The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-09
CURTIS TO INDIANS.
Congressman Returns After
Visiting Territory Tribes.

Congressman Charles Curtis returned
this morning from the Indian Territory,
where he has been visiting the five civ
iiized tribes with Senator Quarles of
Missouri and the senate committee
With Senator Quarles Mr.. Curtis at
tended the sessions of the several legis-
latfve bodies being held in the reserva-
ton, and addressed the Indians, urging
the adoption of pending treaties.
The Cherokees rejected the treaty of
the government. They had three prin-
cipal objections. which the visiting con-
gressmen find to b. very fair, and it is
expected they viii be rem edied by leg
islatf0n. One objection is that no share
OF land was to be given in the allot-
ments to children born after the first
of April, 1900. This objection was
agreed to. but by the oversight of a
clerk the date was not changed The
Cherokees also object to the maximum
allotment, which is placed at SO acres.
They nave plenty of land-Over 15f 900
acres-and they want the allotment in
creased to 100 acres. The government
has no desire to be niggardly about ap-
portioning to the Indians the lands that
they already possess, and this Sugges-
ton Will be acceded to also it is most
likely
The visitors find that the opposition
that is hardest to combat and eradicate
comes from the shrewd half bloods.
who already hold large tracts of land,
and of course they do not want to give
them I'D. One man is found in the
10000 acres of land. Under the allot-
ment plan he would receive only so
acres for himself. and for an average
family of children not more than four
or five hundred acres at most At
Eufaula. in the Creek country. a man
was found holding over 5000 acres.
Other wealthy Indians, who own town
sites and receive large sums OF money
from the sale of lots, add their OppO-
sition and stir UP the full bloods. Con-
gresham Curtis found one town with
a single Indian Of large holdings who
has derived a revenue of $4,000 from
them
1T is these two classes Of wealthy
half-bloods that incite the full-bloods to
oppose the ratifying OF the treaties
Now when a lot is sold they get the
n Oney for it themselves, said he
Under the treaty. when that is adopted
and goes into effect, the money that is
received for the sales of such land
would go into the tribal treasury
Mr. Curtis looks for the Snake band
of Creeks to lose all chances of sharing
the land that is to be allotted They in
sist on keeping up their tribal life
They live isolated in the woods and
hills They are violently opposed to be-
ing civilized and viii not pay any at
tentiOn to the question before them
There are 800 in the tribe. They re-
fuse to register and if they do not
come up and record themselves they
viii lose all right to participate in the
allotment.
Last Tuesday night they We're holding
a fire dance. Mr.. Curtis and $780,
Quarles drove over to their IEhce of
holding council and We're listened to in
making their brief addresses before the
dances were started at midnight He
told them that the mere act of reg
istering would not lose to them their
rights: that they need not take up their
allotments at once, but that later they
would be situated SO that they might
take advantage Of the opportunities
given them by the treaty They were
in pressed by the speakers. and Mr..
Curtis was gratified TO hear this morn
ing that some of them have gone and
registered at Eufaula-
Congressman Curtis was the guest of
Senator Quarles on this visit to the IN
dams. The senate committee will make
on official visit to all the Indian tribes
in the United States next September,
and Mr. Curtis has accepted an invita-
ton from Senator Quarles to again be
a member of the party