New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-12-07
WHY THE TNDT4NN ARE STIEVING


That some of the indians are starving may
he fact but il is wholly misleading iact' ana
50 far As II is true il would continue true no
matter how much money the Government should
spend for their relief The fine has come. I'M
less we are bent upon cytcrminatlng the Indian
race through mistaken philanthropy. 10 apply
n little common sense 10 the situation. The IN
dian is essentially almost irctn"vabIN.
savage II he had possessed. even IN very
inferior degree, the possibility OF becoming
civilized man in spite Of all our expressions on
the on, hand and foolish charity ON ia" other.
he would long ago have become absorbed mt
the dominant race. But he has been IrIr'on-
cIahlc. He has no faculty of organization.
which is the test of civilization l. j. with the
greatest difficulty that h. can be detached from
hi, racial procliyiioS ana be educated 10 APP
prccatc the objects Of civilized life II j. true
enough that We have robbed ard slain him
with much sy.'cm and I'M" mercy though
when each particular robbery ard each par
ticu!ar war are considered much can b" said to
prove that they were th" lesser of tV" cNil'
and the necessary consequence Of circumstances
that we could not control The tact remains
that in every generation since Massachusetts
and Virginia were settled there ha> been Wis"
and genuine effort made 10 bIing him into har-
mony with the conditions that the fatrS hal
imposed upon him, and that the net result of
it AL TO day is full of Encouragement.
This much has been settled beyond AL dis
putc-tha, there is nothing Ia hc gained by
supporting him in ldl"no>, The only progress
| that ha, been made in hi. salvation has come
through education and cupoy men'. The only
hope of inducing him t. abandon the iilth and
sloth OF h, tcpcr and t. pursue ON ways and
Ia entertain our ambitions Is found IN the re
cent policy of giving him something 10 thinl,
! about besides fetch worship and something I
| do beside, wariike enterprise. lie can only b.
! got 10 abandon these things by the force Of
| sheer necessity. 70 feed and cloth" him and
then - leave him alone OF an immense rc-"rva-
ton /. 10 encourage him IN al his savage habits.
! The country towns near In" Indian agencies
| after IN issue Of blankets aud ponies are chokcd
with bucks ready 10 sell for quarter what ha>
COS; the Government a dollar with no thought
of the consequences when the winter comes.
! The bottoms for miles along every water course
leading from the agencies after an issue of
beef and other ntIon> are pi'ied with camps
wherein gorgng and wasting i, going on until
| NltllH I'Il -'lCHI uV'ilN H't ~ NII'h ~ I''i
nor a grain Of sugar j, left. Then the Indian
| starycS. Then h" j. cold Then he grumblrs.
and la>cally chief, indlct the Government in
long complaint, and spread the seed, of war
among their Young men. Then foolish phllan-
thropi>t> here in the Last cy ont III dismal
| lamcntatiOn.
The Government will make fatal mistake
| hurtfu to the interest of the Western country
but rIlinouS b. the Indians, if il changes it,
policy one lotl in response TO the ignorant
criticisms that found appropriate voice in the
| speech 81 senator Voorhees, Last week Now is
not the time for weakness or iiIeSolution The
pcaccable Indians should be treated well They
should receive compensation for the Outrag"s
10 which the hostcS have subjected them RI-
lions and clothing should be freely issued in
place Of those that have been >tolcn But at
the earliest practicIb1c moment the leaders of
this disturbance should be arrested and pun
iShcd. and the Indians generally should be dis
armed Every true friend Of Indian reform
and Indian progress will sustain the Govern
ment in its well-dlIcctcd efforts to check this
disturbance and to keep in the excellent path
that has lately been marked ont for the educa
ton and employ OF the race.