The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-11-06
BILLINGS AND OPENING OF CROW
RESERVATION.
MEET WITH SENATOR CLARK
Representative Citizens Express Their
Wishes in Regard to This
Important Subject.

Should failure attend the renewed
effort to have a portion of the Crow
Indian reservation opened to settle
ment, the blame should not be at
tached to the people Of Billings and
this section of eastern Montana. They
have and are m~anifesting a spirit OF
Cancellation that must disarm those
who have heretofore claimed that TREY
are demanding too much in their de
sire to increase the area OF lands
subject to public entry. About every
concession asked by congress and
the eastern friends of the Indians has
been granted, aside from absolute &C
~qulescehce in a project to permit the
reservation to remain closed for all
time. To this alone they are opposed.
Confer with Senator.
Wednesday night the commercial
committee Of the Billings club and q
large number of cllizens met Senator
Clark at the rooms of the club n
the matter Of the proposed cession
was again gone over at great length.
The senator during the day had Wis
tied the Custer battlefield and driven
over a part or the reservation In
cluded in the strip it is proposed to
cede and consequently was capable
Of forming a fairly correct idea as to
the merits Of the proposition. He e
planned the opposition that had arisen
ON former occasions when the matter
was before congress and why it had
been defeated.
AS has been repeatedly published
in The Gazette the reason for the
defeat was because a majority OF
congress, especially the lower house
were opposed to the cession Of any
Indian reservation after the usual
manner-payment by the government
to the Indians for their lands. Those
arrayed on that side of the question
insisted that the settlers should be
made to pay for such lands, the
amount so paid to be equal to the total
Of the amount agreed upon In any
Greatly made with the Indianss
Law That Would Suit.
Those present at the meeting gave
the senator to understand that nj
objection would be raised by the PEG
pie of this part of the state to any
i reasonable measure that was calculat
ed to meet with the approval OF the
congressman and senators who hav'
hitherto opposed the proposed open
ings Satisfaction was expressed witt
a bill as has been advised to NEE
such Observation-Disclosures and al
praisment of the lands and their sal
to actual settlers and occupants.
was believed that if such a bill wer
enacted enough would be realize
from the sale of the more deslrabl
LANDS to fully payythe Indians for al
that they might cede and leave
balance. The amount remaining,
was suggested, could be applied
the direction of %irrigating such {
the coded land as was found suscept
BILE of irrigation.
Only as Last Resort.
The recent decision of the Unite
States supreme court, in which It
held that congress has absolute an
complete power in the matter OF ope
ing Indian reservations, was also 81
cussed. In this decision the coul
holds that the consent of the Indian
is not necessary to open a reserv
ton set aside for their use and, occ
pancy; that they are wards OF u
government and as such nave ]
~capacity. but must abide by whs
ever the government chooses to (
as regards them or the lands tn
may hold.
From the opinions and wishes G
pressed by different gentlemen it W
made apparent that it was not u
wish of the people of this local.
that, congress should take advanta
Of this decision in the case und
discussion, unless it became absolu1
ly necessary as a last resort. On t
contrary they desire action alo
equitable lines, the passage of a Il