Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-01-24
DAWES COMMISSION
DEFENDS ITSELF AND SAYS TT is
TRYING TO DO ITS WHOLE
DUTY.
Declares in Memorial to Senate That
Charges Widely it4rated Are
Utterly False.

in receipt of a memorial from sthe
Dawes commission, of which Hon.
Clifton R. Breckiniridge of Pine Bluff
is member. in which is denied the
charges laid before the senate by r.
c. Adams. The memorial says:
"The temporary approval of the dis
carded amended lis, Ct lands by the
attorney for the Cherokees was secur-
ed by erroneous representations. When
we began to discover the true nature
and character of the list of lands form
ally submitted to us and now in ques-
tion, and took steps looking to the cor
rection of glaring wrongs and acts of
injustice contained therein, we were
amazed to find not only that the attor-
reys for the Delawares We're unwilling
to have such matters corrected which
they had agreed to do. but that by
judicial proceedings they sought t,
retain the fruits of injustice and to
prevent any proceedings on our part
that could lead tc further discoveries
of these wrongs.
We promptly reported on these mat
ters to the secretary of the INTERIOR
when there was begun upon us a Wig
orous campaign of defamation and
slandef and efforts to secure iudicia!
restraints and interruptions. But We
proceeded under orders frctsA the see
rotary of the interior and found nearly
10000 acres OF land shown to be claim
ed and occupied by Cherokees not of
Delaware blood and an aggregate of
more than 10000 acres that we would
never have put into the segregation
under sur construction of the require
ments of the law directing the making
Of the sere cation.
ut is not true thai any of us have
any connection. direct or remote. with
any of the s0-called 'mush-loan' compa-
MES which have sprung up in the In
dian Territory or With any company or
interest that in the remotest way re-
lates to the business ii the attorney
or his clients. We respectfully submit
that We have a right to own property
and own stock in lawful corporations
doing lawful and decent business in
nowise connected with our official ull-
ties For doing this we presume we
need to apologize to no man and more
than this We do not ask.
I'VE would infer that there is no
population in this country except In
dians, and no business except what
comes under the Dawes Commission.
and is Of the nature of unlawful and
speculative dealings in Indian lands
and leases.
I'VE have tried and are trying to do
cur full duty under the law to the pe~-
pie of the Indian Territory AS the
end draws near,the rapacity of special
interest defies belief; promoters are at
the senate they practiced upon us. 1t
IS mistake to suppose that these
schemes are the work of crude men.
They are backed by wealth and the
managers are masters OF every form
of ingenuity'
The members of the commission say
concerning the Indian Rights associa-
ton, which filed with the secretary of
the interior the charges Of irregulari-
ties which were investigated by Chas.
j. Bonaparte:
when it was seen that we absolute
ly refused to aid Or abet the attempt
to disregard and rob the Cherokees of
their homes and lawful holdings there
appeared in the Indian Territory an
agent Of a well-meaning society in the
east.
This agent, Sc far as we have been
able 10 learn, associated exclusively
with and derived his inspiration from
the very worst element in the Terri
tory, and in particular with those man.
aging or in sympathy with the Della
ware business His mind was filled
With every form of calumny concerning
the Dawes Commission and the per-