The Tombstone epitaph., 1882-06-17
Bisbee Correspondence.

EDITOR EPITAPH There have been | few brief paragraphs in the eastern dis patches of late in reference to Secretary | Teller's proposed new Indian policy. We are not assured, but there is enough of it to hang hope on, that the principal fea- ture oi the new policy is the disarming of the Indians. To your correspondent it nas always appeared that the Indian policy of the Republican administration that has | for the last two decades controlled the gov ernment, has been characterized by phe- nomenal imbeclity in the department, or | criminal collision on the part of the petty satraps-the reservation agents. The plan ot gathering the Indians together upon
 reservations is, no doubt, good in theory, and there appears to be no good reason why it should not operate well in practice The government by assuming guardian ship over them, is bound by all legal and | equitable considerations to support, edu cate, protect and restrain them. They have no civil existence; they are not taxed i; | they are not responsible, but the guardian
 is responsible. We speak, of course, of those who retain their primal condition, the tribal relation. Now, how has the great father at Washington performed these obligationsS How have his wards been supported, protected and restrained Of his education we will speak in detail. True, he has been supported, or rather | the government has made It's annual ap- propriatiOns of millions tor that purpose, aud the money has found its easy way into the hands of the fraudulen. contractor and the thriving agent It iS not contended here that the Indian was entirely Gefraud- | ed of his support, and, indeed, if a moiety | of that provided reached them they would have no cause of complaint, for the ap- ! propriation for that purpose. lObbied through by special agents, were on so lib- ersl scale that large margin was left.
 According to a statement made not long | ago in the house of representatives by ' member of congress, giving the exact amount of daily rations issued to the In dians on the reservations, the first item was three pounds of fresh beet per day to each individual.
 A buck and squaw and three children over twelve years of age are entitled to | fifteen pounds of fresh beef per day. In l addition there came bacon, flour, meal, hOminy, sugar, dried fruits and other dain. ties. There was also clothing, utensils
 implements, etc. So, if Mir. To gets the I half of this bill he cannot accuse the great father of stinginess. But Uuclt Sam goes | further He selects the most fertile and | favored regions of his domain and dedi- cates them to the exclusive use of his wards. No greedy whit, man IS allowed to invade this sanctuary. Here also he employs white teachers to instruct hls wards in the arts of civilization. His idea is to make them self-sustaining, intelligent, morally responsible aud it them eventu. | ally for the duties of citizenship. This is Il good and in accord with the spirit and enlightenment of our civilization. But now comes the anomaly: It would seem 10 be necessary part of this plan to sub. due the savage and ferocious instincts and to wean him from the chase, his nOmade lite and ihe use of arms, and teach him to depend on husbandry and the industrial arts But instead the exactly opposite has | been the pracilce and he has actually been scho0led in the use of the most deadly weapons. The ferccIous and sanguinaly instincts, therefore, instead of being mode. rated and subdued has been stimulated and excited. Stripped of verbiage then, the Indian policy of the Republican Ad- miDistratiOns have been simply to ciyiize the Indian and make him amenable to law by teaching him the use of the most inn proved and efficient firearms that the in- genuity of man has devised. The ferine
 instinct, too, which our policy. was de. signed to repress and ultimately eliminate has naturally enough developed in our wards proficiency in the use of these deadly instruments, greatly exceeding that of our trained soldiers. And not only have they been taught the use but they have been furnished with those implements ot death and with all the requisites in the way of ammunition for their emp 'oyment by this same humane and enlightened policy. How would MT. Secretary Kirk
 wood or Mir. Secretary Schurz like to he told that they have been concerned in murderous conspiracy for the purpose of slaughtering helpless women and childrens And yet they and the party that upholds them are directly re- sponsible for the fiendish atrocities that stain the annals of Arizona and New Mex ico. It IS hard to realize how culpably blind or bigoted has been the course that permitted the so called Indian policy. The new secretary, however, we are led to be- lieve, has taken the portfolio of the Interior with his eyes open, and seems disposed to address himself to the discharge of his duties with some degree ot intelligence, as his suggestion Of disarming the Indians evinces. If he has the courage of his convictions and can successfully resist the assaults of spectators and agents and the host of hyenas that have cOnspired to mur- der settlers and prOepectOrs, he will de- serve the profound thanks of the Indian terrorized Territories. Ills plan also inc wolves another excellent suggestion, which is the issuance of lumber instead of tents. One ofthe first sentiments to be inculcated Tn the savage breast is that of domic:lia. tfon. Let him have stationary place of abode; something that he cannot pull down at minutes notice and pack on his squaw's back 10 be transported thither or yon. The agrarian idea will soon tol- low He viii become attached to the soil, and his nomadic predilections will disap- | pear as he gradually realizes the comforts of home and the satisfactory sense of pro. prietorship. If Mir. Teller will carry his new policy into vigorous operation, there will be no more Indian emeutes from the reservation. No more slaughter of the citizens; no more soldier playing at hide and seek with the savage hostiles
 And if the secretary will do his part, he should be supplimented and aided by the Territory. The new legislature should at once repeal the law that authorizes the Government to enlist friendly Indians in the militia service of ihe Territory There
 are no friendly Indians. They don,
 know what faith and friendship are. They
 are not to be trusted. IL was Govern
 ment scout that shot Gen. Carr; last sum-
 mer. He was friendly Indian and they