Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-25

Boston Protest Against "MOnumental
Iniusttceh 20 Indians,

Boston ItanScIlPN
Suppose that through some at present IN.
conceivable national OF political catastrophe
the New England states should revert 10
the condition OF abandoned farms, and that
somebody in Washington pretending to act
for the benefit Of tho survivors OF our pop
ulation should put up Worcester county, q
tract OF about million acres, TO be sold
for their benefit There are all kinds OF
land In Worcester county. apart from the
manufacturing investments making It one
OF the busiest workshops OF the world
rich meadow land. good farming upland.
forest land as we'll as the scragRly pas
lures characteristic OF some parts OF New
England. Supposing, now our congress In
its alleged wisdom and goodwill toward its
wards should AK uniform and arbitrary
price for all this land-(and a low one. m
fact limiting the price to IS per acre)-what
a monumental piece of injustice, fraud and
robbery would be committed Yet this IL
precisely what is proposed to be done In
legislation now pending in the congress Of
the United States CH. r. 2o627 and s. 6s1s).
1t provides for the sale of possibly nils
lion acres Of the tribal lands Of the RoaoA
bud Indians, South Dakota
The Boston Indian Citizenship committee
cooperating with the Philadelphia Indian
Rights association. lie doing what Il can 10
obstruct the passage of this measure
which seems imminent unless public at
tention throws a broad light in time upon
those engineering the transaction in the
furtherance of a gigantic land grab. II IL
clear that the wards OF the nation are en-
titled TO the value of the lands whatever
that may be. and that any fixing of an
arbitrary maximum per acre is on the face
of II in violation OF good faith as II IL
manifestly against common sense. Every
fair-minded man will at once agree that
such lands should not be sold for less than
an appraised value properly determined, or
else under sealed bids. The danger is at
present that the matter viii be rushed
through and closed up before II will be
possible on account OF the rigors OF winter
70 institute any examination of the land.
Postponement is the least that can be ao-
cepted by the friends, we will not say %
the Indians, especially. but of decency and
of the good name OF the government.
These Rosebud Indian lands lie in Gregory
county and Trip county, South Dakota.
New lines OF railroad have Just been con-
structed through them, extensions OF the
Chicago q Northwestern, and more are
coming as the land is developed. A recent
article In the Forest City Press OF South
Dakota states that 'the price OF lands
taken up two years ago in Gregory county
has advanced rapidly until they are now
selling at from $40 TO $50 an acre" This
IL the milk in the cocoanut; II Is the diff
ference between IS and the so to $50 that
the lands are selling for at retail that
some wholesale syndicate hopes to gather
in. II appears from the same paper that
in this tract there is very little rough land
and that the soil is a rich black loan with
some timber. ash. elm and boxelder. along
the creeks; and the wild grass is very
heavy so that hay can be baled without
cultivation on thousands of acres. fat
prize surely--this million OF acres at -.