The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-12-10
The North American Redskin
Takes Strongly to Games
of Chance.
SERVICE RENDERED INDIANS
BY U. S. GOVERNMENT
Committee on Indian Affairs Has Re-
ports of Importance to Render at
Present Term Of Congress-Okla.
homa Aborigines Starving to Death
in the Midst of Plenty.
(By E. c. Snyder.l

(By E. c. Snyder.)
Washington, D. c., Dec 10.-Within
the next few weeks a subcommittee
of the senate committee on Indian af-
fairs will submit report upon the
subject of the Indian land holdings in
the new state of Oklahoma, which will
show a very peculiar state of affairs.
This subcommittee consists of sen.
ators Clark of Wyoming, Clark of
Montana, Brandigee, Teller and Long.
For nearly two months they have been
making personal inquiry into exist
ing conditions, and It is doubtful If
there was ever before a party of
visiting men" who worked so indus
triously as did the five senator's from
the committee on Indian affairs. They
positively refused everything in the
way of entertainment during their
stay in the embryo state, but devoted
their entire time to a careful inquiry
into conditions existing, and 10 the
necessity of a change in the law.
When the United States first UNDER
took the task of making citizens out
Of the aboriginal population it became
the policy Of the government to divide
land holdings in severalty among the
various tribes. In order that the newly
created citizens might not be robbed
of their ample holdings it was provid-
ed that the allotments of land should
not pass from the original Indian pat
entee for a specified period, usually
tweny or twenty-five years. In the
meantime these homesteads were ex-
empted from all taxes during the
period of what might be termed Gin
cubatory ownership"
The North American is born gamb-
Ter. In this he differs very little from
the members of the Aryan or even the
Mongol race. But the Caucasian legis-
lator for the red son of the forest and
the plain proposed to protect the hold
ings of Lo and all his brothers even II
he pauperized the Indian in doing this.
The theory upon which the law makers,
backed by the philanthropists, pro-
ceeded was altruistic, but it has not
met the results expected. Every west
ern state in which there is a large
body Of Indian citizens has appealed
for relief from its taxation burdens,
and practically every Indian has beg
ged to be released from the Utopian
condition which "his friends" have
tried to force upon him.
The senate committee found in that
portion of Oklahoma designated as
the Indian territory" literally hun
dreds of Indians who are virtually
starving to death because they cannot
dispose of their surplus lands. Under
the method of land distribution which
was generally followed each Indiant
family of say five persons has beef
given about 1000 acres of land. Under
the regulations of the department of
the interior the Indian family, or its
head, Is permitted to lease his lands
only from year to year, and never
for period longer than five years.
He. or they, cannot sell an acre, and of
course cannot borrow on mortgage.
The committee discovered that thirty
acres is about the absolute limit Cf
the amount which can be cultivated
by the average Indian family, and
unless he has animals and tools
Papa Indian cannot handle even
SO much. There are literally thou
sands Of Indian children, each the
owner of from 100 to 400 acres of
some of the best land "out of DOORS
who are unable to attend school be-
cause they cannot swap an acre of
land for a shirt, while hundreds of
other equally wealthy in lands are
actually suffering for the necessities Of
life, and yet the legislation which
makes them paupers was enacted with
the best of intention toward the In
dians.
The committee is trying to formu-
late some plan which will assure the
Indians adequate protection for their
homes against the rapacity of the
whites, and will at the same time per-
NIT them to sell or lease their sur
plus holdings without such restrictions
as no white man would submit to for
an hour. The lands in question are
those of the Five Civilized Tribes, In
dians who have for twenty years lived
as white men, and who are as we'll pre-
pared to take care of themselves to-
day as they will ever be in this world.
STANDARD OIL CASE.
AasOcinteA FSre.n tn The Eveninne Tfnaes
Chicago, ILL.,, Dec. 10-By agreement
of counsel Of both sides the demurrer
to the indictments recently voted
against the Standard Oil company of
Indiana, came up for argument today