The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-08-28
ROBBING INDIANS.
Why Secretary Hitchcock Wants an
Outsider to Investigate.

Washington, Aug. 2S.-The determine
ton of Secretary Hitchcock to send to
Indian Territory a man not connected
with the Department of the Interior to
investigate conditions there, is under
menting the work of the secretary him
self and of other representatives of the
department in that territory. Since
early last spring the secretary
has been giving personal attention
to the situation in the territory and
number of inspectors and other officials
of the department have been engaged in
the effort to ferret out frauds and pro-
tect the interest of the Indians. The
following is an abstract of an author
lied statement of the departments at
titude toward the situation in Indian
territory as well as outline of what
is doing there for the protection of the
Indian:
The secretary made a tour of the ter
ritory in May largely for the purpose of
making inquiry regarding reports that
had come to him of efforts to deprive
the Indians of their rich landed inheri-
lance and the result of this. personal in
vestigation was to confirm the report
that there was persistent effort to Sc
cure Indian lands at prices far below
their real value.
AS a consequence of this inquiry he
made a radical revision of the reguIa-
tons for the sale of the allotted lands,
and the developments since that change
was made indicate that he has saved
the Indians large percentage over
what would have been paid them if the
original regulations had stood. The new
rules require that all Indian lands that
are for sale be advertised and appraised
by competent official. The secretary
has Cancelled all sales made prior to the
time that the new regulations took eff
feet. There are 429 of these deeds cal
Ing for an aggregate payment of $685.
600. All of these deeds, with the checks,
have been returned to the purchasers
and the prices received on Inherited
lands indicate that under the new reg
ulations the prices paid will exceed the
old prices by from 10 to 125 per cent.
Inc majority of the Indian land own
ers are entirely ignorant of business
methods and are easily made the tools
of designing men, whether leaders of
their own race or white men.
Secretary Hitchcock discovered that
clerks in the office of an Indian agent
had denied a hearing to the Indians
national attorney, who represented some
$4,000 Indians. The secretary immed-
lately denounced this transaction as an
abuse of official authority and provided
for the adequate punishment of the
persons engaged in it. A favorite meth
cd for securing the leases is to have
the Indians approached by merchants,
who, by Offering their wares in ex-
change, can secure the most faVOra BILE
terms from them, and the understand
ing is quite general that when control
of a piece of land is once secured by
means of leasing, it will be held by
some means until it can be purchased
at the lessee's own figures.
The surplus lands belonging to the
Indians in the territory are worth
many millions and Secretary Hitchcock
and his advisers understand perfectly
how great a temptation they are to
designing men. The territory is through
out a garden spot and farmers are go
ing into it in great numbers. 1t is es-
timated that there are now fully half
million white people in the territory,
among whom many combinations have
been made to control the disposal of the
lands.
The secretary himself discovered that
a number of office holders. many of
them outside of his own department,
were stockholders and officers in these
combines. and he Immediately made
known his disapproval of this system.
Ex- Revenue Collector Cobb. on finding
that the department did not consider
membership in one of these combines
compatible with the holding of a gov
eminent position, resigned his official