The Wichita daily eagle., 1903-12-26
OWEN TELLS OF
THE TERRITORY
He Has Had Opportunity to
Study.
WHY DELAY IN AFFAIRS
interior Department Has
Urged Amendments.

Muskogee, l. T., who was United States
Indian agent for the Indian territory
from 1885 TO 1883, i. a guest of the Mis-
souri, Athletic club, OF which he is a
member 1t is said that few men in the
government service have had better op-
portunities for knowing conditions in In
dian territory than Mr.. Owens.
lie was in charge Of the schools of the
Cherokee nation from 1881 to 1874 United
States Indian agent frem 1885 to 1883,
president of the First NaIicnal bonk of
Muskesee, the oldest and strongest ba nix
! in Indian territory. fer ten years
Mr.. Owen secured the passage Of the
act authorizing National bsnkg fer Indian
territory. secured the establishment of the
United States court for tne Indian terri
tory ard wrote the act granting TO the
Indians of Indian territory The blessings
of United States citizenship
He has represented the Chcctaws and
Chickasaws and other Indians in import
ant law cases determined by the supreme
court of the United States. end is The
leading counsel in the fsnous Eastern
Cherokee case. involving ss,ssseoo. new
pending in the United States court Of
claims.
In response to the question of why the
settlement of affairs in Indian territory
was so long delayed. Mr.. Owen said
While it has been ten years since the
Dawes commission was ezts sslished, it
took several years to conclude agreement.
with the Indian tribes.
''Tltsn, when these agreements were
made the interior department. caused the
agreements 10 BE amended. so that every
act OF TIE Dawes commission. in aetr
mining the rights OF s5,ess cases of citi-
senship. and twice as many applications
fer citizenship, had to b. reviewed by the
interior department employees. and 5, ,s5s
alletrIents in like manner are liable TO a
like review
The rules laid down by these employees
have been changed from time to time, and
the work OF the government officers in
Indian territory thus required to be done
over again. sometimes several times.
''The employees cf the interior depart
ment. having no local knowledge, are
often mislec.
The most serieus and injurious mis-
take made by them is tn. legislation Of
congress, due to their influence. requiring
the approval of the secretary of the in
terror of all sales in Indian territory as
q condition necessary 10 validate such
sales.
They tried to have all agricultural
leases made void unless approved by the
secretary. They succeeded in regard TO
mineral leases and the development of
mineral is at standstill.
The act authorizing citizens of the
Muskosee nation to sell with The approval
of the secretary passed in February, 1891.
The interior department, inspired by
the desire 20 protect the Greek citizen
Ton the theory that he is incompeten)
from in1proviSent conduct has delayed
the sales 70 the extent of very substan-
tial notification cf the statutes of the
United States. Out of Is "a, sllotments
they had approved snd returned les.
than a dozen deeds in two years and
nine months. up TO Decemhcr !, 1893.
The appellee has not been allowed to
sell. but has been prevented from selling
by long delays in issuing rules governing
changes in these rules and finally by i'm
posing rules so difficult of observance by
the actual settler as to drive him out of
the list OF bidders and turn the bidding
THE rules governing this subject make
hook Of fsrty-eight pages The actual
settler cannst pay fair price agreeable
to the allette- himself. BUS must submit
ssNSa BIDS with certified check and wait
two months TO learn II he Is the highest
bidder. and then wait two months more
to know if the secretary will approve it.
Then the crop season is ton far advanced
to utilize the land, and he is out years
labor
The effect Of these rules is to make the
speculstor the exclusive bidder and buyer.
The present sales do not exceed max
imum rate OF dozen 4 week
This means that it would take 1eo years
for each .allostee OF s5.cDa persons 20 excr-
else his statutory right of sale.
The settler will not improve this land
on mere lease The speculatcr viii not
improve il when he gets j title. se the
result is Indian Territory development.
both in agriculture and mineral. and hence
in mercantile lines. is al a stsndstii
The restrictions preventing sales should
be removed. because the sl.ottess are as
competent as the people OF Missouri take
them as class Even the full Oloods
have had school advantages for nearly a
full century. Thsy were not blanket IN
disrs wher they cane 10 the Indian Terri
tory over seventy year. aCo. but we're
farmers. lvir. il houses sad e.ttlc
brcaGers. With churches snd schools
among thsnl.
Indian Territory has 7eo.osn people ard
only i7ac9 fuli blood Indians.
Our people are net willing 20 believe
-.
ployes wish 10 b. unjust o. are willing to
iajure cur country. but We kaow they are
grossly rsizlei and s-s deias ? grcst harm
TO the allotts@s and - the setti--s resident
ir Irdisn Territory ard 70 tn ,eutbrest
and chisay 10 St Leris g. Iouis {. the
center - and rom which c1r t-ss- n
hardware. shoes and merchandise ef sn
kinds naturally grayttates-
We have lse29 9cs acres in Indian Terri
tsry that could easily ProSucs slsa d. 60
annually CT mineral s-a agricultural pro-
duets IL mea we-C ret prevented from
making this usilcsly domain productive
We have magnificent arsa % oil and g-s
bearing sands and suSsfb districts - coal
bearing strzis, but must suffer . general
paralysis uatl 81 Louis or other frssuts
uniooss our chains We have n-- vote
and 70 v0ic- in congress. although oy
numbers entitled 20 tive members q cen
gr>s-
Why co 10; ths Business Snst--os 81
Louis help =. TOT .3r oar sak-s ku5 Tor
the golden stream il vo1ls sat = tsz
great wealth @, Shis magnificent rz-;Fgpc-
l.s-
COUSIN TO GOUT
General Pleasant Porter COMPLAINS 81