The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-02-08
WHY THE TREATY FAILED.

local page OF GnlS issue OF Inc la
zette, it would appear that Represent
alive Mondell of Wyoming is the one
to blame for failure of the house to
pass the senate bill for a treaty with
the Grows by which they are to cede
the northern portion of their reserva-
tion to the public domain. While
MI. Mondell's objection prevented con
sldelation of the measure, the real
cause of the present defeat of the bill
goes back to a time and circumstance
far anterior to the house proceedings
of last Monday. The circumstances
which found elimination III the Mon
dell objection date back to the time
when the Hoyt-McNeely commission
appeared at the Grow agency for the
purpose OF Iopening negotiations with
the indians and the persons really
responsible for the antagonism mani
tested by the Wyoming congressman
are Messrs. McNeely, Hoyt and
Graves, the latter inspector of 1rri.
cation on Indian reservations.
1t was on the representations of that
trio that a treaty was undertaken
which contemplates the payment of a
than has ever been paid for like lands
in the. northwest. 1t should not be
supposed that in making the offer for
the land which the commission ten
dered the motive of the commissioners
was totally devoid of selfish purpose
or by the desire that the Indians
should obtain a greater price than Or
binary for what they had to sell. The
contrary is the case. To make the
matter clearer and easier understood it
is necessary to publish a little history
in connection with the pending
treaty.
When the agitation for opening part
Of the reservation began it found
ready response from the people of
northern Wyoming, who saw in it an
opportunity for benefiting themselves
to the extent Of opening to settlement
a considerable tract of land, which,
although not within the boundaries of
their W state, yet by reason of geo.
graphical position and natural environ
ment would be tributary to them. Ac-
cordingly they sought to have that
territory included in any negotiations
that might be instituted with the In
dams. When the commissioners ar
rived they proceeded along lines of
their own and ignored the claims and
presentations of the Wyoming people.
Instead Of instituting a treaty that
would embrace the northern and
southern portions of the reservation.
the commissioners began treating for
the northern part only and at the in
stigation of the inspector Of irrigation,
Graves, they offered the Indians the
unheard of price Of a dollar an acre.
Mr.. Graves had taken care to rrange
the preliminaries and when the offer
was made had the Indians in a receipt
i've state OF mind, SO that they readily
consented to accept the tender. In
troductory and as a part of his scheme
he had previously Induced them to
agree to the use of the annuity moneys
then already due them, derived from
former cessions of lands, for the pur-
pose of extending the system of irri-
CATION now in operation on the reserva.
ton. To recompense them for the
surrender OF moneys so agreed to he
held out to them the allurement of q
dollar an acre for the land they were
about to sell. To the Indians this
argument appealed strongly, as Mr..
Graves thought and intended il
should. They saw an opportunity tc
have a large portion of their remain.
ing land irrigated and still have large
annunities to draw from. Mr.. Graves
obtained his desire. He was given 6
large amount Of money to exploit hi
pet theories, but apparently the In.
dams are as far as ever from receiv.
ing the promised return. Not only
this, but they find themselves encum.
bered with a system of irrigation ia,
more expensive than it's merits war.
rant and beyond their mean to prose.
cute to a successful completion, as the
expense involved is fully $s5 per acre
Tor all the land under ditch.
E Pr