The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-30

and also advised them to appoint Mr.. Van
voorhis their counsel TO conduct their case
| for them.
The Council resolved to institute an action
| To compel the Ogden Land Company u
defend It's claim. to justify its asserte
| rights before the corri, and TO show cas- eau
why the Senecas should pay 10 IL the 500
| 600 as set forth In the vreeland bill; Pres
| lent Hoag went 10 Rochester with MT
| Converse and on behalf Of the Seneca \ l.
ton retained Mr.. Van vcorlis to bring the
suit. the Council having voted sum OF
money for the employment OF counsel
Mr.. Van voorhis began suit at once in the
| Supreme Court Of New York at Buffalo.
the plaintiff Indians being located In Erie
| county. and papers were served in tins cry
upon Charles +. Appleby. who is the sole
survivor Of the Og zen trust. in which, how
| over, 100 rersons have nm Interest.
In the swift telling Of the story the mag
nitude of Mrs. COnverse's work in bringing
the Indians 10 look after themselves In the
protection OF their lands does not appear.
! one another for eighteen years, and they
enjoyed the fight as much as white poll
ticians. The contest, however, had pretty
We'll destroyed the confidence Of either side
IN the other and II was with the greatest
suspicion that the party Of the People re-
garded anv proposii ion to permit the party
OF the Nation 10 take an important step
on behalf OF the nation.
MIS-. lOnversc's task was nothing less
than to bring these warning factions TO
sink party feeling for the common good
and unite as nation in petition TO the
courts. When IL was explained to them
That there was no politics In this, the Indians
looked carefully into the matter and then
eaid mat they would proceed TO blanket
the 'reeland bill, as they put Il, If this
was possible for the good Of their nation.
They were glad to lind that while the law
backed their council as hold-over body,
u also gave the people as whole voice
IN such an af,air, so they decided to fuse
as nation a send Mrs. Converse and
President Hoas and Mr.. Van Norhis to take
care Of the legal work for them.
BON OF the parties after reaching their
decision voted thanks to yaiewanoh { lrs,
lonNers and II is just bit cur ious to note
mat Tins her lndi al name, conferred upon
1er when the tribe adopted her. means
She watches for the law" The same
Nord means also among the Indians an
ambassador.
The Nreeland bill would break up the
seneca nation, remnant OF one OF the
great tribes Of the lroquois, and compel
The allotment OF lands in severalty.
IL Would be IA shame, sald Milf con-
"ise. here are lots Of those lnCitns
here who a e not yet eady fol division
lands, although they al q getting eaoy
fast as they can by means OF schools,
'any OF them cannot yet read or wiite,
IN the present race prejudicevh hat chance
ould these lDdans have with the rest OF
he people, their neighboIs? IL you force
hem to division of lands now, you will
i've TO build an nlmshouse that will reach
ON Batavia to BufYalo very soon.
And IA TO the 500 600 that the Ogden
laimants would get under the Vreeland
i'll, that ia TO be taken out OF the Senecas'
ortion OF the .? 600 600 awai ded but not
ct paid, to the New York Indians out Of
he Kansas land claim fund II the Senecas
re compelled 70 pay 500, ooo TO the Ogden
eople. that will mean al out eioO for each
van, woman and child In the nation. or in
he case Of man with half dozen children
ill me'n perhaps $500 FROM his fa'rily
And for what, since, "a Mr.. Chares T,
Andrews, state Inspector Of Normal and
Indian Schools. SAYS. the Ogden claim
has been thrown out of every court to
which the claimants ever had the temerity
70 take ~ rs been more than half cen
Jury since they have been in court with Il
Mr.. Andrews says; The Ogden company
could not appeal further II had been
beaten three times In success sion and was
out. So far az | can learn II never again,
after ls+s, tried titles with the Indians in
court, Its agents, however, haunted
Washington, trying to realize through
Congress on its discredited claim"
MIR. Andrews, In a review of the de-
cisions OF the courts showing that the
Ogden company has no claim to title to
the Seneca's lands. says:
To sum up, The indefensiblc tltle"-United
New York Court oi Errors; i. i = the indl,n
nat ion -both courts; II can only cen 81 by
voluntary sale, or dissolution of the tribe
both courts. IN the case OF dissolution of the
tribe the land belon rs to the United states"
appellate Division, evlork supreme Court
Not any court anywhere has ever expressed a
sentence or n word that gives tie Ogden
company any rights whatever, except on the
on" condition that the Indian nat ion eli Dose
to sell"
When the time arrives that the Indians
would be better of with alotments in
severalty and individual responsibility AS
citizens. let Congress- dissolve the Seneca
Nation. A. that moment, according to the
Appellate Division of the Supreme Court
Of New York, the fee Of the lands vests in the
United States and the claim Of the Ogden
company has gone forever.
Bv the same act Congress can allot the
lands in severaty and transform It's wards
into citizens Of the United States. patenting
TO them under proper restrictions the lands
50 allotted. This il the course recommended
by the commission appointed by Gov.
Roosevelt to examine into the question.
But let not Congress dishonor itself
disgrace the nation, and make it's last trans
action with the lroquois Infamous by rob-
bng the helpless remnants of that once
powerful people of 500 600 for the benefit
OF the heirs Of the INSCRIPTIONS land specu.
lators who, two-thirds OF a century ago, ROB.
bed, cheated and debauched their fathers.