The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-11-19
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
The Weeks DOings at the Ma
tiOnal Capital.
CONSIDERING THE INDIAN QUESTION.

ers, accompanied by several prominent phlian
tropists, called on the President and had a
somewhat protracted interview with him on
the subject of the policy TO be pursued toward
the Indians Remarks were made by Hon.
Erastus Brooks. Rev. Lyman Abbott, Gen.
Clinton b. Fisk VI. L. Gates, and Others which
embodied the views adopted at conference OF
friends OF the Indians recently held IN New
York.
1t was urged that the Indians should be treat
ed fairly aud honestly as wards of the Govern
inent and their education and civilization pro-
NOTED, with a view TO their ultimate citizen
ship, as advocated briefly in the Presidents
inaugural address. They said the questions
which seemed most TO demand immediate at
tention were those relating to land, education,
homes and families. In regard to lands there
should be seyeralty and individuality, with
the protection of law for persons and families
This would result in settlements, homes, and
land cultivation, and the Indian would thus be
made a self-supporting citizen, and endowed
with all the rights. duties and privileges Of
citizenship. The proof of the ability OF the
Indians to work inteligently and prohtably
was found in the fact that those most civilized
have now under cultivation more than 100000
acres the product Of which in one year was
100000 bushels of grain. besides 100000 cat
tie, 100000 sheep, $4,000 horses and mules,
and $4,000 swine.
the sneakers dwelt on the evil effect of in
sufficient laws to protect the Indians, and said
they needed just what the white man has
protection and citizenship. To secure these ends
it was urged that the tribal relation be abol-
ished and the system of reservations broken
up. "When this is DONE said Mr.. Brooks,
" civil magistrates will take the place of the
soldiers, and the money now paid to support an
army will be more wisely expended in the
peaceful pursuits OF industry, in moral and
mental education, and in the settlement of
great public questions which. for century or
Il. No,
at a cost of hundreds of millions IN money ana
countless number of lives. These and kim
dred questions are left to the President, in the
belief that it is possible by wise legislation and
firm and humane administration, TO emanci-
pate, naturalize and Christianize those whom
he has declared to be the wards of the Nation,
and as such entitled to honest treatment at our
hands"
The President listened attentively to the
speakers, and assured them of the deep interest
he felt in the subject. He reviewed the many
difficulties encountered in dealing with the
question, which he acknowledged was a most
important one He said the great trouble, to
his mind, was to decide upon the first practical
step toward improving the condition of the
Indians. shall we" he said, give them more
schools and churches and agricultural imple-
ments for use on their reservations or shall we
deed them lands in severaty and leave them
TO their own resources? How are we to get
cannot drive them of their reservations. Is it
better to keep them under tutelage where they
are, or can their civilization be better accom-
plished in some other way? The question is
surrounded with difficulties and the most i'm
portant consideration to my mind is, what is
the most useful thing to be done a0w?"
He said that while it might not be wise at
present to disturb the Indians in their homes,
he believed that ultimately the reservations
would be given to them in severalty, and
they thrown upon their own resources. He
thought years would be necessary to reach the
end desired but he hoped during his Admins
tration TO make a beginning in the right direc-
tion.
The gentlemen also called upon Secretary of
the Interior Lamar and conferred with him on
the subject. The Secretary said that in his
opinion a crisis in the history of the Indians
had been reached which must be met by meth
DDS different from those heretofore pursued.
The process must be one of improving them out
of their present condition into civilization by
gradual process. In the end the tribal system
would be abolished, but he did not believe this
could be safely done now. He thought the
Christian religion was the most potent instru
mentality for the elevation of the race If the
interests of the white people alone were consid-
cred, the problem could be solved by making
the Indian citizen at once. He said that
after swallowing and digesting 4, 900 900 negroes
we ought not TO strain at few thousand In
Q1anS. bub 10 make TIE indian a clllZen now,
he said, would be bad enough. He was not yet
ready for this step.
A CLEAR CASE OF "PARTIsaNsHIPn
One morning last week Benjamin Hardesty,
Of Collington, Nd, awoke TO find that he was
no longer postmaster. His official head had
tumbled into the sawduSt, and he was ordered to
turn over TO his successor the village pcstoffice
and all appurteDances thereunto belonging. AL
though Republican, Mr.. Hardesty had held
his position in a Democratic State and under
Democratic administration for more than eight
months. which would appear to be doing pretty
well, as politics 90. Mr.. Hardesty ought not TO
complain, and probably does not, although the
returns on this point have not come in.
But Mr. Hardesty was an offensive parti-
san" There cannot be any question about
that, provided the charges that brought about
his removal are true-and we may fairly as
sumo that they are, as otherwise, of course, the
change would not have been made. The first
count III the indictment was that on the day of
the recent election Mr.. Hardesty became so
absorbed in his political labors that he either
forgot wholly ignored the fact that he was
the postmaster, and suffered the mailbag to be
kicked around the platform at the railway
station ali day, contrary to the statutes in such
cases made and provided, and against the peace
and dignity Of the United States of America
This was heinous offense, and if Mr.. Hardesty
committed ii with malice aiorethought il was
righteous retribution that he should go"
This startling instance of official obliquity,
however. fades into nothingness when COM
pared with the second specification against Mr..
Hardesty. 1t seems that he kept grocery as
well as the post-otfce, but the precise relation
subsisting between the two-whether the post
office was kept in the grocery or the grocery
was adjunct of the post -office-does not APP
pear in the testimony before us. In addition
10 sugar and soap and clothes-pins and Goldfish,
Mr.. Hardesty, as appears from the charges kept
stock of what sometimes called wet
groceries known commissary" in the
army-in various seductive forms, to slake the
thirst of the village-folk, and exc out bis some
what slender income as postmaster. The ter
rife arraignment of Mr.. Hardesty alleges that
she enticed q number of Democratic voters
to wit, TO the number of 20, into his store,
and by furnishing them with liquor kept them
from UOting!" Going, as before, upon the as
sumption that the allegations are true, Mr..
Hardesty's head was not smitten from his
shoulders any too soon. Such fragrant moral
and official turpitude is in the language of the
late ARENAS Ward, exalted by few and exseld
by num-" Not even the most rock-ribhed Re-
publican who turns the crank of party organ
will dispute the offensive partisanship" of
Mr.. Hardesty.
But, viewing this peculiar case from purely
political standpoint, it would seem that Mr.
Hardesty was faithful to his party. He did his
full share toward making Maryland Republi-
can State. Twenty Democrats kept from vot-
inc IN q SINGLE yIlape' If all tle RepuhIica nc