Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-06

lseo-Ine Reservation and Agency Systems
Bsd-Whas Ought to he Done.
esOHOULD THE GOVERNMENT support
Nall Indians under all circumstances?
Should the Indians be compelled to labor for a
portion OF their Subsistence? What claim has
an Indian upon the people Of the United
States?" These and several other questions Of
the same character were propounded by a STAR
reporter to Senator Wilbur F. Sanders Of
Montana.
Senator Sanders knows the Indian Of the
northwest. He has been more or less closely
associated with the red man for twenty-seven
years and he 10 interested in the problem
which is causing good many Montana people
not little mentel worry and physical discom-
fort.
WE sTARrKD WRONG WITH THE INDIAN.
THE proposition" said the Senator, settling
back in his easy chair at the Elsmere, mot to
require Of the Indian any contribution to his
own existence, but to saddle him on civilized
men and women would invert civilization and
put the pyramid upon its apex instead Of it's
base. We started out wrong on the Indian
question and we have logged along in the same
mistaken way ever since Every consideration
has been shown the savages for no other reason
than the one that we found them prowling over
the superficial area of this continent when we
came here.
where is the Indians title? Let's see. The
Indian was found in possession of the entire
country, occupying 1t according to his views Of
propriety, and so far we know did not volun-
tarily consent to Spanish or French or Anglo
Saxon intrusion. After the Caucasian had OBJ
tanned a foothold he was adroit enough to ex-
tort, under various forms of duress. the con-
alvt oil als AH, A. s~su
occupancy OF nearly all the continent. The
Supreme Court Of the United States, following
precedent, early recognized u vague and
shadowy right of occupancy by the Indian, but
asserted title in the United States This was
the invention, however, of the Caucasian out
OF his own covetousness rather than after con-
suiting with his aboriginal neishbor. The
right OF occupancy has remained in the litera-
tnre OF the law book, but il not a fact in his
tory.
WE ARE CIVILIZATION.
Whenever the covetousness Of the Anglo
Saxon has come in contact with the desire of
the Indian to retain the home of his ancestors
processes have been found more or less ques-
tionable. but certainly effectual, to make the
Indian succumb. Without consultation with
the Indian and certainly in hostility to his views
We ourselves have determined that the CONT
nent belongs to civilization as a matter of
morals, and we have further determined that
we are civilization. Inexorably, therefore. we
have driven the Indian upon very limited areas.
As to the morality OF this process-extending
over period of $40 years-opinions differ; but
nobody proposes restitution, nor does any one
suggest halt The forward march of civilian
ton continues and must continue to the end of
the tragedy.
why call 1t a tragedy? Because il is nothing
less. The history Of the Indian has in it all
tragic clements tragedy because in my view
the attempt to civilize the Indian has been a
failure and will, think. remain one."
HAS Congress done all it could to improve
the Indians condition.
CAN'T CIvnIzE AN INDIAN.
ut undoubtedly has," said the Senator
Congress has tried and is trying to civilize
him, and its purpose in this regard has been
seconded by this anc all former administra-
tons. Some Of the instrumentalities have
failed, but upon the whole the trend of pur-
pose and action has been toward the unattain.
able. When the Indians are civilized then the
millennium will be at hand. and the millen-
mum, take it, is something like Marshall
Wilder's fairyland-'It's ever 30 far away A
great deal of well-meaning philanthropy has
been exercised; most of it wasted. The wisest
men in attempting to civilize tbs Indians have
initiated in a degree. as we'll as they could,
the Divine method as applied to other
subdivisions Of the human race and have
thought that one of the primary steps was to
them to labor. The nature of these induce
ments has been two fold. We have endeayored
to coax them and obtain Of them voluntary
action by seeing that their labor brought re-
wards, and We have also relied little on the
scriptural method of requiring them to earn at
least some Of their bread by the sweat of their
respective brows. Over all this country. except
in the extreme southwest, we are making extra
ordinary endeavors,tO have the copper-hued
loafer work for his living upon lands to be
given him. and, inasmuch as we know he labors
under difficulties. lacking knowledge of indus
trial methods, we have supplemented what he
could raise from the ground by supplying him
with some of the necessaries Of life, in consid-
Grafton OF his relinquishment of the occupancy
Of certain lands, and in some instances without
any such consideration.
INDIANS OUGHT NOT TO BE HUNGRY.
81 am somewhat familiar with the Indian
tribes who now are reported as breathing
threat'nings and slaughter and while not de-
nying but that some Indians may be short of
food, I nevertheless believe that the govern
ment has given them enough, SO that with
what by their most slovenly agriculture they
could raise every Indian would be supplied
with sufficient food. II any Indian is hungry
the government is not to blame.
IF, however, it be true that Indians are
hungry and that this hunger is the cause Of the
existing excitement and apprehension, the
question vet remains--what is humane and
wise action? The absolute protection OF every
settler against their raids is, of course, SUI
preme duty. Whether doubling the rations of
the Indians who threaten war because of
hunger is wise is quite another question. II
that shall be done, whenever war 10 threatened
it is perfectly certain that the Indians will per-
form no labor; that he will not engage in any
industrial pursuit, however rudely or fitfully.
and that he will threaten war all the time. 1
do not believe that hunger is the melting cause
Of the present distressing aspect of affairs.
do not know how frequently rations are issued
to the Sioux, but do know Of other Indians
who received enough to continuously keep
them supplied with necessary food, but whose
improvidence and gormandiZing propensities
disposed Of what they got in very short order,
and then they went hungry or begged or stole
until the next issue day came round"
RESERVATIONS NO USE TO THE RED MAN.
Giving. as they have been, ON reservations,
they cannot be expected to know better. Reser-
vations are no longer Of any use to an Indian.
They never were Of any value except as pre-
serves for game, and now that the game is all
destroyed believe q reservation is an absolute
detriment to the Indians who occupy it. The
buffalo and other wild game of the northwest is
gone and the Indians should now be settled
upon small tracts of land in families. They
should be surrounded by industrious white
farmers and gruziers, whose example and ad-
vice and conservative influence could not fail
them together in large masses around Indian
agencies, with nothing but . constant success
sion of mischief concOcting and passion-inciting
DAYS and weeks, is little less than crime, but
30 long as persons find il to their individual in
terest To advise this course they will cOntinue