The Ottawa free trader., 1881-11-19
THE INDIAN QUESTION.

While, from the general estimate earlier re
ports gave Of the ability Of Mr.. Kirkwood, tn,
successor Of Carl Schurz at the head of the
Interior Department at Washington there was
no reason to expect anything but the meres
commonplaces in his first annual report, it ap
pears he has concentrated most of his mental
strength, whatever that may amount TO, upon
the Indian question: and in his report gives al
rather unexpected length the result of his CO.
citations on that subject. HIS deductions
from careful study are that the Indians are
too much scattered, and that the way to bring
them under easier and cheaper control is to
concentrate them. A somewhat similar idea
was suggested about thousand years ago by
an eminent Saxon statesman as a means OF
riddlng Britain Of a pestiferous invasion of
Norwegian rats, but the suggestion led to no
important results, from the same cause which
we fear must detract from the value of Mr..
kirkwOod's recOmmendation-th difficulty of
gathering the obstreperous rodents into suit.
able corral. There are now, says the Secretary,
in the states and territories west OF the Mlssls.
sippi 102 Indian reservations, on which are
located 224000 Indians, the bulk of the abo.
riginsl population of the country. Why not,
says the Secretary, gather these and all the
rest OF the Indians, into four or five reserva-
tions. Reducing these four or five to about a
Goth OF the area Of the present reservations,
how vastly would not our whole Indian ad
ministration be simplifed, and how incacu.
lably more economical could not its manage
ment be made! True-very true. Then schools
could be established among them and the
young aboriginal idea taught how to shoot
Each Indian head of family could be placed
upon farm of his own, or, if the country is
not adapted to farming without irrigation, the
Indians could be taught to become herdsmen.
The tribal relation among them could be apol
ished, and experimental governments set up
as nearly alike, as may be, to the system pre-
vailing IN our territories.
All very nice, father Klrkwood; but how
will you catch and gather your half million
OF slippery nomads into your five huge cor.
rals' At present they are scattered from the
frozen border Of Alaska to the jungles OF /
Pemblna to Southern California
from Texas to Oregon. Wouldn't It be a
lovely job to traverse all this vast region, GOV.
ering half the continent, and pick up in ones
and twos this vast redskin horde and pen
them up IN half a dozen of limited reser.
vatisns' Then imagine these heterogeneous
tribes-speaking forty different languages
coalescing in one harmonious local territorial
government, of the nature of which they
would have about as much idea as of logr,thms
or Greek roots!
AS Bob Ingersoll would say, "twon't do"
10 our unsophistlcated conception, the best
solution OF the Indian problem is that suggest
ed by Mrs. Swisshelm in her "Fitty Years"
Treat the Indians exactly as you do the ne.
groes, or as you do foreigners that come to our
shores. Tell them that these lands belong to
The United States,-by right or superior civil.
lation, or by right Of conquest, il you please.
ou are at liberty to 60 upon them and make
living by hunting and fishing If you prefer,
Dr. by raising grain or cattle. But you must
buy and own your lands, and if you don't you
must give way to those who do You must
abide by and obey the laws like all other peo l.
pie. Don't Bright Eyes say tha, you arc hu {
nan beings with the same feelings, ideas, pas. ,
lions and thoughts like all other people t
Then learn to live like other people, or take I
he consequences! Is