Terri
tory, where approximately 100000 people
live in comparative harmony, peace and
prosperity under a chaotic and intricate
form of government.
1.-The entire landed estate embracing
over 19,0O00O acres Of land, a territory
nearly equal in extent to the state of In
diana is owned in common by a hetero-
geneous mass of humanity-Indians, ne
groes and whites. aggregating about
So 900 souls. An additional 100000 people
make their homes within the territory
without a title TO The land upon which
they live and without a voice in the gov
eminent by which they are controlled.
For the administration of public affairs
no uniform system of government or code
of laws now exists.
Slowly but Dersistently the waves OF
public opinion and sentiment have surged
upon the sand foundations Of the tribal
governments until dissolution is now all
but complete, and with the government of
the United States lies the responsibility
of seeing that the transitory stage from
fragile and impermanent tribal govern
ments to sound footing among the sister,
hood of states of the union be passed in
safety and wisdom.
s"Those who have watched. day by day.
the replacing of primitive, time-worn
wooden bridge by modern steel struc-
ture without suspension of traffic will
readily understand the change which the
Indian Territory is now undergoing
Gradually the old unstable structures OF
Indian governments are giving way to
substantial modern form of government
which shall harmonic and blend in our
national scheme of civil rule. The tenn
porary laws which have been selected to
do service pending the establishment OF
a. territorial or state government are as
variegated as the classes which they gov
ern.
The Choctaw and Chickasaw govern
ments. in a limited way, are continued.
by agreement. to March 4 1906 and GER
tain of their laws are therefore effective
within the territory Of those tribes. A
similar condition exists as to the Semin-
oles with whom an agreement was con-
cluded at the close OF the year 1897.
ITO supply needed laws or place vari-
Gus tribal statutes which had by con-
gress been made imperative. the laws
OF Arkansas pertaining to certain matters
have been extended over the Indian Ter
ritorv. The federal laws have been made
TO apply to still other subjects, and Off
ciaIs under the Interior department are
charged with the enforcement Of rules
and regulations governing still further
matters ana so on.
$50 Ampncated and complex state OF
affairs does this system Of Jurisprudence
present that the people are dazed and Of
ten unable to determine what IS law and
who Is authorized 20 enforce II. Indeed,
none other than an able lawyer can rea-
son7blv hope TO understand the situation.
and even he must be content 10 look upon
certain phases of it as not being suscepu-
bic Of solution.
Conditions are not yet ripe for the i'm
nediate installation OF a territorial or
state government IT'S a contamination
devoutIv 10 be wished but wholly i'm
practicable at this time for various rea-
sons not the least OF which Il found IN
tho fact that there are four non-citfZens
Tho non-citizen does not own foot Of
soil. save as provisions have recently
been made for the segregation and sale
Of town sites and with a voice in lesisis-
ion the non-citlzen would soon legislsfe
the Indian into a state Of inHocu5ns de-
suetude on the other hand. Il would
be rnanifestIy unjust and AZ Il-aecord
with me spirit or our institutions 20 deny
the right OF franchise 70 80 great nun
Der Of people, IN al respects otherwise
entitled 70 enjoy that prercgative.
Another very serious obstacle 20 tte
establishment q a territorial form - CIV
eminent IS the lack u uniform land ter
urez The commission indulges the hope
and belief that .; 10 great distant da'e
zor,e method may Be devised whereby IRE
lands of ali the Eve trsbes may be sub
5scted % a uniform tenure.
1T wIu b seen that the legislative Tea
tu-s = TIRE popular form % government
* not possible A. this time. and whle
legislation by congress fo- az the rettV
needs u the territory Is impractical
IN tna hehes, degree. The more urgent
requirements ~ TIE peos,s rnust se me-
hv this means 20 the present
The tudi-sal a-snca Is xrli represented
~ ire Tu5fe1 States c9Erte- HaFnE
cslrtalles the p9ws-s e the Infiar courts
a federal sad.csturs became A. anee s7s-
psra.fve azs 3u5lelsry ~zs tHus cary
established and ls nsg r. o.zerat isa- ~i'a
er-lnsntIv satisfactory results Eaea
ssseb progress shah ssve been 1att Fl
eTectlnE re change zouzht e - 0roasht
about a. 70 as-na = a territorial farn =
government ne chszEe fra=1 f>sse-ai -
territorial o. state courts uay - easily
aeon 5isAed