Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1888-06-02
THE NATIONS CAPITOL
Gen. Sheridan Created General
Of the Army.
Senators HaVley and Manderson
Bear the Commission to
the Officers Home.
The Senate Consider the Poor Indian and
Listen TO Some Stern Facts
from an Indian Princess.
The Work Of Remodelling the Mills Bill
Continued by the House.
The Work Of Remodelling the Mills Bill
Continued by the House.
WASHINGTON, June /
Senate.

During the consideration of the Indial
Appropriation bill and while the education Oi
the india.i children i'll Alaska was be.ng dis
cussed, Mr.. BLAIR read a letter from an Indi
an woman, who, he SAID, had been a delegate
to the recent wOman's convention in Wash
ington and WAS descendant of a Molia~
Indian. The letter was dated at Kalamazoo,
and signed Princess Siroqua." In it the
PrIucess contrasts the cOudition of the Indi
ans in Canada and in the United States
much TO the advantage of the former, and
says:
l believe that Congress as a body wishes
us no wrong, but nevertheless great wrong.
are done. some Can never be rlgh.ed. One
OF the greatest wrongs is the Introduction OF
hre-water among my people. l appeal IL
you AS u nation To see that the Indians are
educated. Send less theology among them
and more true christianity. Send honest
people If you have any among you. The
indian loves honor and truth and despises
d.. .ceit. We have great reason to be proud.
We are Indians. We have never been
known to manufacture alcoholic drinks to
destroy body and soul; neither have we
language to take Gods name III vain.
In further discussion of the same subject
it was participated in by Senators Plumb,
Dawes and Blair. The later spoke of the
progress made by the civilized tribes in the
Indian Territory and as proof mentioned the
fact that the newspapers there contained as
much civilized blacAyuardsm and criticism
rs the metropolitan ewspapers
Mr.. Dawes intimated that the five civilized
tribes had reached certain grade of civil
ization and stopped there, if they had not
retro sat1d. Congress had Just found
1t necessary to pass an act to punish crimes
III the Indian Territory. Heroic treatment
was fast coming to be a necessity to save the
good already secured there. Many Indians
themselves realized this fact and would be
glad to have the common heritage divided up
among them, without vi hich, IN his opinion,
a higher state OF civilization than now had
Was impossible.
Mr.. Blair interpreted these remarks of
Mr.. Dawes as indicating that the Indian was
to be inevitably exterminated by war or peace
If he WAS to remain in contact with the white
man at all.
Mr. Dawes admitted that on any theory it
was absolutel! certain that the Indian, rs All
Indian, was to disappear from the country,
because the Indian, as an indian, could not
live In the country any more. The Indian,
us an Indian, could find no place on this con-
tinent, but the race would continue to incr. ase
and multiply under lis new conditions. The
INDIAN had to be made self supporting citi-
Zen of the United States, or he would cer-
tainiy become a vagaboud savage tramp.
That was the alternative. Even the present
condition of things in Indian territory could
not continue.
A colloquy took place between Mr.. Plumb
and Mr.. Bates IN regard to the administra-
tlou of the office of commissioner of Indian
affairs, the former charging that the commis-
siouer hal 10 experience and was old and
unequal to the position. MIR. Bates defend.
ed he character. ability, honesty and eff
c,ency of the COMMISSIONER. and challenged
Mr.. Plumb to prove his assertions, which
the latter promised to do.
Mr.. BLAIR said that the newspapers assert
| ed that the Catholic church hal undue influ-
ence in the matter OF lndlan schools on the
reservations and askei Mr.. Dawes if thai
WAS true.
| Mr. Dawes replied that the Interior de
| PAL, ment made contracts with the associa
tons or individuals for the education of q
certain number of Indian scholars some
at ol0o some at Sl5S per annum. There
had been u good deal of complaint that ths
] Catholic denomination got the predominant
share of these scholars. He attributed this
however not to any special favor, but to the
fact that the Catholic church had bureau il
Washington to look out for opportunities t,
make contracts for the education of tn
Indian children. Finally the bill was pass
ed. The Senate adjourned till Monday