OCR Text |
Show were dissatisfied with the course of the Government in placing them upon their allotments and insisting that they should earn their living, there; and their object in going to Meximas far as the facts have thus far been disclos.ed, was to seek a place where they could escape the conventional usages of our civilization and live more after their own fashions as Indians. Many efforts were made by the Govern-ment to induce them to return and live on their allotments in Okla-homa! but without effect. According to Mr. Bentley's statement the Indians preferred him to the Government of the United States as a custodian and Mexico to the United States as a dwelling place. The money which came to them from time to time for lands leased or sold at their own home they placed in his hands for safe-keeping, he tells me, without interest and with no date set for its repayment. Isis representation of the case is that he uses this money for the purchase of land or water rights and other beneficial purposes for the Indians under his care. After exhausting its resources of persuasion to induce the return of the Indians the Office set afoot an investigation with the purpose of discovering what money was actually received for their lands by those allottees who had obtained by special legislation, in disregard of the wishes of the Department, the right to sell their allotments in Okla-homa. This investigation resulted in a report containing so serious allegations against the good faith of most of the parties concerned in procuring the legislation and conducting the sales that the Depart-ment felt justified in refusing to act upon the legislation authorizing the sales until the whole matter had been laid before the Congress for its consideration, with a recommendation that the legislation unad-visedly enacted be rescinded. No action was taken by the Congress, however, on this recommendation, hut I was informally directed to proceed with the execution of the law-as it stood. The full report of the results of the investigation, which to this O5ce. lookt so damag-ing to the parties involved, was sent to the Senate Committee on In-dian Affairs for its information, but without producing any change of view there. Mr. Rentley and some other persons identified with his interests appeared before the committee and made an impression morefavorable than the Indian Office had succeeded in making, and l.hen the question arose why the Office persisted in obstructing the free pursuit by the emigrant Kickapoos of their own preference as to residence and mode of Iife. At a session of the committee at which this matter came to a direct issue I answered that, as far as I person-ally was concerned, I thought that the Office had done all that duty demanded in the way of trying to keep these Indians in the general path of civilization, and that my only wish now was that if they were resolved beyond any possibility of a change of mind to stay in Mexico each Indian should be required to conform his conduct to |