The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-02-08
MAKING LAW FOR
The 4 FIVE " E: TRIBES 81 !
Senator Clapp's Committee a,
Work on Bill to Make Terri
tory Indians Citizens.
BY w. w. Jermane.

Washington, Feb. S.--Senator Clapp's
committee on Indian affairs is now busy
considering a bill which was rushed
! thru the house last month, and which
| relations of the five civilized tribes, and
make the Indians in Indian Territory
full citizens Of the United States after
| March 4 next.
The date when this great change in
the political condition of the members
of these tribes was to take place was
fixed in an act Of congress passed sew
| Congressman Curtis of Kansas. After
its passage, however, it was found that
there were several loose ends to be
! gathered together, which the bill now
under consideration does. III
One serious question presented was
the lack of provision for continuing the
schools. Under the Curtis act, pro-
vision was made for the division of all
/ the tribal money IN the treasury to the
credit Of these Indians, so no money
was available for continuing the
schools. The pending bill, however,
| provides that the schools shall continue
in operation under the direction Of the
secretary of, the interior, the money
to run them being derived from the
leases of coal, oil and grazing lands,
which could not be divided This meth
So dong as Indian Territory retains it's
present status. When it. is admitted to
the union as a state, in conjunction with
I Oklahoma, the school system will. of
course, be provided for by taxation OF
otherwise, under state laws.
r. Provision for Children. 80 u
7 Since the passage Of the Curtis act "a
number of children have been born IN
the FIVE tribes, and the proposed Law
provides that they. shall receive allot
ments Of land. Provision is also made
for sales of land held by Indians, under
the direction Of the secretary of the in
terror, and in the cases Of fullbloods il
! is provided that they shall not. sci
was put in because Of the fear that
some of the Indians might be tempted
to sell themselves out of house ant
home, squander the proceeds, and the1
become public charges. The sale of {
body of timber on one Of the reserva
tions is also provided for in the bill.
| Several tangles in the matter Of en-
Irollment of members of the tribes arr
given attention { in the #bill.a It. ais
i leaves control ofsthe territory IN thu
l hands of the secretary of the interior
with the chiefs Of the respective tribes
retained in their offices to act as ad
visers to the secretary in the matter o.
Tams Bixby's Future.
Il In Minnesota the question will natur
ally be asked as to what is to becom
of Tams Bixby, the commissioner VIII
has heretofore administered the variou
. laws of the five tribes It is probably
that Mr.. Bixby will continue in hi
present office for the purpose of closin|
up the children s allotnents and to loo]
after the timber sales and other matter
! as directed by the secretary of the j II J;
l terror. He expects to have all the odd
:, land ends of thezWorkSof the so-eallle'
= Dawes commission gathered UP. and tn
!. Work of the commission, OF which he
s now the only member ii service, fiji
:, ished within year or year and
l half. liz
: Attention should be called to the fa(
: that the bill now. under considerable
: applies only to the Indian territor.
Re The administration Of affairs Of othe
IS Indians, the Chippewas and Sioux Il
T instance, will be conducted as at pres
emit, under the direction of the commi
d sioner of Indian affairs and the seer
). tary of the interior.