The Wichita daily eagle., 1903-12-18
NOW FOR ANOTHER BIG SENSATION.

Mr.. Charles j. Bonaparte having gone through the
postofce department crookedness the nstgaton of
Brstow to the satisfaction of all honest the
commendation of the president has reached the
Indian Territory the request of the department of
the interior He will Immediately enter upon vigorous
overhauing of all the doings of the Dawes Commission
of the deals of the squaw the gratis Of lessee
combines and railway cnches For ten years the Dawes
Commission has been endeavoring to break up the
tribal relations Of the Choctaws Chckasaws, Greeks,
Cherokees and Seminoles by allong their
crafty, thereby expecting to make of the Indian self
sustaining citizen. In the meanwhile charges of fraud
and of undue influence have been charged against the
members Of the commission not only but against many
other ociasas well against officers of the Federal
courts Of the territory Hence Bonapares presence
announced in yesterdays dispatches Since the srug
gle has been from the first to protect the Indians from
spoation is shock to find their protectors interested
in making money by bargaining indirectly for the In
dans' property 1t is only fair the federal officers
to say that each of those who accused has de-
manded a careful inquiry into his conduct Secretary
Hitchcocks investigations, during his visit to Indian
Territory last May disclosed that many sales of Indian
lands had been made under conditions that suggested
fraud. Consequently he Cancelled four hundred and
twenyhree sales and returned purchasers deposits
of money the OF s369OOO Though these sales
made by authority of the Dawes Commission the
unreasonably low prices suggested the existence of
welorganzed conspiracy to prevent competitive bidding
Subsequent sales Of the tracts at much higher
prices indicate that the secrearys suspicious well
founded Since that time rigid regulations governing
Indian have adopted and these should
fair prices in all Thus far the Creeks
permitted sell their lands the five years of
Individual possession required by law before sales
be made having elapsed for the other tribes Fraud
ulent leases have been resoTted to- however for the
injury of Indian landowners Many of these leases
tain the sale of the leased lands future
time at ridculousy low prices though the owners may
have had thought of agreeing to sell their property
when signing the documents
When the late Henry L. Dawes, formerly United
States from Massachusetts, whose intelligent
interest in the affairs Of the five civilized tribes due
the creation of the Dawes Commission began with his
associate commissioners to negotiate with the Indian
treaties arranging for the extinction of their tribal
ernments serious opposition encountered Control
of the governments had passed into the hands of few
half breeds and squaw men,, the laEtec beng whites
who had admitted into tribal membership because
they possessed indian wives. These shrewd manip"-
latos tribal affairs had secured control of the Indians
lands and used them their advantage either
directly through cultivation grazing through leases
made to catemen. oil and mining companies and others
Naturally they threw their influence strongly against
the plan TO end their rule of the tribes In its first
port the Dawes Commission said: Almost everything
of tribal property which every citizen Indian has of
right equal share. has. if OF any value been appro-
prated the and gain of the few while real
full blood has been left destitute crowded upon
the mountains unproductve land 10 take care of
himself best he can"
1t has cost the United States than 100000 to
prepare the land aotments for the Indians Now they
both wealthy and improvident The years work
of dividing up the property essentially work of
philanthropy Yet it has been reproachfuly said that
the Dawes Commission throughout years has sys-
tematically furnished snug harbor for shipwrecked
politicians. Whether not there justification for
this must be decided by the results the
missions work when they shall be fully known
the authorities Washington have been interested in
providing places for needy politicians rather than
choosing the best available for the important task
or preparing the Indians for citizenship and the re-
sponsibity of caring for their property they have
mitted grievous wrong To find that the guardians
OF many thousands Of wealthy incompetents emerg
ing from tribal conditions seeking share of the
profits accrung from bargains in lands leased pur
chased from their wards is distressing best is
gratifying know that the secretary CT the interior
earnestly striving to existing abuses