The Washington times., 1902-03-13
over FIVE THOUSAND
RED MEN In new YORK
Own Property and Maintain
All Tribal Relations.
Representative Vreclands Speaks in De
fence of His Bill to Distribute
Land in Severalty.

The subcommittee of the House Com
mittee on Indian Affairs yesterday con-
tinued the hearings on Representative
Vreeland's bill to distribute in severalty
to the Indians the lands held by them
in New York State. Mr.. Vreeland made
an exhaustive argument in behalf of his
bill, in which he spoke, in part, as fol-
lows:
1T surprises many people to learn that
there are more than 5000 Indians who are
residents of New York State 1t usually
surprises them still more to learn that
these Indians who have been surrounded
by civilization for nearly century, are
still maintaining their tribal relations,
and owning in common the reservations
on which they live.
That they are not subject to the laws
of the State of New York; that every Of
fence committed by one Indian against
another, from stealing a board to steal
ing a lumber yard must be tried in the
Federal courts and indictments found by
Federal grand juries; that their marriage
and other domestic relations are subject
to their own so-called courts, and that
the disposition of questions concerning
their lands are left to what they call
their Peacemakers Court.
Occupy Much Land.
Nearly 100000 acres of land in the
State of New York are thus occupied in
common and the Indians still maintain
their tribal relations"
The Indians affected by this bill. he
said, were among the most intelligent and
civilized in the United States. Every
Commissioner of Indian Affairs for years
had recommended the allotment of their
land and the breaking up of their tribal
relations.
'sWhat was the opposition to the bill?
It came from well-meaning but mis-
guided people. who were full of sympathy
for the Indians and who lacked informa-
tion as to what ought to be done fo-
them. Some OF them did not favor al
lotment, but seemed to think that the
Indians ought to be kept like herd OF
buffalo, in their natural state. but this
position by those who take up the Indians
as a fad was squarely opposed to the
opinions of those organized societies
which existed for the benefit of the Indi-
ans.
1T was opposed to the opinion of Gov
ernment officials who had charge of the
Indians. 1t was opposed to the great sue
cess which has ATTENDED allotment and
citizenship under the Dawes act for the
past fifteen years.
Allow Whites to Buy.
at was also provided in the bill that
white settlers on the Indian lands should
pay their proper portion of the Ogden
p1a i'm ba i, cF CoI
amanca, the principal village on the res
ervation, s4,Ss0 per acre was to be paid
to the Indians for land which was worth
only $40 or SIS an acre when the white
men took it.
'On an average, the village lots In Sal
amanca, under the provisions of the bill,
would pay about thirty-one times the
value of the lands when the whites took
it from the Indians.
Careful provision had been made
against alienation of these lands. The
Commissioner of Indian Affairs and the
Board of Indian Commissioners were en-
tirely satisfied that the rights of the In
dians were carefully protected by the
BILL
Indians Make Speeches.
Several Indians also spoke in behalf of
the bill. Among them were C. L. White
and Lester Fisher, representing the
Seneca nation. Mr.. White thought the
time had come for radical change in
the Indian policy of this country, in
which the individual should be recognized
instead Of a tribe, and he thought this
applied especially to the New York In
dian.
He thought the dealing with the In
dians as a tribe opened the way for much
fraud. The Vreeland bill. he described
as mighty pulverizing engine TO
break up the tribal mass, but dividing
the lands into individual holdings.
He admitted there were certain mem
bers of every tribe who would never be
able to take care of themselves but he
pointed out that the same was true of the
whites. An Indian, he cOntended, ought
to have more right to say or do in his
own country than the immigrant.