Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-12-07
AN INDIAN POLICY.
The Red Man Must Pariake Of CIvIlIza'
ton or His Extinction wiz be
Sure and swift.
Problem Presented by n Race Rich N
LANDS, fIut Poor in'evorgfhing Else
Lamnr's suggestions.

Nfffrf'' ''ffafff
WAsnNGToN, Dec. 6 ~ Secretary
Lamar 10 HE annual report, after giving
q detailed account Of the operations OF
the Indian bureau, offers The following
suggestions Of general character:
lJis evident that the Indian race has
reached a crisis IN rs history. The ln-
dams can no longer exist IN this country
10 savage on semi-ciyillzcd statn, nor
can thUy lOngcr rcccdc before the advance
Ing march OF civilization. II has q ready
surrounded them. Movements of popu-
otlop eastward and nouhward and Nouth-
ward have gone ON with unprecedented
npidity, until every reservation is closed
IN and pressed upon by colonies OF
settlers, miners, rNnchmen and traders.
Tho practice OF moving the Indian TO
more distant reservations cau be con-
timed no longer. lie must make his
inal stand for existence where he Is NOW.
Uuless ne Gun adapt himself 10 the nuccs.
sites of these nov conditions aud par
take of this all-pcradlug civilization, his
cXtiuctign viii be sure and swift The
need of a permanent sthpme Of Indian
management 20 meet this emergency Is
pressing uuon tho government with iu-
pcrious urgency.
70 determine properly The question MS
60 tue true method OF conducting our In
dian affairs in the present crisis, there
should bee clear understanding OF the
state of thugs which has thrown upon the
government the responsibility OF an Indian
policy Of any Kind, and clear perez pJlou
OF The object which, IN dealing with it,,
the government proposes to accomplish.
what, then, is this thing-our Indian
policy, or, as IL Is sometimes called, the
Indian service? Here In Washington it
means a great bureau or governmental
department, with It's system Of divisions
and clerks 1nd Inspectors and special and
local agents-a sort OF state department,
conducting correspondence and adjust
ins the relations OF siXty-seycn inferior
governments OF certain "dOmcstc de-
pendent nations,n and at the same time
invested with authority to control and
protect the individuals living under those
governments. Tho cost of this Indian
service In direct annual appropriations
IL Is difficult 10 ascertain accurately, but,
from the most reliable data available, It,
clunot be less than an average of S&,s70,-
G29 from the year 1882 to the present
time. IL now amounts 60 more than
SG,000,0 600 per anuum, and has at differ
eut Zines reached $1,000 0G0,
ESTATE OF THE INDIANS.
The principal possession OF these
'domestic dependent natonS,n with
which this department has had TO deal, is
the land owned by them. But number
of tribes have funds Invested and other
moneys belonging TO them, aud have also
annuitIcs secured TO them by treaty slip
ulations. Estimating the total area of
their reservations as given at s. per acre,
the value Of the estate owned, held aud
occupied by the Indians Is, in round
numbers, el3i,000 900 And to this
should be added other invested and I'M
invested funds amounting to seventeen
millions, and other lands, on the market,
but not yet sold or paid for, making Il
total OF $l52 ,000,0 geo m round numbers.
I This does not include the annuitics,
which, ON account of ,hc uncertainty and
/ indvAnitcness Of some OF them, cannot
be accurately calculated beyond each
year; nor does It embrace the value OF
other property in ponies, sheep, cattle,
industrial implements, etc.
/ Here, then, is the Indian service, as
seen in the workings of the Indian Office.
1t certainly shows Il great expenditure of
/ money, effort, political enterprise aud or
/ ganization. For whom and for what Is
| required this expensive equipment of q
] great department of the government,
| with the constant vigilance and occa-
sopal active assistance of the military
establishment?
! There is but one answer. 1t Is for the
control, protection and management OF
a population OF only 900, 600 including
men, women and childrcn--less than the
/ population Of the city OF Baltimore,
Whatever may be said about the inius.
/ tiCe and cruelty with which the Indians
! have been treated in The past, character
/ tied by some as II century of dishonor,"
/ the government Is noW as MI must nd.
nit, putting itself TO great trouble and
expense for very small and mutilc pop.
ulation. The question arises, what Is the
purpose sought to be accompllshed2 Is
u 10 protect this country against the In.
dian as II menace to the security and
peace of our people? Nothing could be
more absurd
The Indian race Is no longer source
of danger to the peace or security
OF this gront republic. Most
of the reservations are cnclrcled
by powerful comm unitcs, aud those upon
the frontier are completely in the hands
OF our military forces Nor is the Indian
any longer an obstacle to our national
progress or TO our material development.
So far as the interests of our own people
are concerned, apart from the needs of
the Indian population, the Indian prob,
lem could be easily solved by simply
withdrawing all governmental super.
vision over these people and comforting
upon them the rights of American citizen.
81, fHtfNa., tral,.I.