The Washington times., 1904-03-07
BROSIUS' CHARGES
FULLY SUSTAINED
BOnaparte Would Abolish
Dawes Commission.
CONDITIONS IN TERRITORY
System of Land Allotment 'Discredit
to United States and Menace to
the Indian

Charges against the Dawes Commits
sion and the administration of affairs in
the Indian Territory are fully sustained
by the report Of Charles J. Bonaparte
and Clinton r. Woodruff to the Secre-
tary Of the Interior. by him transmitted
to the President and by the President
to Congress. The report was given 10
Congress today and became public prop
erty.
The charges grew cut of report
which Samuel NJ. Brosius, special agent
of the Indian Rights Association, made
TO the president Of the association. This
report was sent TO the Secretary Of the
Interior, and was at the same time given
TO the press. Secretary Hitchcock re
garded the information Of Mr.. Broslus
highly important, and determined to
have the charges fully investigated.
President Roosevelt was similarly i'm
pressed. and appointed Mr.. Bonaparte
special counsel TO conduct the invesn-
CATION Mr.. Woodruff was appointed
assistant to Mr.. Bonaparte, and did the
greater part of the active work in the
field
The Brosius Charges.
The Brosius charges. in main. were
that the system of allotment Of lands
to the Indians was such that the land
spectators could take Advantage Of an
Indians ignorance to persuade him to
take up valuable lands which he would
Immediately lease to the spectators at
rates far below their real value.
The charge was made that four OF
the FIVE members OF the Dawes Com
mission TO the Five Civilized Tribes. and
who were the sole arbiters Of the al
TT 4r1
stockholders and officers in trust COM
panies which had for their purpose the
leasing Of lands from the Indians at
ridiculously low rates, and they re-
leasing them 10 cattle and mining COM
panies at enormous profit. Subsequent
IN il was found that the fifth member
OF the commission was also a stock
hClder in such a company Charges
of malfeasance and abuse were also
made against numerous other officials.
Summary of TIE Report.
The more important conclusions and
recommendation contained in. the re-
port may be summarized as follows:
/. The report Of Mr.. Brosius contains
number Of limitations and sugges-
lions not justified by facts. It in no
wise exaggerates. however Con the con-
trary, it rather understates), the objec-
tionabIe features Of the administration
of public affairs in the Territory, and
] its specific allegations respecting Fed
/ eral officials are substantially true.
! , The various charges of misconduct
I or dereliction in duty preferred against
/ different Federal officers in the Terri
( tory, otherwise than IN the report Of
/ Mr.. BrOsius, are. for the most part. un-
| founded. and these charges, BY whom
! sOever made call for no action on the
{ Of fl q 1rrfFr TEsFFF n hH
/ cases of Commissioners BiXby. Brecltn-
ridge, and Needles and OF Mr. AyieS-
worth and II. Y. V Smith The case
/ of one other officer IS considered in our
! separate report
conditions Unfortunate"
3. The conditions existing at present
/ in the Indian Territory are exceedingly
/ unfortunate. They involve imminent dan
! ger Of rui nto the genuine Indian popu-
lation and profound discredit TO tho
/ United States, excite reasonable discon-
| tent on the part Of all classes Of the
/ population. and demand prompt and
/ drastic remedies on the part OF Con
J. The Commission to the Five Civil
/ lied Tribes can be abolished with ad.
| vantage tn eremaining work Of allot-
/ ment intrUsted to the Indian inspector
| and that Of enrolment committed tC
| the citizenship court
System Of Sales.
s. The present system Of sales by
sealed bids after apprdisemeuL intro
duced with respect to the Creek allot-
ments. should be maintained. and ex-
| tended 10 all allotted lands. The leas-
ing of such lands should be Or hlibited
except with the approval of competent
and trustworthy local officers. whom
/ might be also COmitted the usual DOW
| ers Of probate and petty cause courts