The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-12-08
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE IN
MANS

A large part Of the report of the Secretary
of the Interior is devoted to the discussion of
the Indian problem. Secretary Lamar in
common with everybody else who has given
the subject close attention thinks that the
time is near at hand when radical change
must be made in our manner of handling the
red men. They are now surrounded by civil
lization where they cannot longer exist in
savage or semi-ciyilized state They cannot
be removed to more distant reservations.
They must remain where they are and there
make their fight for existence. Unless
says the secretary, she can adapt himself to
the necessities OF these new conditions and
partake of this all-peryading civilization, his
extinction will be sure and swift" The gov
eminent now spends annually about $6,000-
900 for the care and support of Indians num-
bering about 100000, simply because it is
bound by duty, humanity, good faith, relig-
ion and national honor to protect at whatev-
er sacrifice these original possessors of the
soil, from the destruction with which they
are threatened by the very agencies which
make our prosperity and greatness. But this
vast expenditure cannot of itself much long
er be relied upon to avert the destruction of
these people with which the environment of
the white race threatens them. Their own
civilization is the only bulwark that can be
relied upon to save them from fate which
without it is inevitable.
The Secretary says he has not been long
enough in office to feel competent to propose
a general plan or policy, but there are some
measures which he is fully convinced must
become part of any successful solution of
the problem. The allotment of lands in sew
crafty is the first of these The Secretary rec
elaends that part of every reservation be
used for this purpose, and that every Indian
on it be given a separate estate, which he
shallhave the power neither to sell nor lease
nor dispose of in any other way for some
time to come. His recommendation that on
ly portion of the reservation be so used is
based upon the conviction that we must lead
the Indians into holding lands in severalty
by ripening their right of occupancy under
their communal system into fee simple by
gradual process, and not by the sudden alb
clifton of regular system which is with
them religion as well as a law of property.
He favors the policy of Secretary Kirkwood
of reducing the size of reservations where
entirely out of proportion to the number of
Indians thereon, with the consent Of the In
dams, and selling the superf1uous lands and
and investing the proceeds for the Indians
benefit.
The great difficulty under which the de-
partment lies in the management Of the diff
ferent tribes arises from the fact that the
service is conducted from the seat of govern
ment at Washington through different agents,
at great distances away. This organization
is found to be sufficient for general purposes
of administration, the agents themselves be-
ing as competent men as the meagre salaries
will command. But the department lacks
consistent, intelligent and accurate informa-
ton as to the true condition Of the respec-
tive tribes and bands, such as will lead to
thorough understanding of the needs OF each
and to the adoption of the best course for
their advancement in the pursuits and habits
of civilization. The Secretary is Of the opln-
ion that the service could be greatly improved
and much expensive msmanagement avoided
by the appointment of a commission, OF not
exceeding six men, three to be selected from
the officers of the army, whose duty it shall
be, under the direction and instruction of the
Secretary Of the Interior, to visit each of the
reservations and. inyestigatess..and report to