The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1911-07-28
AFFAIRS AT WASHINGTON
Current News Of the of Importance in Which
South Dakota Figures
Ito the. Standard.

Washington, d. c.. July 24.-
Persistent appeals and demands
continue to reach the South Da.
kota congressman and senators
asking for legislation that vii!
afford relief to the settlers on
Indian land in South Dakota. Tn,
nature of most of these demands
is that lands formerly purchasl 4
through the government from
the Indians be converted into fire,
homes. Way back in 1900 a..
act OF congress relieved the Sc
tiers who had gone on India:.
lnads from payments. The legis
latlon at that time cost the gov
ernment many millions of dol
lars. At that time congress pro
vlded for payment by the settler
to the Indians with the govern
+ ment as trustees. The amounts co
lected by the government have
been passed to the credit of the
Indian wards. The agitation fol
conservation and protection Oh
Indian rights brought about d
condition IN the public land SER
vice whereby the tappraisal OF til
Indian allotment lands of South
Dakota We're raised to as high as
six dollars an acre. After the
initial payment ait the time of
entry, amounting to one-fitth OF
the purchase price the subsequent
payments have fallen hard upon
the white settlers, and, in view
of the drouths, attempts have
been made to Influence congress
to rebate the amounts due from
the whites to the Indians. The
ilmpossibility of this is shown in
the legislation passed in 1900.
whereby the actual ownership
OF the land should remain with
the Indians and the governmelt
stood sponsor only as trustee
Therefore, the government is
found to have no real title, claim
aes equity II these, lakes, -c-s
in it's responsibility to protect
the original Indian owners. ana
therefore, any act OF congress az
fecting the lands would have to
be In the nature OF an approprls-
Gon made for the direct purpose
Of acquiring title from the In
dians before relief could be at-
forded to hhe white settlers. Their
is no doubt but what the repre-
sentatives of South Dakota have
been very much embarrassed over
this matter, because, notwith-
standing their anxiety to do
something for the relief of the
settlers, the absolute impossible
ity Of favorable action is preclud
ed by the change in the manner
of handling these lands as laid
down by the law May IL, 1900,-
the express purpose of that legis
lation being to forestall any such
action as is now asked for.
Considerable interest has been
manifested in the capital in the
newspaper comments coming from
South Dakota to the effect that
Congressman Burke may be ]
candidate for the United States
sennte to s1cceed Mr.. Gamble.
The congressman declines abso
lX6ely to be interviewed concern
ing the matter. The politics OF
Mr. Burke is recognized a regu
the situation are rather clear.
lar republican while Mr.. Gamble
has aligned himself, at times.
with both factions, and in case
the two men become rivals for
the place, the position of the pre-
sent senator would doubtless be
insecure, in view Of the fact that
regular republicans would like
ly incline toward Mr.. Burke. The
name of Mr.. Martin has also been
brought into the senatorial mat
ter.
Representative Burke has been
named as a member of the COM
mittee on expenditures in the In
sterior Department, which is in
charge of most of the big investi-
cations now being conducted. Mr.
Burke was formerly chairman of
the committee on Indian affairs,
while Mr.. Mondell, of Wyoming,
occupied the same position on the
committee on public lands. The
membership of both of these
gentlemen on the investigating
committee gives to the work