New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-15
MORE INDIAN BABBLE.

Indian Commissioner Price, acting under in
structions Of Secretary Teller, has sent out
circular to all Indian agents requiring them
to inform such Indians as are now being sub
! sisted in whole or in part by appropriations not
required by treaty obligations that he will re-
commend to Congress the diminutun of such
supplies That is that the ratiOns and clothes
which they have always received are soon to
be in part OF wholly Withdrawn. How ale they
to live without them How are they to re-
place them? Indian Commissioner Price,
and Secretary Teller, both being practical
men, of course have practical advice to this
effect to give to these people, some definite
suggestion by which they can keep themselves
from starving.
Nothing of the kind. What they do offer
them through the agents is the assurance
that "labor is not degrading but enrolling"
that they "must labor for their own support " !;
and that if they ever expect to Become Iich and
powerful as the white race they must learn the
lessons of industry and economy. These are
such undeniable truths that any schOOl-bOy
can find them in his copy-book. But exactly
how will they apply to the Indanl Every
day we hear intelligent men crying out that
stop feeding the lazy dogs. Set them to work
Let them earn Their bread or starye." Others
declare that they won't work. In two hundred
"ycars they have not learned how, which proves
that they are incorrigible savages." Secretary
Teler's policy will crafty these two classes of
observers The Indian now Is to work OF
starve. Let us put ourselves in the place of
an Indian whose supply of rations and clothes
is cut Oft and the advice from headquarters
read to him: Labor is enrolling. If ever
che expects to become rich and powerful he
"must work and economize."
What Is he to work at 7 He is en- a Iescrva-
ton with his own tribe and half dozen whites.
who have an absolute power over him such as
is not granted to any man over others in any
civilized country in the world not even in
Russia. The reservation is prison he dare
not cross the lines, nor can anyone from the
outside come over them to him. How is he to
earn his bread there7 He has not a foot of
ground which he can call his own. IL he
chooses to take the risk and till the ground he
and all his tribe are compelled to barter their
crops to one man, who sets his own price
on both crops and goods. One of these men
testified: ave always expect 200 per cent in
trading with Indians" If he builds himself
house, buys oxen. ploughs, etc., puts up a
church, school-house, etc, to become civilized
like the whites, by preaching lessons of in
dustry and economy" he is liable at one mans
within to be swept of a thousand miles, as were
the Poncas, at days warning, into a malar-
Gus. barren desert. leaving all behind, without IA
dollars compensation.
" If the Indian cannot get title to land" say
practical whites, "why does he not go to work
a at something besides farming, as all other men
"dof There.are the trades, shopkeeping, ETC."
Simply because on each reservation there are
a white blacksmith, carpenter shoemaker, etc,
who are appointed by the agent, and who
do all the work and get oil the profits. These