The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-11-13
MAY ABOLISH DAWES
COMMISSION.
Report That Chairman Bixby VIII Be
Removed is Denied
tBy Associated Press.l

confirmation can be secured at the
l. e. ior department of the rumors
which have recently beer revived that
Mr.. Tams Bixby acting chairman of
the Dawes commission is to be dis
PLACED. On the contrary, positive
denials are given. It Is suspected
that the reports to this effect are but
q revival of the stories which gained
circulation just before the opening Of
the last national campaign. At that
time dissatisfaction was so general
with the course of affairs in relation
to the vice chairman OF the commits
sion that he rendered his resignation
4 satisfactory adjustment was reach
cd then, and since that time no plan
has been under consideration at the
interior department which had for It's
object the supplanting Of Mr. Bixby
by a st. Louisan or any one else.
The work Of the Dawes commission
as a whole has not bee unsatisfactory
TO the officers of the interior depart
nent Judging from the complaints
which have been made by the leaders
q the Eve civilized tribes # has been
unsatisfactory to the Indians them
selves. Heavy appropriations have
been made each year for the use of
the commission, and It was expected
that the work in hand would have
been disposed of long before this
time There have been dilatory tao
tics employed by the commission
which have resulted in much of the
annoyance and dissatisfaction refer
red to. A movement is now on foot
and seems to gain strength as the
time approaches for congress to as
semble, looking to the procurement of
legislation whic0 win supplant the
commission entirely. Just what will
be the recommendations in this line
can not be ascertained now, as the
secretary of the interior will not dis
cuss it in advance of the publication
of his annual report There is rea-
son to believe however, that instaed
20 fhaving a number of commissioners
with god sala, les, a single, broad
gauged man Of wide experience and
sound judgment be selected to take
charge o fthe work now in the hands
cf the commission.
Some Of the dissatisfaction which
has arisen with the Dawes commits
SION has been due to differences
among the commissioners themselves.
These differences were settled some
time ago by the vigorous action of the
secretary of the interior, Claims
were made by Messrs. Breckenridge
and Needles that the acting chairman,
Mr.. Bixby, repeatedly usurped the au-
tHocity of the commission as whole
and delegated 1t to himself. When
the other members of the commission
than dr. Bixby were held RESPONSE
bic for acts Of the commission, il is
claimed the discovery was made that
the acts complained of were those OF
Mr.. Bixby individually, who signed
papers and made authorization as
chairman without consulting the other
members. When this condition OF
affairs wac brought to the attention
OF the secretary Of the interior some
time ago he took prompt and yigor-
GUS measures. A set of rules and
regulations TO govern the actions of
the commission were drawn up and
approved. They were designed to in
sure division of the responsibility
and were accepted and agreed to by
the parties interested So far as is
k-owl he e, the work of the coml,ais-
sion has progressed with much more
satisfaction and there has been more
or harmony among the members. All
fthis H. an old matter disposed Of
several months ago by the interior de
pratment
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