Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1885-12-12
Our Indians and Our Army.

MaJOr DeneraI Scn Onel0 In his anHual
report recommends that our standing
army be increased from $1,000 as at
present, to $4,000 men. Saying that
would be a small proportion for popu-
lation Of 5o,0OO,O0O people, and that
really that many soldiers is needed to
guard against Indian outbreaks, and for
the protection Of settlements now scat
tered over such an immense territory.
Our idea is that while the increase of
troops on the frontier may to certain
extent add to the protection of the set
tiers, but it is doctoring an effect which
has no good reason to exist. and makes
no provision for removal Of the cause.
The fact is our whole Indian system is
all wrong, and amounts to no system at
all. And it is high time we changed
from the present weak and blundering
mode Of treating the Indian question,
and adopt some intelligent plan to solve
the Indian problem. We wrote upon
this subject years ago, and we had given
it much thought and consideration long
before we wrote upon it at all. We long
since made up our mind what we would
like to see done with our Indians. We
published our ideas and laid down our
plan at that time, and have seen moth
ing since to cause us to change our opin-
ion. But each month and year that
rolls around shows more the absurdity
OF our present system or rather lack Of
system, and points to step that must
be taken before we can 60 much further.
Our plan is briefly this First, give to
every man, woman and child Of Indian
| blood quarter or half section of land
which they may choose from their own
reservation and which they may own in
severalty. Second, let the government
declare the balance Of the land open for
settlement, selling the same at the gov
ernment price. and holding the proceeds
rs a sinking fund for the benefit of the
Indians This fund will be sufficient to
make the Indian rich, whereas he is
now pauper, and penned up at their
| agency in enforced idlencss, and a tax
| on the government of millions Of dol
lars, annually. And these lands serve
no purpose except as barrier to the
progress Of the nation. wall or dead
line where the advancing hosts Of civil
ization are told to halt, and 20 no
further. This fund Of which we have
spoken will be sufficient to furnish the
Indian with cattle, with horses and
wagons and farming implements to till
the soil, and pay white men as teachers
to show them how to use them. 1t will
build school houses, where they may
not only be taught the rudiments Of
common education, but where they
would also be taught the principles Of
our government. The operations Of the
laws and the reason for those laws and
the penalties which each must suffer
who breaks the law. Meantime the
country is settled up, counties are or
ganized and officers of the law are ap-
pointed and railroads ruE through the
land cities spring up, manufactures are
established, commerce fourishes, and
10, our Indian is plunged mingled and
merged into civilization. And now
having got him to this point, what is he
now, and what is his status? He is not
an Indian in the full sense, for his
tribal relations are broken up. He is
not an alien for he is to the manor born,
yet he is not citizen for he has no vote
About this time there will be a clamor
among the people, they will say these
Indians are richer than we, but they
pay no taxes. Or perhaps our nation is
at war and our state is called upon to
furnish her quota Of troops-we have to
60 to war while the Indians are exempt
and this is not right. No, it is not right,
but under our form of government there
is but one way to remedy the matter, he
must have the franchise. The Indian
must be made a citizen. He must be
made to bear his portion of the public
burden and Individually amenable to
the law. And to compel him to this he
must have representation. We have
had many arguments on this question
and some Of our best friends have re-
coiled from this proposition, saying this
will never be, but we contend they do
not grasp the situation, and that there
is no way under heaven to avoid it, and
as we said before disorganized element
cannot exist in an organized community
The issue is close upon the nation,
and it must be met. The path here
marked out is the path the Indian must
tread. In looking ahead we can see no
other, save annihilation, and that is out
Of the question.
| Road Wanfed