Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1905-07-27
our LETTER BOX,


PENDER, Neb., July ITO the Editor OF
The Bee: During last week the first In
stallment Of $4,000 and this week another
installment OF a like sum OF the tribal funds
OF the Omaha tribe OF Indians is being dis
bursed by Superintendent John F. Mackay,
under the supervision Of General william
II. Beck. former Indian agent Of the Omaha
and Winnebago tribes Of Indians
The payment OF tribal funds is in conse-
quence OF an act OF congress Of April a,
1904, directing the secretary OF the interior
to pay per capita to the Indians Of the
omaha tribe ali funds belonging to them
In the treasury OF the United States
Originally this fund, amounting to nearly
SO0OOO is the proceeds derived from the
sale Of tribal lands. and deposited in the
treasury of the United States by act OF
congress in 1882, in the character Of a loan
to the government at per cent: the an
nual interest of which was used principally
to maintain the boarding school at the
agency Owing t. better school facilities
abroad and at the nearby district schools It
mas been favorite measure with the In
dlans, as 1t was the known policy OF the
indian office at Washington to abolish the
boarding school, which cost the Indians
the enormous sum Of $4,000 a year. with
out adequate returns. as alleged hence tho
disbursement Of all tribal funds to mem
bers Of the tribes found legislative sane
ton by congress in April, 1904
owing to the theory that Indians are
wards Of the government although acts
OF congress studiously penned have de-
cIared them citizens of the United states)
the Interior department in the exercise of
supposed official discretion" has withheld
the payment Of this money until now.
Much niggntigfa OF fg fo1a A.
OF paying in installments, and the reten-
ton of the share OF minors" and "incom-
petents," and the appropriation Of part
LOT the boarding school, of which the In
ulans had been assured by the Indian Office
would be abolished.
Ihe argument is that these objection
aole features were not agreed to by the
tribe VINO are, in fact, the real owners
OF THIS money; the educated Indian makes
no secret Of telling his tribesmen that I'm
accordance with law the whole fund should
be paid and was payable soon after the
passage Of the act, to heads of families
according to their number, and to adult
single persons, and this in accordance with
the custom of the tribe, and an act of
congress as yet unrepealed; and that the
acts of congress providing for the paw
ment of this money, in the particulars
which attempts to give the Interior de-
partment arbitrary power to retain por-
tions belonging to minors and incompetents
and to appropriate parts of It to maintain
the boarding school without consent OF the
tribe, are things which congress had no
power to do and was in violation of con-
tractual and vested rights Of the tribe
who alone have the disposing power over
the fund, and that II Indians are citizens
Of the United States 1t certainty is in vio-
lation of the constitution, that he should
be curtailed or Invested of his rights by
discretionary power" of a branch of the
executive, without his consent or due pro-
cess of law.
As to a rule OF the department that these
funds are not to be paid to Indians "ad-
dicted" to the use of intoxicating liquors,
while good motives might prompt the en-
forcement of such a rule, this is mani
testify in violation of law. and treated by
intelligent Indians as a joke. Yet In the
more serious portions of their complaints
against the arbitrary power of the depart
ment over funds of which the Omahas
are the real owners, IL is openly expressed
that such unwarrantable interference with
the proprietary rights may require some
thing more than mere protest in face of
the public.
The Indians hold that while the govern
ment through its officers, have certain
we'll defined powers in Indian affairs, the
sphere of official action does not extend to
destroy rights or curtail their enjoyment
II is to facilitate the enjoyment of our
lives, property and liberty that govern
ments are constituted among men, and
the government in dealing with Indians
whether as wards" or citizens can be no
exception to this fundamental maxim of
government Yours truly, II. CHAM
The immense increase in the sale OF
Krug bottled beer is convincing proof of
it's rapidly increasing popularity for the
home.