The Bad River news. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 19??-1912, 1911-07-27
AFFAIRS At WASHINGTON CITY
Current News of the Week and
Events of Importance in
Which South Dakota
Figures
Especial to the News)

continue to reach the South Dako
ta Congressman and Senators ask
ing for legislation that will afford
relief to the settlers on Indian
lands in South Dakota. The ma
ture of most of these demands is
that lands formerly purchased
through the government from the
Indians be converted into free
homes. Way back in 1900 an act
of Congress relieved the settlers
who had gone on Indian lands from
payments. The legislation at that
time cost the government many
millions of dollars. At that time
congress provided for pay ment by
the settler to the Indians with the
government as trustee. The
amounts as collected by the gov
ernment have been passed to the
Indian wards. The agitation for
conservation and protection of In
dian rights brought about condi-
ton in the Public Land Service
whereby the appraisal of Indian
allotment lands of South Dakota
were raised to as high as six dol
lars an acre. After the initial
payment at the time of entry,
amounting to one-ifth of the pur-
chase price, the subsequent pay
ments 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 impossibility of
this is shown in the legislation
passed in 1900, whereby the actu-
al ownership Of the land should re-
main with the Indians and the gov
ernment stood sponsor only as
trustee. Therefore, the govern.
ment is found to have no real title,
claim or equity in these lands, ex-
cept in it's responsibility to pro-
tect the original Indian owners,
and therefore, any act of congress
affecting the lands would have to
be in the nature of An appropria-
tion made for the direct purpose
of acquiring title from the Indians
before relief could be afforded to
the white settlers. There is no
doubt but what the representa-
tives of South Dakota have been
very much embarrassed over this
matter, because Notwithstanding
their anxiety to do something for
the relief of the settlers, the abso.
lutte impossibility of favorable
action is precluded by the change
in the manner of handling these
lands as laid down by the law of
May II, 19OO-the express pur-
pose of that legislation being to
forestall any such action as is now
aked 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 a
candidate for the United States
Senate to succeed Mr.. Gamble.
The Congressman declines abso-
lutely to be interviewed concern
ing the matter. The politics of
the situation are rather clear. Mr..
Burke is recognized as a regular
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 present senator
would doubtless be insecure, in
view of the fact that regular"
republicans would likely incline
toward Mr.. Burke. The name of
Mr. Martin has also been brought
into the senatorial matter.
Representative Burke has been
named g q member of the Com