, 1879-01-09
OUR INIiAMS.

WIS VI'lN''Hs ''' WV t'"'
made to the Secretary Of the into
rior. We regret that limited space
has prevented its insertion ere this,
but may properly remark upon one
question with which it deals, VIZ:
The Indians of this Territory and
the proper manner of dealing with
them.
The Governor has evidently given
this subject careful attention and his
conclusions are very strongly in favor
of breaking up the entire rescrva
ton system. After speaking of the
new reservation agreed upon be.
tween General Howard and the In
dians, and the almost unanimous OPP
position to it on the part Of the white
citizens, he concludes as follows:
"They (the wbites) regard the res
ervation policy not only failure but
constant menace to them. While
the Indians remain upon the reser
vations their tribal relations are kept
up; they talk over their grievances,
real or imaginary; they send ennis
saries to other reservations to excite
feelings of hostility to the whites,
and the result for several years has
been an annual Indian war, in which
innocent men, women, and children
have been massacred, and the gov
ernment put to millions of dollars Of
expense.
The remedy that is desired is, to
abolish all Indian reservations, break
up tribal relations, hold all Indians
responsible under the laws for their
acts, permit them to avail themselves
of homestead and pre- emption ri ghts
and, iii short, treat them as citizens
of the United States, which this pol.
icy would clearly make them under
the first section of the fourteenth
amendment to the Constitution of
the United States. This policy was
unanimously recommended by both
the Republican and Democratic Ter
ritoral conventions which assembled
in this Territory the present year.
1t is possible that this policy might
not be feasible in other Territories.
Reference is only made to this Ter
ritory where it might I've tried as an
experiment at least. In the event
that it is not deemed advisable to
pursue this policy, then the transfer
OF all the Indians in Eastern Wash.
ington to the Colville Agency and
those of Western Washington to the
Neah Bay Agency would be far
more satisfactory to our people than
the present system, provided that an
adequate military force were sta
toned at each reservation to keep
the Indians under subjectiou. These
reservations could be easily enlarged
so as to afford ample facilities lor
hunting, fishing, grazing, and agri.
cultural pursuits; they are isolated,
one being in the northeastern and
the other in the extreme northwest
Grn part of the Territory, and from
their peculiar geographical position
years must elapse before they will
be encroached upon by settlers.
The interest OF the Indians in the
other reservations could be appraised
by the government; the amount hus
found due could be invested in Uni
ted States 4 per cent. bonds, the in
terest from which could be paid to
the Indians on the two reservations,
for the support of schools or other
beneficial objects. This policy would
open to settlement more than one
million acres OF fine grazing and az,
ricultural land now included in res
ervatioDs. These reservations are
to-day entirely surrounded by set
tiers, many of whom are encroach
ing with their stock upon the grazing
lands on the reservations, thus EN-
gendering quarrels and bitter feel
ings between the settlers and the In
dians."
The Governor also recommend
the immediate occupancy of Yakim,
valley by military force suficien
to keep the Indians over there unde
subjection and protect life and prop
erty. His views regarding the break
ing up of tribal relations, and sub