Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-05-11
General Crook ON ,hs indians.

4. WHITMORR,
Publisher and PrOpriet0r.
General Crook on ihs Indians.
Chicago Post, May 3D.
General Crook, the military COM
mander, whose position in Indian
affairs has been SO prominent, is en-
a visit to Chicago, en- route to the
East, stopping at the Grand Pacific.
1t is something over a year since he
was here last, during which time a
great deal has taken place among
the Indians, but nothing which has
not been dilated upon to the fullest
extent from time to time. 1t was
in regard to the management OF the
Indians that the Post reporter ask
ed information Of the general, and
particularly as to proposed changes.
1t is well known that army officers
as a general thing do not concern
themselves with matters which lie
in the hands of the government;
that they are not anxious to ex.
press their opinions as to the prob
able advantages or defects of the
proposed changes. General Crook
was no exception to the rule, but so
far as Indian affairs, past and pres
ent, were concerned he was quite
free to state his mind. In the first
place there was not that novelty in
regard to the disarming and I'M
horsing Of the Indians which the
people hereabouts appeared to think.
1t had been in operation a long
time, and had ceased to attract at
tention or opposition among them.
There were wandering Indians who
were not thus deprived, but those
who came into the reserve must ac-
cept this as one of the conditions Of
their admission. Coming into the
reserve means coming to live on the
government. The Indian fund
feeds and clothes these people, and
supports them as wholly and en-
tirely as though they were infants.
There are between $4,000 and 15,-
900 Of them. General Crook spoke
Of them as being in compile idle
ness. They did absolutely nothing
but loaf about, much as a lot ol
open-air paupers. They have nc
arms and DO not hunt, and, having
no horses, their powers of locomo,
ton are limited. The proposed
change is to make the Indians work
and to change the character of the
support, and General Crook saw ne
reason why the Indians could no
make their own living. 1t was NJ
experiment, this matter. The In
dams of Indian Territory wert
completely self supporting. HI
could not say why the Indians o
the Northwest had not been sub
ieeted to the same treatment
, The general regarded it as almos
nonsensical to tell of the capacity
; of the Indian to make his own liv
{ ing and to live in peace. Thert
was absolutely no difference be
tween these people and white men,
in their action under similar cir
: cumstances, up to certain point
, as, for example, an Indian would
take pride in poverty just lik'
q white man, and when left in thu
9 woods to wander about like wolve
he became just as idle and worth
less as white men. "Giye him
: piece of land" said General Crook
"show him how to cultivate it, Civ
him a start in the way of tools an,
. seed, and he will be anxious to hol,
}, on to what he has and to bette
J. himself" The general did no
e think that there was anything re
10 markable about the Indian as t
70 his ability to take care Of himsel
v and did not think that remapkabl
8 means were required to take care c
= !; him and to place him TO the bss
N n advantage He would go abou
3, g improving Indians just rs a ma
IS would go about rearing phildrer
: by putting it within their power t
+ be aaefHl and then teaching ther
f. 4 to be go. He had . poor idea {
/" the patent plan and Of teaching il
dians by processes different irol
what would be used for other me-
g They must be given work, and IL
; clvifzatipn which follows wor
would come to them, In regard
o natural hostility between the Il
Alma opd tho ubitac General Crar