Arizona weekly citizen., 1886-08-07
APACIlES.
4 Bon,ls>heII in tlie Camp of their i'">"ii' friends-Mhai an Indian Fighter t"ii' the Cultured IostonIans or the Hed
 Eicnds.
(ssn Francisco Chroaiciey

(Ssn Francisco Chroniciey
 In the Atlantic Monthly for August k an article on "The Indian Question n Arizona" by Robert k. Evans, Hn e1 army officer, which contains SO much sound sense expressed m such vigorous English that It Is worthy of nOte. The author has hunted tine Apache and knows him we'll He has none ot the tenderness for the savage which made General Crook so dismal failure n Arizona. His straightforward language n regard to the stupendOus blunders of the Interior Department III dealing with the Apaches has all the more force since 1t appears Tn the chef hter- ary magazine Of Boston, the hegd-ceuter of the sentimentalists who are responsi- ble for the crimes Of our Indian pOllcy. If marks & new departure winch IS inll of hope for the conversion of the bigots who see no good ID the western views Ci the Indian and the Chinese. Certainly no one can read this estimate of the ln- dIan and the measures which the author regards as necessary for bis subJeeiion without admitting its fairness anu value.
 Mir. Evans describes the Apache aud his methods ID style which Will open the eyes of the eastern reader, although II is a twics-tOld tale on this coast. lie shows that the reservation system is at the bottom of most of tie raids, Tor it
 puts a premium on the predatory iu- stincts of the Indian. When party oi Apaches may leave the San Carlos hes- eryation. carry on n weeks rald In All
 zUna and then struggle back into the reservation under cloud of night with no fear of detection, the marvel IS that
 the raids are SO few. Even If he Is caught, nothing is done to him. He Is received back as ShAttO and other red ! handed murierers have been received and fed at the governments expense.
 He IS supposed to be governed by tribal laws, but the only Oifense which the Apache recognizes ls an ofensc com
 mltted agsIn.t 8 member of his own tribe. This can be settled for money
 consideration, even though It be as fla
 grant crime as parrlclde. The murder of a white man or of an Indian belong | ing to another tribe Is a meritOrious act
 iu the eyes ot the Apache, At least no brave was even punished by his tribe
 for such bit of enterprise.
 l Here, then, We have tbe ApHches | herded on a reservation which affords them little game, subject to no laws, | and with only the shadow of restralnt upon theIr InbOrn lswlessness. When | they break out and go upon their peri Odical raids the army IS called in Co sup press their outrages. If the troops cap | ture A band, red-handed with the mur- | der Of the wives aud little children of | settlers, the prisoners are carefully guarded and brought back to the res | eryation. The farce of s trial is some
 times played. but general! they are liberated and told not 10 let IL ). Fpen
 again. Mir. Evans points out t....- the | rules for the govern ment of the .imies | of the United States provide for re- | taliation in the treatment of prisoners. | In so many words, they declare that It an enemy kills or tJrtures prisoners Ee | nut receive DO quarter himself when
 caught. This rule covers the Apache | perfectly. He was never known 70 spare
 an injured enemy or to fail to torture a
 prisoner. Yet during fifteen years m which We have waced war with the
 Apache never in a single instance have
 our troops shot down their prisoners.
 Perhaps no case called for tbis re;Hlig- tion more loudly then when the murder
 CTS of Judge McComas and his wife
 were brought into San Carlos and the brother of the Judge hargainei with one of the vretches for the gold watch and 0 few other personal effects of the murdered man. According Co at | civilized codes. this brother would have | been justified in opening un the gang of butchers with a Winchester rifle. In
 stead, he was forced to endure their in
 science and to gather from interpreters | that they were bOgsilng ot the succes- ful results of their raid--R raid which | had been attended with small risk, as | General Crook had promised them in munity from all harm II they would con | descend to come back to tine reservation. No one who IS familiar with the Apa ,he clmpaignsl will doubt for an instance | that swift and sure retaliation Tor mur- | ders by Apsches would do more than anything else to put sn end tO the per | iodical raids which leave a bloody trail | along our Southern border. IL would also end the shameful spectacle of a
 powerful nation unabls to suppress the outrages of a mere handful Of blcod- thirsty sRyages, for that Is what the pol
 icy of leniency has brought us to iu
 dealing with the Apache problem.
 But, # may be asked, what Is the rem | edy for the evils which are growing
 more bitter every year2 The military
 authority whom We have quoted, gives several plans which appear tD be ieasi- | ble. First, be would enact an Indian
 code. with courts and a machinery of iustIce, which would speedily end the
 murders and brawls winch gre now con
 stantly occurring on the reservation, | As for the ApaC hes who refuse Co stay
 on the reservation, they should be gwen
 a certain time in which Co return. 1T
 they returned they should by punished.
 If they failed to come back. then they
 should be proclaimed, and a PrIce put on their heads. MT. Evans advocates
 the payment of as large a sum as SlOUO to a posse of five or SIX Indians who
 should capture fugitive criminal and
 return him dead or alive. He shows that this would be economical as we'll as merciful. for every Apache killed un- der the present system costs the govern
 ment Sl0O,OO0, and costs the terri tory the lives of several good settlers. His plan for ciyilizing the Apaches Is to give them land in several LN EuEhuEdEG AlN4A4 lN ANENLlt CTS. 1T they refuse to work, then pun ish them under the Indian code as VA grants.
 It will be seen that there IS DO sen.i- mentality in these suggestions; yet they ought to commend themselves Co any one who has followed the history ot the various Apache campaigns Tn Arizona. Every year We spend more money and accomplish less for the outlay. The Indians have reduced the business Ot rsidIng tO a fac art. as Geronimo has demonstrated. It would take about all the available troops In the country 10 pen him up in the Sierra MGdres. And II he were brought m to-mOrrOw the whole dresry, costly work would have tO be repeated should any ot the other renegsdes see it tO emulate bis exam
 pie. There must be radical change m policy, both in the field and on the res ervation. General Miles Is credited with an order for the shooting of any hostiles who attempt to skulk back into the San Carlos reservation. but according to best accounts the renegsdes have no intention Of returning He may also shoot Gng prisoner he takes, but We have yet tr .F any na rttvaE ,,,nIa Ing tha ft m