The Topeka state journal., 1901-07-04
LANDS MUST open
Secretary Hitchcock Has Said
the Final Word.
CattIemen Give Up the Fight
and Return to Their Homes.

Washington, July Mr.. Hitchcock,
secretary of the interior, will open the
Kiowa, Comanche and Apache reserva-
tion and Wichita reservation to home
steaders not later than August 6. Ev-
cry phase of the matter has been care
fully canvassed by the secretary, and
he has consulted the legal and expert
assistants of the government andreach-
ed this conclusion. Those who have not
been in Washington and able to follow
step by step the formalities which nave
been complied with in getting the resef-
vations ready for settlement can not
realize the task which the department
has had. Neither is 1t generally known
that unusual pressure has been brought
to bear upon the secretary IN an eIort
to prevent the opening Most OF the
pressure has come from the cattle IN
terests of the southwest Not only had
the cattlemen, whose herds are now on
the reservation. made every possible
effort to have the secretary postpone
the opening. but they have enlisted out
side influence
The secretary believes, and his legal
advisers have told him, that the law
providing for the opening is mandatory
upon him. He would be lax IN ms uusy NY
as the executive head or one OF the
most important departments OF tne
government if he failed to carry out
the provisions of the law. The secretary
regrets the necessity for taking an at
fft1de which is in opposition to the
cattle interests of the southwest. HIS
plain duty under the law has compelled
him to do So
been received by him urging delay IN
the opening was one from Gov savers
of Texas. The secretary gave 1t con
sideratiOn with the kilograms Wnlcn
have been received from senators ana
the representatives of commercial and
other interests. He has been obliged
to insist upon carrying out the law, ana
indicated this in the following teie-
gram. which he addressed to the COVER
nor of Texas:
Hon. Joseph d. Sayers, Governor. Aus
tin, Texas.
Your telegram of this date has been
received. With every desire and inten-
tion to- as far as possible, protect the
eattlernen and their interests, the mag
nitude and Importance of which are tul-
" appreciated, the department mucn
regrets that it can not comply with
your request to extend time for open
ing the Kiowa, Comanche and Apache'
as we'll as the Caddo Indian reserVa-
tfons The law enacted on the 50 Oh
March 1901. gives the secretary no dis
cretion in the matter. 1t was reported
by the conference committee of both
houses Of congress, voted for py the
delegations then present from Texas
and all the states bordering on sara
reservations. The opening OF the lat
ter to settlement in conformity with
said law can not. therefore, be delayed
beyond August 6. tSigned)
E. A. HITCHCOCK, Secretary
The delegation of southwestern cat
t1eTnen which has been in Washington
for two or three days has started for
their homes. Before leaving they were
told by the secretary of the interior
that the Wichita reservation would be
opened to homesteaders at the same
time the Kiowa. Comanche and Apache
reservation is opened. The secretary
gave the four gentlemen in the party
hearing of over one hours duration he
listened while they told him they had
$1,000 head of cattle on the reservation
which were not ready yet for market.
and which would have to be fattened.
They told him that to throw this num-
Der of cattle on the market would
cause a decentralization of prices and
loss to themselves. They claimed they
could not move their cattle without
great loss, and presented other argu-
ments in favor of a postponement for
the opening until October 1.
The secretary assured the cattlemen