Morning journal and courier., 1882-04-22
Saturday Morning, April P. 1882.
AN INDIAN POLICY.


 As the government of this great and glori- ous country does not yet seem inclined to do the fair thing by the Indians the proposal is made that the press take the matter in hand. The suggestion comes from Philadelphia and l is signed by eight leading journalists there, including A. K. Mcclure of the IJnaes c. E.. Smith of the Press, M. McNIichael of the NorM American and W. ". Harding of the Inquirer.
 The gentlemen have Platform of Prin- ciples" which they would like to see applied to the Indian question, and their platform will strike most readers as good one. They would have the government never break faith with the Indians Keep all intruders out of the territory. Continue the self gov ernment of the civilized tribes. Let them regulate their own land tenure. Enact suit able laws to protect life and property on res ervations. Make them flexible in detail. Administer them through department orders approved by the President. Promptly and rigidly enforce them. Individualize the pun ishment of crime. Never hold the tribe li- able for the crimes of it's members Organ ize an efficient Indian police force on every reservation. Create 8 separate Indian de- partment under a civilian secretary. Grant plenary emergency powers to the President. Have all agencies frequently inspected by appointees of the President, well paid and un- connected with the Indian department. Carefully regulate the powers and duties of Indian agents. Give them permanent posi- tions and liberal salaries. Keep them free from political influence Let their subordin- ates be appointed by the department. All questions of general policy and treatment to be settled by the department. No individual experiments by theoretical agents to be per mitted. Abolish all privileged traderships Absolutely destroy all. traffic in liquors In all else let there be free trade Let all mill tary posts be maintained separate and apart from the Indian villages and preserve abso- lute non-intercourse between soldiers and the Indians. Remove no more tribes except where the soil and climate require it and the change is voluntary. Civilize the In dians where they are. Educate the entire Indian reservation population. Teach the children manual labor in schools on the reservations. Make them farmers and gra. ziers. Give all the bands an abundance of cattle. Teach them trades Instruct them in the laws of health. Show them how to live. Neutralize the influence of the medi- cine men. Make work compulsory. On reservations divide lands in severalty as h. dians can farm them Make them inaliena- ble and non taxable for time. Sell the sur- plus land for the benefit of the tribe. EIse- where grant government lands in severalty Con same terms) to all Indians who can culti- vate them. Give citizenship to all self-sup porting Indians who ask it.
 Of course this comprehensive and humane plan does not stand any chance of adoption by the powers that be. It is, nevertheless, good thing to have what ought to be done so well and clearly set forth. The press and the pulpit all over the land ought to work earnestly for the incorporation of these principles into our Indian policy.