The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-04-14

fact that they were not citizens Of the
| state and were too poor to immigrate
| without assistance.
| The Dawes commission have been at
work upon enrolment since 1896. They
have construed the laws which have
been passed by congress to empower
them TO ascertain whether or not parties
were upon the rolls under the Indian
! laws existing at the time Of the crea-
| ton of the commission eYt under this
| construction, which rendered it unneces-
sary to go into any judicial questions
| and spend any time in hearings, they
| have not been able to accomplish the en-
! rollment of one of the tribes. with the
possible exception fthe Seminole nation,
| where the work was al ldone in q few
days, there being no disputes or any ques
| tons as to the correctness of the tribal
! rolls They have been charged with the
work of allotment and this work might
| reasonably be expected to take several
years, as the plan of allotment involves
an equal distribution of the property Of
the tribe but with the exception of the
Creek country they have not even opened
a land office where allotments could be
made in any of the nations. The appro-
priation asked for during the next year
amounts to over $4,000. There is no
hope that this work can be done under
six years. 1t will have cost the govern
ment of the Uninted StaGes over $780,,
900, for which there can be no possible re-
turn in revenue. and when this work is
finished new names will not have been
>1a
will not have been adiudicated, nor does
this include thevas amount of loss to
individuals, nor expense of litigation on
that account. Such a condition exists
in no other part Of the United States.
The machinery for suppression of crime
in the Indian Territory is complete. 1t
includes the right of a trial before a
competent judge and jury, but the civil
rights of these people are not protected
in that manner and they have never
been accorded a right Of trial by jury,
nor in many cases can they obtain a trial
before a judge. This condition is I'M
American, and the only remedies offered
are those which shall make it arbitrary.
The people have no representative in con-
gress, not even a delegate. They are I'M
able to present their rights or their
necessities.
1t is alleged that there are 1000 to 1850
more Indians in Mississippi than were
identified by the Dawes commission.
This commission went to- Mississippi and
spent three weeks there in 1898, making
a list Of the Indians, but making this
list with no apparent purpose. If none
of the resident Indians are to obtain any
lands. and the suit could be brought
under which those in Mississippi could
obtain rights, these rights would be very
valuable as the average allotment of
land is about 50 acres of land per capita.
The resident Indians, those who want to
do something for themselves, will be-
come wanderers. The Mississippi In
dams can sell their rights to the people
who are interested for small sums and
the promoters of the legislation can ac-
quire independent fortunes. If the In
dian was to go to the territory and live |
upon his land there would be no induce |
ment for attorneys to attempt. to take |
his case. but the nonresident will neces-
sarily sell it, or rent it in large tracts |
and his business will necessarily be in
the hands of the parties who have by his |
solicitation obtained these valuable |
rights for him. 1t should be remember
ed that the Indian rolls have never been
accurately kept and are at best a poor
guide. In the Choctaw nation no an
nuities have been paid for years, and
there was no Involvement for the poor
man to attempt to be enrolled, and his
rights would not be disturbed in any
event. It must be remembered that most
Indians object to being counted and the
government has always had trouble in
making a list of any Indian tribe. Off
in the hills. away from civilization, I'M
able to speak the English language
these people have been living a life which
they prefer, and the government as their
guardian is now placing them in a po-
sition where it becomes their oppressor.
1t is a subject for careful consideration
by the officers and the legislators. Those
who have been seeking legislation on be-
half of the Indians have been asking that
he secretary of the interior or some
be given the right to add
% the rolls of these people in the Choc-
aw and Chickasaw nations and all those
n the Cherokee and Creek country who
nave proven and are able to prove that
hey are Indians and residents of the
Irrespective of the fact that
hey were or were not upon the Indian
oil. This is simply justice and the lobby
by the United States, which
Includes the governors or chiefs and their
attorneys, have assailed the honesty of
heir intentions and offered the remedies
mentioned for the apparent purpose Of
o be fair, the rest being a confscaion
# property created by one class ot citi-
ems, and reverting TO another class.