New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-07-19

formed and consulted before hand there woun na'o
been no Modoc war, and Gen. OanDy ana hr An0'""'
would have been alive to-day.
III Accordingly these unfortunate wards OF the ma
ton are driven on the reservation. II their agent
happens 10 he honest and kindly like Mr.. Bhrcnaru'
they get enough to eat and to wear III he Is not theS
do not fare quite well. Captain Jack said no ""S
tired OF eating horse meat But II you are GUARDIAN
and have a ward you are not satisfied II your waru'
presumably ignorant person, In state OF pup"ec'
merely has enough 20 eat and TO wear You endeaVor
TO form his manners and morals. Wen, the inuIin
camp is in deplorabie state OF disorder No
attempt Is made to teach our wards 10 De cream OF
orderly or 10 form i'm them those habits which might
elevate at least. their children. The plain around the
shanles full Of litter and overgrown with dogennel
As Mr. Burchard walked about with me hafgrown boys
sat on tho grass and even the schOOlhOuse steps,
gambling with cards for tobacco and they had not been
taught manners enough 20 rise or move ASIDE at the
superintendent approach. As we sat IN the school
house, one two three Indian men came IN TO prefer re-
quest but not ono Of them toqo1 his hat We entered
a cabin and fond a BIZ hi Indian lying on his bed.
Arc you SICK Z" inquired iir Burchard, ana the lazy
hound without offering to'le, muttcred our, mo; me
lying down" The agent in reply 20 my questions said
that they gambled a good deal for money and beads
during tho week. but he bad forbidden 1t on Sundays
and he would not allow them TO gamble away their
clothing, rs they formerly did There are about 50
scholars on the schooist and about 90 attend school
No. Now surely here, II anywhere, one might
begin with compulsory school law. Did he
attempt 10 regulate The conduct OF the growing boysand
grlsi No. DO the Indians marry on the reservatoni
No. One chief has two wives; men leave their wives
OF change them az they please. What il children are
born irrcQarIy Well, the reservation feeds and sup
ports all who on It. Nobody suffers Are the women
often dieascdl Yes, nearly all Of them. Have you
hospital or do You attempt % Isolate those who dis
e.. s,Iff ~ slc
doctor visits them in their shantes. Dear in mind the
reservation established, and has had Indians on 1t
since 1901 DO The Indians have 10 ask permission to go
10 The townl No. they 90 when they please. Is there
much drunkcnncssl No; singularly little Do you at
tempt to make them rise at any specified hour IN the
moungl No. Have you list or roster OF the Indians
WHO belong ON hercseryati9nl No. How many Indians
own Lorso5l 30 no, know. On Sunday there spreach-
mg tic audience varies; and those Who DO not come to
Clurch-Hhcn ne preaching Is in Enclish-play shiny
DECENCY AND THRIFT IMPOSSIBLE UPON A RESERVATION
l5 not all this dcploablel Here is company Of gno-
rant and scm-barbarOus people, torciby gathered to-
ccther by the United States Government with the help
Of mob, under the pretenso that they are the "untor
turate wards OF the nation " and the Government does
not require the officers 10 sets over them to control them
ia any single direction whore conscientious guardian
would feel bound 20 control !ls ward. How can habits
OF dcCeIcy, energy, order. limit virtue grow u-nay
o can They continue, IL in the beginning they existed
Win such maHtg0Lout C3p. JACK and ms - ho1ocs
scm 70 uc u: least hr ard energetic men. Can any
one blame tlom they were bored to desperation BY
such a life this, aDd preferred death to Remaining on
| the reservation
Nor is tins all. OF tho 1000 acres Of arabic land on
the reservation about kept for grazing, and 1000
acres I'm actual cultivation this year-70O IN grain
and hay, IgJ IN corn, and 100 in vegetables. farmer,
assistant farmer, and gardener manage this
considerable piece Of land. When they need labor
I srch me ag
req ire and these 20 out 20 work They seldom refuse
IL they d. they are TO the military post, where they
aIe made to wood Not OF the cabins has about
H. garden spot; all cultivation is uncommon; and thus
the Indian Is deprived OF the main incentive TO industry
and ththe possession Of the actual fruits OF his own
t.u and unless 10 deepthiuklng philosopher,
who had studied for himself the problems OF social
ISM De must IN the nature Of things, be made con-
Grmcd paupcr and shirk by such system in which he
sees no direct reward Tor his tJ and neither receives
wages nor consciously cats that which his own hands
have planted.
In the whole system OF management as have de-
scrbed it yOu, you viii see that there is 10 reward
for incentive to excellence il Is all debauchng ana
dcmoFaizinE; 1t Is a disgrace 10 the Government
which consents t. maintain, az Lie public cost,
what Is in fact nothing else but pau
pr shop and house OF prostitution. And what
Is tFue OF this reservation is equally true
that the Tule River in Southern California, which
eminent has deprived the farmers OF an important
labofing force by creating pauper asylum called
reservation; and having thus injured the community IL
further Injuries the IudIan by system Of Hrdtnen,
which ingouiOusy takes away every incentive 20 better
living, and abstaius from controlling him On those very
points wherein upright guardian would most faith
fully control aud guide his ward.
REQUIEEMENrs OF A TRULY HUMANE POLICY.
To force population Of laboring and peaceabe In.
dams on q reservation 10 a mOnsrous blunder. For
wild and predatory unsettled Indians like the
Aplchcs many tribes Of the plains the reservation is
doubtless the best place. but then the Govern
ment, acting GUARDIAN ought 10 control and train
IFS wards IL ought to treat them Ike children and not
ike boasts ought not only to feed and cOthe them,
but also to teach and enforce upon them order,
ueaiucss good manners, and habits OF discipline and
soas labor This seems plain enough, but it will never
he done by Indian Agents." selected from civil life, be
these ministers or laymen. An army officer, ethodical
orderly aud having the habit OF command is the proper
person for Superintendent Of reservations for drill
and discipline regular hours, regular duties, respectful
manners cleanliness, method-these are the elements
Of civilization that are needed, and which army off,
Ger knows how to Impress without harshness, because
they arc the essence OF his life. But under our
presont Indian policy the army is the mere servant Of
the Indian Agent II It were not for the small military
force at camp Wright MIR Burchard, the Agent, could
not keep an Indian on his reservation. But the ineli
gent thoroughly trained and highly educated soldier
Who commands there has neither authority nor influence
M the reservation He mere policeman to whom an
unruly Indian sent for punishment and who goes out
TO catch Indians when mob is at hand to drive them
in.
true and humane Indian policy would be to require
all peaceabe Indians to support themselves as indyd-
nails and families among the whites which would at once
abolish the Round Valley ana Tne River Reserves; TO
Mace all the nomads on reservations under the control
OF picked and intelligent army officers, and to require
these to ignore except for exDediencys sake, oil tribal
distinctions and the authority OF chiefs; TO form every