Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-07-23
The Indian Problem.

1t is believed that the plan that has
been adopted, of permitting the Indians
to lease their reservation for a term of
years for grazing purposes, will come
nearer solving the troublesome Indian
problem than any other that has yet been
tried. Several of the tribes in the Indian
Territory have leased immense tracts of
their lands for a period of ten
years 10 companies engaged in rails
ing cattle. They receive their
paw in silver and cattle. The
money is distributed by the indian agents
among all the members Of the tribes inter-
ested. in accordance with the claims Of
each one. The ArapahOes and Cheyennes
leased 100000 acres of the western part Of
their reservation, a week or so ago, for
something over 100000 a year. One-half
of the amount was paid as soon as the
lease was completed. The money was
taken from Caldwell, Kansas, to the
agency, where each member of the tribe
was paid on an average, about five dol
lars. The money weighed nearly
two thousand pounds, and was
guarded to its destination by
four Indian scouts. The next payment
falls due in January, and Will be paid
partly in cattle. The Interior Department
which has sanctioned the leasing of these
reserved lands prefers that payment should
be made in cattle for the reason that it is
believed the Indians, having the example
Of the white cattle men constantly before
them, will be melted to give their atten-
ton to the cattle raising industry. If, for
instance, the ArapahOes, Cheyennes or
Osages receive one half of the yearly rem
tai Of their lands in cattle and give proper
attention to their herds, in ten years, the
date OF the expiration of their lease, they
will be worth millions Of dollars in cattle
alone. Their increasing wealth will turn
their attention more and more towards
agriculture. As their property accumu-
lates their desire for law and order, and
even education. will increase. The scalp
ing knife and war paint will be discarded
and the habiliments of civilization will be
dOnned. The Interior Department pro-
poses to keep a close watch on this new
method of civilizing the Indians. Care
will be taken that they are not swindled
by the lessees. They will be
assisted, and encouraged in every possible
way. The department has already adj
vised the Iessees to employ Indians as
herders whenever such employment is
possible. In this way the Indians will
become familiar with the business Of
raising cattle. If the plan is a success,
il is not improbable that in less than
score of years many full blOoded Indians
will be numbered among our cattle kings.
The Buffalo Courier, after perusing the
Dorsey revelations in the Sun, has this to
say: I'VE rise from the perusal of this
miserable narrative with the conviction
that Garfield had no moral right to prose-
cute Dorsey; that Arthur had no moral
right to prosecute him; that the Republi-
can party had no moral right to prosecute
him. He was the hero of a shameful and
venaI canvass, in which the leaders of the
party bargained for the spOils of office,
assessed the government employees, black
mailed mOnOpOlists, accepted the booty of
thieves, and purchased the vote of
State. And the whole organization ap-
proved OF the work. Dorsey should be
restored to the pedestal on which the
speech-makers at the DelmOnicO dinner set
him. He is the typical Republican poll
tician of this generation, and if the party
is fit to be in power, he is certainly fit to
sit in its high places. 1t is to his credit
that he refused a Cabinet office when
others were engaged in wild scramble
for spOils, and that, although threatened
with disgrace and the punishment OF a
felon while others were only threatened
with the loss Of patronage, he took little
share in the quarrel that eliminated in
the murder Of the President
Is not this all true? A stream cannot
rise higher than its source, and politi-
cal party is no better than its trusted
agents and tools. The Republican party
repudiated Dorsey after it had used him,
and now let the people repudiate the Re-
publican party.