Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-02-01
The INDIAN TRANSFER.
Report of the Four Members of the Com.
mitteo Who are Opposed to Turn.
ing them Over to the Military.

Report OF the Four of the Com
mitteo Who arc Opposed to Turn.
ing them Over to the Military.
Washington, Jan. 30.-The report EN-
bodying the views Of Senators Saunders and
Oglesby, and Representatives Stewart and
Van VOORHEES,, four of the eight members
of the joint committee on the Indian transfer
question, has been completed, and will be
presented to the senate tomorrow. II is
shown that various evils and abuses grow
up under the administration of Indian af
fairs by military officers, and notwithstand-
ing the reformatory legislation of March 8,
1S47, they continued to grow up to the last
hour in which the war department had
control Of the Indian population, and SO lit
tie had been done toward the civilization of
the warlike and unrulv tribes under mill
tary discipline that military management
was then considered a failure. That the
Indian can be Anglo.Saxonized is proven
beyond all cavil in the case of the Winnie
bagoes and Omahos, who reside on reserva-
tions in the state Of Nebraska. They live
in comfortable houses, have good barns, cul-
tivate their lands and raise as good wheat,
corn and potatoes as are produced through
the labor of white men. They have churches
and schools and no more orderly community
can be found than on these two reservations.
They are petitioning to become citizens, a
question Of such vital importance in their
case that it must soon be solved.
Is it necessary to place these people under
military management? We think not.
Whether the management of the Indians
remains where it is, or is delegated to the
war department, the general system of re-
form and improvement should continue,
and among the most important things COM
manding immediate attention is to provide
that the cfvillaw Of the United States be
extended over oil the Indians under the war
department management. That public opin-
ion had acquiesced in the assumption that
the Indians were not susceptible Of ~civiliza-
ton, it is estimated that if all the fighting
Indians Of the country could be got together
they would not muster more than $4,000,
and the idea of their ever concentrating for
warlike purposes is simply preposterous, be-
cause it is impossible. Indian wars IN a
large scale are over, and we may reasonably
hope that that part of our national history
is in the past.
In reference to the sentiment of the
Indians on the subject the secretary of
the interior made to the committee a
statement giving views and votes of the
various tribes, which gives an average
vote Of 16 to l against the transfer,
nearly all tribes being unanimously OPP
posed to the proposition. All the re.
ligious denominations in this country
are absolutely opposed to the proposed
change Of management. Their opinions
and behests deserve and should receive re-
spectful consideration. That We have
among the quarter of q million of Indians
some unruly tribes is a lamentable fact, and
to this u committee would respectfully
call the attention of congress. We are of
opinioa that in such special cases the mill
tary should have temporary control and that
the president have power to place such who