The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-08-13

reason OF his servece on the senate In
dian committee, and the close geograph-
ical proximity OF these people to his home
| state.
The Eastern Members.
Senator Frank Brandegee. the third
ranking member of the committee is
comparatively inexperienced in Indian az
fairs and was selected with the one OBJ
ject in view OF giving to the esthetic east
| representative who might go to the
| territory and there learn from the peo-
| pie themselves and with his own eyes
| the true conditions existing, so that he
might be able TO explain TO his eastern
| impracticability of the various schemes
| proposed by the Indian Rights associa-
! ton of Boston and Philadelphia and kim
dred well-meaning, charitaby-d disposed or
| CARNATIONS of the east which they have
urged upon congress with more persisten-
| cy than sound Judgment for the protec-
! ton of the red man in Indian territory
! against the greed and rapacity of the
white vultures who have settled in the
| Indian territory for the one purpose of
graft. greed and robbery" Senator Bran
degee is practical man, but one who
| has taken considerable stock in the past
in the representations made to him by
the eastern philanthropists who have con-
ceived it to be their divine duty to look
after the affairs of the red man and pro-
tect him from his own infirmities. When
he goes down into Indian territory and
learns for himself the conditions existing
there ii is expected that he will return
with broader and more liberal ideas rel
alive to the affairs OF these people.
Senator Henry NJ. Teller is undoubtedly
| the best posted man on Indian affairs In
the United States If not in the world For
twenty years he has served as a member
Of the senate committee on Indian af-
fairs; for three wears he was secretary
of the interior He is a brilliant LAWYER
nQFFQnfinn fo.1
If there is anything rotten in connection
with the affairs of the five civilized tribes
the guilty ones may expect no aid or
comfort from him. If, on the other hand.
there Is no truth in the charges made
against certain officials and they can
demonstrate that fact clearly, they will
have no greater friend or supporter in
or out OF congress, than the veteran
statesman of Colorado. Senator Tellers
services were particularly desired by the
committee and his acceptance Of the ap-
pointment was in line with the many per-
sonal sacrifices he has made in the past
in the interests of the people of the west
and the national government.
Clark of Montana.
The selection of Senator w A. Clark
OF Montana and his consent to serve on
the committee, was not only a wise selec-
ton, but one that will be of great adj
vantage to both the committee and the
people whose interests are affected and
his consent to serve upon the committee,
considering the magnitude of his diver
sified interests illustrates the unselfish
ana public spirit of the man. 1t was
Senator Clark who first directed attention
OF the senate committee on Indian affairs
last year to the great value of the coal
deposits in the Choctaw Nation. which
congress was preparing to sell under a
plan which could not possibly have net
ted the Indians One-twentieth of the &C
tual value of the coal lands 1t is esti-
m GIrhr INIT to1 -
committee, which ii was about to adopt |
would have Melted the Indians anprOxi- !
mately S5,O00O00. When the Montana SEN
ator announced 10 his colleagues during |
one OF the sessions of the committee that |
ne would be very glad to purchase the en- /
tire coal fields i'm the. Choctaw Nation |
Tor $5OOOOOJO and that under the plan the /
committee was then seriously considering |
me lands would not net the ChOctaw and |
Chickasaw Indians more than 100000 |
Inc various members commenced to sit UP |
and take notice. The interior depart |
ment was called upon for all the informa- |
tlOn IL mad in its possession and diStribut- |
ed throughout the Indian bureau. the |
6eological survey and the general land |
office. When this data was received il |
disclosed condition of affairs known to
POSSIBLY only one member of the com
nlttee. Government publications showed /
mat certain railroad companies, amorg
them being the Rock Island Railroad
company and its branch and auxiliary
|
It's branch roads, either held leases in the
name of the railroad companies or in
The names of their stockholders and Of
llclals. covering practically all of the
men known valuable coal deposits. These
eases had yet TO run for periods rang
LS from twenty to thirty-fve years No
ether company or individual could pur-
chase the property covered BY these
eases and acquire title thereto until the
expiration of the lease Thus the only
persons or companies likely to submit
bids for the purchase of these coal lands
were the railroad companies and their of
ficials.
Rate Bill Legislation.
These who are familiar with the denates
n congress last winter on the railroad
ate bill well remember the sensation
produced In the senate when Senator La
oiette of Wisconsin revealed nese facts
o the senate and further pointed out that
practically all of the then known val
liable coal deposits in the United States
we're either owned or controlled by the
,reat railroad companies. AS a result of
nese disclosures an amendment was in
,luded in the railroad rate bill providing
nat all railroad companies doing an inter- :
tate business should by sale or other |
wise dispose of their coal land holdings !
nd go out of the coal producing bust
ess ana thereafter confine their opera
ions exclusively to the business of COM {
non carrier by January l, 1909 These
disclosures resulted in the investig alton {
the operations of the Pennsylvania rail-
Dad and the Reading railroad in their
ontrol of the anthracite coal fields i'm
astern Pennsylvania by the interstate 4
commission. which in turn de Z
eloped the startling condition of affairs :
xlsting in eastern Pennsylvania and the =
,dlctment of numerous officials of those q
Dads.
Monopoly Is Charged.
II was charged at that time and we'll q
Established by proof that the railroad n
traversing Indian and Okla Is
)ma territories. and having a complete
onopoly of the coal output of the mines
the Choctaw Nation were, by the i'm f.
)sltion of eXorbitant freight rates viz
'ally prohibiting the shipment of Goa
ON the coal fields of the Choctaw Ma s.
on TO points Immediately contiguous to IS
lose coal fields in Indian Territory and &
'mpeilng the people OF towns within 2
dius of 100 miles of those coal fields D
receive their supply of coal from Colo g
40 and other western coal fields owned a
I'd operated by the Colorado Fuel 81 Iron g
mpany- BY imposing prohibitive rates "a
the few independent companies operat- D