Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-12-07
IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
In One of Which Secretary Lamar Re.
views the Indian Question and
Suggests Solution.
Which Is, the Savage Must Be Civil
lied and Absorbed, or His Extinc-
tiOn Will Surely Come.

And in the Other Treasurer Jordan
Balances Uncle Sans Books and
Devotes Some Attention to
Silver Coinage.
Secretary OF the Interiors Report.
WASHINGTON, December 6.-The annual
report of the Secretary of the Interior re-
views at great length the relations of the
Indian tribes to the Government, and the
settlers residing near their reservations, and
the outbreaks of the year and the causes of
them are considered. The recommendation
of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs that
the less guilty of the rebellious Chiracahuas
should be transported to an island of the
Pacific ocean, as a penal colony. to earn
their own living by fishing, stock raising,
etc., or be sent to military prison at Fort
Leavenworth, is endorsed. It recommends
that the Southern Utes be located in Indian
Territory, and that the Piutes of Oregon be
! settled on homesteads and given farm imple-
ments and other assistance. The subject of
| the
LEASING OF THE LANDS BY THE INDIANS
70 cattle companies is taken up, and after
/ showing the passive consent of the late Sec
retary to such leases, and the evil that has
resulted from the practice, the Secretary
says: From all the facts developed on the
subject, am convinced that the assistance
rendered by the respective Indian agents in
the making of these alleged leases was di
rected more for the interests of the cattle
men than that of the Indians placed under
their cure and supervision. While many of
the Indians favor the leasing of their lands
for grazing purposes, others opposed and
protested against such use and occupation
of their reservations. and refused to
alleged leases, or to accept any
share of the money received Hereunder.
Sufhclent influence, however, seems to have
been brought to bear upon majority of the
respective tribes to induce them to enter into
the arrangements made. In my Judgment,
not the least among such influences were the
encouragement and persuasions of the re-
spectlve Indian agents, or some of them at
least; and IN many instances | fear they
have shared in the profits of these specula-
tive transactions. After speaking of the en-
croachments of railroads on Indian rights
the Secretary says: 1t is evident that
THE INDIAN RACE HAS REACHED A CRISIS
In its history. The Indian cannot longer
exist IN this country in a savage or semi
civilized state, nor can he longer recede
before the advancing state of civilization.
1t has already surrounded him. The move
ments of population eastward and north
ward and southWard have gone on
with unprecedented rapidity, until ev- |
cry reservation is closed in and |
pressed upon by colonies of settlers.
miners, ranchmen and traders. The prac-
tice of moving the Indian to more distant
reservations can be continued no longer.
He must make his final stand for existence
where he is now, and unless he can adapt
himself 1!l to the necessities of the new cor
dltions and partake of this all-pervadine
civilization his extinction will be sure and
swift. The need of permanent scheme of
Indian management to meet this emergency
Is pressing upon the government with i'm
perlous urgency. The Indian race is no
longer source of danger to the peace and
security of this great Republic. Most of the
reservatlons are eneircled by powerful COM
munltles, and those upon the frontier are 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 PROBLEM COULD BE EASILY SOLVED
By simply withdrawing all government su-
over these people and conferring
upon them the rights of American citizen
snip Ihose who would not pass away would
be soon absorbed into American society.
After Incorporating into our body polite ,,
t,OO0,OVO of blacks in a state of slavery, and
INVESTING them with citizenship and suf- .
rage, we need not strain at the gnat of $780, !
so Indians. 1t would merely be an addi =
lonal morsel, and very small one. Such a 9
course, however, would be more cruel and
destructive to the Indian in the hapless con-
lition to which the extension of settlements :
will soon reduce him than a war of eyter- :
n1nation. y
recommend that portion of every reser- =
alton be divided up into several tracts of J.
ultable size for farms, to be allotted to each .
Individual as his sole and separate estate g g
he provision should be made against the I
over (untll after time) of selling or T
lortgaging the same, or even leasing it to = =
ny but Indians living within the same
eservation. Without legislation of this D
Ind all efforts to make the Indian support
Imsef by his own labor will prove fruitless I
nd unavailing. To overcome tt
HIS NATURAL AVERSION TO LABOR, tt
here must be an incentive, given alone by a :, =.
Ire guarantee that the fruits of his labor 3,
lould be enjoyed in security. No man will q, a.
ear forests, inclose fields and cultivate f,'
lem, and rear houses and barns, when at l..
ny moment he may be removed and carried -
against his will to some distant and un t4sI
1own region. The ownership of land. free ~, -,
olding, tends to inspire individual indie. ~ ~
'ndence, pride of character, personal W W
dustry, and the development of the domes- -, -,
. virtues. Provision should be made that ~
e Indian accepting patent for his land
all not thereby forfeit any of his rights as A,
member OF his tribe, nor the protection of
ID benefit which the laws of the United in
ates extend to Indians generally. favor r,
policy recommended by my predecessor iss
this Office, Secretary Kirkwood, of re- ca
clng to proper size the existing reserva- oa
ms when entirely out of proportion to the 9o ot
mber OF Indians thereon, with the consent tif
the Indians, and upon Just and fair nr
ms; and, second, of placing by patent az, er
. titles to these diminished reservations m
fully under the protection of the courts q
are the titles of all others of our people ev,
their lands. The surplus portion cut off mn
ould be subject to sale, and the proceeds En-,
rested for the benefit of the Indians. The ~. ~.
,cutlon of it should be cautious and ten ca, .,r
i've. My recommendation that only a
rt1on of each reservation be divided into slL
'arate tracts as stated above, is based
On the conviction that we must lead the 1t j
ilans to holding lands in severalty by the
enlng their right of occupancy under fun
IL communal system into fee simpIe nv Eve
radual process, and not by the sudden ali, ten
llon of system which is with them a re. out
on as we'll as a law of property. Those incl
Q, urge the speedy breaking up of tribal has
atoms, the obliteration of the reservation exp
tenn, and the localization of individuals cos
IN separate allotments of land as q oen con
policy, overlook the importapt foot tl,o4 | fair