Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1882-04-20

q
Maj Dunn at Washington calling atten-
ton to the outrageous state of affairs
existing at the Reno agency. From
later dispatches it appears that the res
possibility for situation that at one
time threatened an extensive Indian out
break rests with Commissioner Price,
who, owing to the lack of Congress to
pass a deficiency bill, on the twentieth of
March reduced the beef rations one
third.
The rations previously issued had
proven barely enough for subsistence
and the second reduction, in the express
siye language of General Pope, gave
the Indian tribes collected at that agency
the choice of stealing or starving. Not
withstanding the frantic appeals and
representations of the danger to be APP
pretended unless some provision was
made for subsisting these tribes, from
the agent. Commissioner Price had but
the one answer that his orders must be
obey ed.
Happily Gen. Pope was possessed of
enough breadth of mind to see the danger
of the situation and he ordered the mill
tary authorities to see that beef in sufii-
cient quantity for the needs of the
agency was provided, and the war cloud
which had began to assume threatening
dimensions, melted away with the pangs
of hunger. Gen. Pope is entitled to
praise for his prompt action, which
saved the frontier from another Indian
outbreak, with its attendant list of muir
der and outrages such as have already
added too many chapters of horrors to
the history of frontier life.
This is not the first nor will it prob
ably be the last time that the Indian
office has driven the tribes under their
charge not only into threatened but ac-
tual hostilties II has been Il custom
airy proceeding for the Indian ring to
70 the verge of desperation and then
after the usual sacrifice of innocent
blood of the settlers alone the line of
frontier had been offered Up, the army
,tter called in and thousands Of dollars
expc8eed in whipping the Indians back
into SUCCESSION only to have the same
drama repeeesti with variations the next
year. ssappropriates an amouHt
estimated to be sGdscient for this SER
vice each year but tlffastgh the friction
of the Indian Office there IS generally
found a deficiency at the end a the year.
TWAS hoped that the more bus.ssess like
and sensible policy which was ir'spagur-
atcd under Secretary Schurz would be
continued rs the line of policy to Se
carried out by the Interior department.
but if such is to be the case i'll view OK
the facts now presented, it would seem
the course of wisdom to change the
present commissioner rs the first step.
A commissioner who has not the sand
to stretch his authority to save devaS-
tating war is no person for this place.
To feed Indians is much cheaper
than to fight them, even when the CREST
sacrifice of valuable lives is not added 10
the scale While you are feeding them
youcan be educating them, learn them to
absorb new methods while they absorb
their food, There is but two solutions
of the Indian problem, either absolute
extinction or Il gradual assimilation into
the body polite rs part and parcel of
shat body The latteris 10y far the most
humane as well rs the easier coarse.
Indeed education is guaranteed by the
United States and the guarantee accept
ed by the indians in the treaties CON
cluded by the Commission of which Gen.
w. +. Sherman was chairman, i'll 1868,
with the Sioux, Nayajoes, Apachesr
Utes, kiowas, Comanches, Arapahoes,
Crows, Shoshones, Bannocks and Paw
nees. Captain Pratt having charge
of the Indiah school at Carlisle, in his
report to the commissioner of Indian af-
f..7y5calls attention to This clause which
is nC>bfy identical in each treaty and
reads as zSilows: lin order to secure
the civilizati6R Of the tribe entering in
to the treaty the hteessity of education
IS admitted. especially By such of them
as are or may be settled ~ said agricul-
tural reservation. and thCt sherefore
pledge themselves to compel tfttsf chill
cErpu, male and female. between the AGES
OF s aIid lG years to attend school; and
it is iSreby made the duty of the agent
for said Indians tosce that this stipula-
ton is strictis complied with; and the
United States agree that for every thirty
children between sa5@ ages who can be
induced or compelled 10 attend school,
a house shall be provided. aTd Il teacher
competent to teach the elementary
branches Of nm English education shall
be furnished. who viii reside among
said IndilLs .ld faithfully discharge his
or her DUTIES rs a teacher The pro-
visions of this ar4icle to continue for not
less than twenty years =
That the Indian is caps5ie Of being re-
ducerl by gradual attrition with every
day civilization to state of uscful and
self supporting citizenship has bceH
shown in ntaorHts instances, and not
ably by the Stefbridgcs in this state.
But in this s0lutidnos thc much yexed
indian question time y RI important
factor and while this Regeneration Of a
Wild, untamed. vicious barbai5St9 into n
useful member of government il taking
place it is extremely necessary that all
outbreaks, which only tend to renew the
desire for the old lifc, tv avoided. The
Indian is. in his natur@Lstate. j. neither
/ saint nor sinner but possesScd Of like
/ passions with other members q Ehe hts-
man race the baSer perhaps prcaonsin-
ating. Unfortunately tits the play fton
these baSer traits aud willful violation of
treaty privileges accompanied, as in the
present instance. By actual starvation.
10y Indian rings and interested parties
hot hss.-