The Tomahawk., 1903-09-10
''MIGH1 IS NOT RIGHT. 2

The friends of the Indians, and
other interested parties, have unit:
ed in opposing the Morris Act,
and they have issued the following
address in relation to the matter:
On behalf Of the Indians whose
rights are affected by the opera
tion of the Morris Bill, we beg
leave to submit the following
statement:
Under the Nelson Bill, entitled
An Act for the Relief and Civi-
lization of the Chippewa Indians
of the State Of Minnesota, which
bill was approved January Il,
| 1889, the Chippewa Indians relin-
quished their rights in certain res
eryations in Northern Minnesota
! in return for the benefits accruing
to them under the act. This act
provided for the sale Of the pine
timber on these reservations at a
minimum price per thousand feet
based on the highest estimate OF
estimators appointed under the
supervisor Of the secretary OF the
interior. This sale was to be made
at public auction to the highest
bidder and the land went with the
timber, and consequently it's value
was added to the value of the TIM
Der, by parties. bidding for the
timber. Lands classed as ''Agri-
cultural Lands were to be opened
for settlement at a stated price per
acre and the receipts for these
lands were also to go to the Indians.
An amendment was afterWard
added providing for the sale OF
the dead and down timber, under
special regulations, and the pro
ceeds of the timber SO sold were to
go to the Indians, Under the
Free Homesteads'' amendments
passed later, the government was
to pay the Indians the value OF
certain lands taken by the settlers
under the act.
The terms Of the treaty with
the Indians whereby they relin-
uuished their titles to these reser-
vations and the clearly expressed
intentention of a | subsequent
amendments prior to the Morris
Bill was that the Indians should
receive compensation for all pro-
perty surrendered II n d the
treaty: viz, the merchantable tim
ber and the land, consequently any
disposition of the land or timber
on these reservations which does
not provide payment to the In
dians for the land and timber
SO disposed of is plain violation
of the treaty rights of the Indians.
The Morris Bill, which is an
amendment to the Nelson Act, un-
der which the Indians surrendered
their title to these reservations,
provides for the setting aside of
certain portions Of these lands and
a certain amount of this timber as
Forest Reserve for the benefit of
the people of the Uuited States,
but it fails to provide any COM
pensation to the Indians for the
lands and timber so set aside as
Forest Reserves. To the extent
which this bill thus take from the
Indians their property without
compensation tits violation OF
the legal and equitable rights of
the Indians.
Although the Morris Bill ex-t
pressly provides that no expense
arising out of the forestry provi-
sions shall be charged to the In
dians, as a matter of fact under
the operation of the Bill not only
is the land and timber taken from
them without mpensatioh, but the
expense Of the protection and pre-
servation of these Forest Reserves
falls on the Indians and must be
paid by them out Of the proceeds
of the sale Of the timber not in
Glued in the Forest Reserves. For
the thousands of acres Of land set