Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-29
MEDDLEsoME PHrLANTHRoPIsTs.
frho offfl.nr.a Of fha Nafinnnl Indian

b1EDDbESOhE fhIBAN 1ffftOffDIJ.
The officers of the National Indian
Defense association are again interfer-
ing with the negotiations ofthe govern
ment with the Sioux Indians. These
parties were largely instrumental in de-
feating the negotiations last year, and
they have now taken action which may
result in seriously embarrassing the
work Of the Sioux commission. A year
ago they told the Indians that the
agreement proposed by the government
was not liberal nor just, and they claim
that it was upon their advice that many
OF the Indians declined to accept the
governments proposition. Their OBJ
lection to the new proposition is that it
does not distinctly provide that the
government shall pay the amount due
the Sioux under the treaty OF 1868 for
schools, and their philanthropic interest
in the Indians, leads them to fear that
the government intends to avoid its al
legged obligations and make the Indians
pay them out Of the money they receive
for their lands.
These meddlesome persons called
on Secretary Noble recently and
asked for % construction Of the seven
teenth section OF the agreement to be
presented to the Indians, stating their
apprehension regarding the purpose
of the government. The result Was not
to their satisfaction. They were told
by the secretary that ii they controlled
the action of the Indians, the Sioux
commission should have been created
to treat with them instead of with the
Indians. The government had selected
honorable men as commissioners, it in
tended to deal justly with the Indians,
and, said the secretary, Il refuse to ac-
knowledge your right to interfere in
this business in any manner unfriendly
to the intended action of the United
States" Subsequently the president
Of the association addressed letter to
the chiefs and head men of the Sioux
nation, stating the objection of the as
sociation to the agreement to be pre-
sented to the Indians, and warning
them not to accept any statement made
by the commissioners regarding the
payment by the government of none y
due for schools unless such statement
should have the support of paper from
the president saying the government
would pay the money.
Thus the Indians are counseled to dis
trust the commission as to a very i'm
portant feature of the proposed agree
ment, and if the counsel is needed the
affaot ,,,o ha Sor,o,,Slv a n, bo rra s,i n u N
the work of the commission. The pros
pect for favorable result to the negoti-
| atiOns has been regarded as excellent
but it is to be apprehended that this
unwarrantable interference may change
the favorable situation Of affairs and
greatly retard, if it shall not defeat, the
acceptance of the agreement. 1t is moi
easy to be patient with people who thus
without any adequate reason, throw
| themselves in the way of great public
| interests and cast distrust upon the gov
ernment and its representatives, or tC
| use such moderation in characterizing
their impudent assumption and mex
cusable meddiing as propriety requires
| Their pretended philanthropic interes
in the Indians is not in the spirit of i
true philanthropy, but is merely the
expression of morbid sentimentality
from which the Indians have expert
enced far more harm than good
This mock philanthropy has fol
years stood in the way of a practical
common-sense policy in dealing with
the Indians, but for which the Indian
problem would have presented fal
fewer difficulties than it has done, and
been solved long ago with vast saving
to the government and great advantage
to the Indians. 1t is time there was al
end to interference of this sort with the
just and fair efforts of the government
to advance both the public interests
and the welfare of the Indians, and the
attitude of Secretary Noble toward the
meddlesome self-styled philanthropist'
will be very generally approved.